Getting in Without Freaking Out: The Official College Admissions Guide for Overwhelmed Parents

by Arlene Matthews

Is College Planning Driving You Crazy?

Somehow, watching as your children decide which schools to apply to is as stressful for you as it is for them. If you’ve found yourself contemplating essay forgery, scheduling five college tours for a single holiday weekend, and obsessively checking the U.S. News and World Report rankings, you may be on the verge of freaking out. But as a parent, it’s important to (try to) remain calm and help keep everything in perspective.

Written specifically for parents and their college-bound teens, Getting In Without Freaking Out is an insider’s guide to the application process by professional college coach Arlene Matthews. Years of experience have taught her the secrets of playing the admissions game without all the anxiety. Now, Arlene shares what admissions officers won’t tell you—that getting into a great college isn’t as hard as it seems! You’ll learn . . .

• How to get into a top college without ever taking the SATs

• Why a little procrastination never hurt anyone

• Why applying to fewer schools increases the chances of acceptance

• What really matters when your child goes off to college—and beyond

As entertaining as it is practical and realistic, Getting In Without Freaking Out is the only guide of its kind—one that helps you get through the getting-in process with grace, good humor, and knowledge that will enhance your student’s chance of success.

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2006

Reviews

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the book for parents. I enjoyed reading it - it was quite humorous and entertaining. However, there is really not much help there in terms of actually getting your child admitted to a college. I guess this was not the intent of this book though. It is more about what not to do, rather than what to do in order for your child to get admitted. It was intended for someone (a parent) who already knows the system and just anxious about the whole process and needs reassurance. I am not such a person at this stage but nevertheless, I had a lot of laughs sharing some things from this book with my husband and my son and I am thankful for it. This could be a valuable read for someone in order to relax and not take this college admission thing too seriously.
P.S. The book has a nice example of a letter to write to your child after he/she is admitted to a college (Secret #100 "The Ultimate Acceptance Letter).

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having worked in the admissions profession, I am inherently skeptical of books with such titles. However, Matthews says most of the things we wish we could say to parents on the college side of the desk (and the things we wish more counselors would say on the high school side). Refreshing snippets on a range of topics, these are words that parents need to hear, especially those whose behavior tends toward helicopter mode.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of fluff, not as much substance as I'd hoped for. The university admission process has changed since I was a teenager and I'd hoped for some valuable insights from this book. I'd suggest skimming for the occasional useful nugget. For parents who are feeling very anxious about this or who have no idea how things work in the US, this could be reassuring however.

[Clara]

College is the beginning, not the end.

[Meryl Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although my oldest is only a 10th grader, I came across the book and it was a fast and reassuring read. Strongly recommend parents read this as soon as kids enter high school.