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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Give them a copy of Andy Ferguson's: "Crazy U: One Dad's experience with the College Admissions Process" (or something close to that).[/quote]This is a great book.  I had ordered some other things from Amazon and got the book used for $2.00.[/quote]

Don't give them this book!  I loved it and I think it's hilarious. But it's all about the super-competitive world of college admissions, where private college counselors and SAT prep are just the beginning, and people are hiring essay writers and bragging to each other next to the sub-zero freezer. The book is tongue-in-cheek about all these things, but the net effect could be to make your neighbors' kid feel inadequate because Ferguson is right, a lot of this stuff really does go on, and it could be intimidating to a first-timer.[/quote]

I disagree.  It is hilarious where it should be.  And Andy does poke fun where he should.  But he also explains why planning needs to start sophomore year and just how ridiculous the whole rating system has become, which is why colleges do insane things just to get your kid to apply so they can reject them (to increase selectivity stats on the reviews).  It's not the system we went through 10, 20, 30 years ago and they need to understand that.  And they might as well get over the sticker shock too becauses there's no point in looking at some of the liberal arts colleges that are $65K a year if the family can't afford it.  Starting to think "in state" is the smartest thing to do even if it requires a move.[/quote]

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