Game on : why college admission is rigged and how to beat the system

Game on Why college admission is rigged and how to beat the system

Susan F. Paterno

Book - 2021

"In Game On, Susan F. Paterno--Director of the Chapman University journalism program and mother of four recent college grads--leads you through the admissions process to help you and your family make the best decision possible. Is the college admissions game really stacked against you? Is it getting tougher to get into top schools-into any school-or not? How will COVID-19 change all of these things? Susan F. Paterno, a lifelong academic who knows what it takes to get the best candidates enrolled in her institution, answers these pressing issues and many more in Game On. Paterno is also a mother who has had to help navigate four very different kids' applications to a wide swath of colleges and to pay for those four-year schools on ...a finite budget. In her book, she smartly assesses the two poles of the college admissions process: the big picture and the nitty gritty forms-and-scores-and-disclosures. Readers will learn how to use a sorting hat of their own devising-narrowing your focus, knowing how the sausage gets made, and how to find a good financial fit before considering anything else, including geography and reputation (and, certainly, ranking). Among the tools and insights Paterno offers: - How to read beyond the rack rate for tuition, room, and board - How to negotiate your financial package once it's offered - The difference between family debt and student debt and how to split it - How to make the fact that schools select their admits with a blend of 90% logic and 10% emotion work for you An insightful and practical book, Game On not only provides an insider look at the complicated admissions process, but simplifies it and guides families on how to beat the system"--

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Subjects
Universities and colleges > United States > Admission.
College costs > United States.
College choice > United States.
Published
New York : St. Martin's Press 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
Susan F. Paterno (author)
Edition
First edition
Item Description
Includes index.
Physical Description
310 pages ; 25 cm
ISBN
9781250622648
  • Introduction
  • The culling
  • Chasing ghosts
  • The rise of rankings
  • The academic arms race
  • You will fail without us
  • The myth of the perfect fit
  • The high price of advantage
  • Admissions hooks and scholarship scams
  • Buyer beware
  • What they don't tell you on the college tour
  • Biden and beyond.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Journalist Paterno (coauthor, Talk Straight, Listen Carefully) delivers a witty and informative deep dive into the "college admissions industrial complex." Combining ample research with lessons learned from her own "stumbling" attempts to get four children into college, Paterno documents widespread corruption in the largely unregulated field of private admissions counseling, and explains how U.S. News & World Report's annual college rankings pushed the competition to get into America's wealthiest, most selective universities into overdrive. Paterno also investigates the standardized test preparation industry, highlighting the "shameful truth" that "scores correlate with income," and describes how the Reagan administration's free-market ethos and cuts to financial aid programs contributed to skyrocketing tuition costs (private college's tuition is up more than 800% since 1980). Paterno's tips for saving money on application fees and appealing financial aid decisions don't amount to a methodology for "beat the system," but her cogent advice is enriched by careful research and flashes of humor ("Pinpointing why elite colleges accept or reject students is like finding a kitten on a volcano at night with a flashlight"). Parents looking for a commonsense perspective on the admissions process will appreciate this accessible account. (June)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Paterno (journalism, Chapman Univ.) offers refreshingly honest insights into the inscrutable world of college admissions and financial aid. As she shepherded her four children through college applications, she noticed that the admissions landscape has changed drastically in recent years, especially for her youngest child. She explains that the expense of college education inspired the creation of college rankings, which in turn fueled competitiveness and drove down acceptance rates at elite institutions. Paterno's observations are punctuated with compelling accounts of real students applying to private and public colleges, and she frequently references admissions scandals, particularly the 2019 case involving Rick Singer. This book dispels myths and offers practical tips for identifying affordable, best-value colleges; readers will appreciate the clear information about the relationship between grades and standardized test scores and financial aid, particularly for need-blind, no-loan opportunities. VERDICT This meticulously researched work is highly recommended for parents and guardians intent on understanding and navigating the college admissions morass.--Elizabeth Connor, Daniel Lib., The Citadel, Military Coll. of South Carolina, Charleston

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