Don't Stalk the Admissions Officer!

“The ‘Admit’ or ‘Reject’ decision is usually based on the idiosyncrasies of the admissions officers handling your application.”

So writes Risa Lewak in her funny, clever and much needed book Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer.   Risa and I were friends in high school, and we are both recovering overachievers, although you might question our “recovery” if you heard us gush over our beloved AP European history textbook (which Risa recently purchased from Amazon!).  If we had read Risa’s book years ago, we certainly would have left high school with happier memories, rather than a sick textbook obsession! 

While the book is intended for all students, I think overachievers would especially benefit from Risa’s humorous spin on the college admissions process.  Section headings like “Enjoy High School Now, Avoid Therapy Later,” and “Don’t Take It Personally Unless the Letter Says ‘We Hate You’” will force a smile on the most tightly wound applicant.    Even my husband enjoyed the book, and that’s saying a lot given that he applied to one school, was accepted early, and generally has no interest in the college admissions process.  Maybe he wanted to know what the rest of us endured…

I asked Risa to expand on the all-powerful “idiosyncrasies” of admissions officers that creep into the decision process.  Admissions officers have told her (under the condition of anonymity) that they “might simply be in a bad mood and reject an application or hate the applicant's essay subject or be more inclined to accept someone from a certain geographic area.”  She drew from these conversations that the process “is so random and so not based on a meritocracy.”  One admissions officer told Risa that his colleague pushed for an applicant who played the clarinet because he used to play the clarinet.  Even though Risa and I both believe the clarinet is a superior instrument (we played clarinet in our high school band), we cannot support such musical favoritism.  The “juicy tidbits and anecdotes” Risa gathered while researching her book led her to conclude that “rejection or acceptance is sometimes and often times more about the admissions officer than the applicant.”

Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer also includes practical tips on selecting a school (for the right reasons), completing the application, dealing with pushy parents, financial aid and other topics that would otherwise be dry if not handled with Risa’s light and witty touch.  Risa also advises students act as their own information gatherers and advocates, rather than relying on guidance counselors.  In all, this book is a refreshing break from the stacks of college books known to induce panic attacks in students.

The Epilogue title captures the message of this blog – “Whether It’s Fat or Thin, an Envelope Will Not Change Your Life.”  It took Risa and I years after high school to learn this, but we’re offering you a short cut to sanity, so take it!     

Amazon Link to Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_34?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=don%27t+stalk+the+admissions+officer&sprefix=don%27t+stalk+the+admissions+officer