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SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE APPLICATION STRATEGIES FOR TRULY EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS
A wise and easy-to-read manual for thriving in Ivy League admissions and beyond.
Huang presents a how-to guide for college-bound students applying to Ivy League schools.
From the introduction, the author makes it clear that his book is aimed at prospective university students who wish to “present themselves in their best, most brilliant light without coming across as egotistical, entitled, or just unpleasant to be around.” In a separate letter to parents, he notes that the Ivy League schools aren’t a good fit for everyone, and that he won’t be providing the typical recommendations for extracurriculars and AP classes that other guides do. What Huang offers instead is the perspective of an admission reader—the “tired, overworked, bleary-eyed” person speed-reading through the digital records of thousands of students. Given the nature of modern-day admissions, he advises teens to start early by developing their “personal brand,” ensuring that their actions and choices reflect the persona they wish to convey in essays, resumes, and recommendation letters. In the book’s second section, Huang breaks down his advice into easily applicable “tactics, techniques, and procedures.” Throughout, his tone is honest, sometimes hard-nosed, and intended for the student (or parent) who wants to understand how the process really works. Huang offers personal anecdotes about former clients he’s helped, including a student who applied to the top 17 schools in the United States and had to create a spreadsheet to keep track of the 57 supplemental essays that had to be written as a result: “We identified 13 major themes, and then sorted the 57 essays into their respective themes….In several cases we were able to reduce, reuse, and recycle.” This focus on direct, practical advice, taken from experience, effectively extends beyond the college application process. Reflecting on the benefits of having a job as a teenager, he advises, “If you are working at a retail store, pay attention to how it runs so you could be qualified to manage the store, don’t just clock in and clock out.” In the end, the book not only prepares one for acceptance into top colleges, but also provides tools for succeeding in the larger world.
A wise and easy-to-read manual for thriving in Ivy League admissions and beyond.
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