By Dawn McNutt
Special to THE DAILY

I have a confession to make: When I picked up this book I was extremely skeptical that it could provide me with any knowledge I didn’t already possess about the college application process.

I subscribe to all the news magazines, save all the “America’s Best Colleges” issues and keep whatever pertinent information I can find in newspapers and on the Internet in a big folder.

I considered myself an informed and educated parent, who, when the time came, would be a wealth of information for my children as they filled out applications and waited patiently by the mailbox. Well, I was wrong. There is so much more information out there, I could fill another folder with things I didn’t know.

This book is a must-have for anyone who has children in high school or even junior high, but it should come with a warning sticker that explains it is just a reference guide — not a manual on how to micromanage your child’s every move from seventh grade on.

We all want our children to get accepted to the college of their choice, but we don’t want them stressed out and depressed if their first selection isn’t available to them, or spending every free minute planning their future instead of enjoying their present.

With that said, this book does, in fact, offer some fabulous tips that parents may or may not be aware of.

The second half of the book, in fact, is devoted to the
variety of summer programs available for high school students at several colleges and universities throughout the country.

They are listed according to your child’s specific interest and run anywhere from a week to four weeks. Some of them sound quite interesting and some of them sound like you might be better off spending the money on a family vacation than sticking your child in a classroom for six hours a day in the middle of the summer in order to gain a “competitive edge.”

Wissner-Gross writes: “Secret No. 19: Summers are the best-kept secret of superstars — the time for your child to stand out from the pack and gain an edge for both college admission and her future career.” OK, that sounds a little over the top and maybe a bit elitist.

This is my interpretation: If you can afford it, it might be a benefit to your child to explore a weeklong program during the summer that may enrich him or her in a subject he or she is very interested in, and, by the way, it would look great on a college application also.

Most of the programs are at well-known schools like Duke, Northwestern and Vanderbilt, just to name a few, and are filled with children from all over the world, so the competition is extreme and fierce.

I nearly choked looking at the minimum ACT and SAT scores for acceptance into some of the programs as I flashed back to my own SAT scores, but that’s another story.

Finding their passion

Most of the book is a guide for trying to discover your child’s true passion and apply that passion to the college of his or her choice. By helping your child build a portfolio of experiences, he or she can set goals and work to achieve them with your guidance.

If your son excels at history and your daughter brings home A’s in literature, there are several unique ways they can parlay those talents into a college acceptance.

Several of the suggestions, like the importance of math and science, no matter what school they attend, are beneficial in the planning of their high school classes.

Discovering which academic credentials look fantastic on an application is an added bonus as well as which extracurricular activities provide an irresistible finish.

Elizabeth Wissner-Gross was trained as a journalist, but has spent more than 10 years as an educational strategist working with hundreds of middle and high school students. She has interviewed many parents, guidance counselors, coaches and college board members in order to provide the most current information available.

Her approach is straightforward and sincere. Do not wait until senior year to prepare for college. Do not assume that guidance counselors have all the answers. Most importantly, parents need to do their homework and act as an “opportunity scout” for their child.

Each of us wants the best for our children. We went them to be able to pursue their dreams no matter what they might be. By educating and preparing them for their life beyond high school, we can offer something solid to build on. By reading this book and exploring some of the ideas offered, you may be able to find some new information on how to achieve this.

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