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Thursday, May 8, 2014

Early Decision

Early Decision: Based on a True FrenzyEarly Decision: Based on a True Frenzy by Lacy Crawford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got this free in a radio station giveaway.

This brought back some memories. I thought back to my application, trying to write the right essay to get in. Of course, that was 30 years ago, before the Common Application. Unlike the students in this book, my parents never paid for me to have someone help me. They did it themselves, or had some relatives help. The book reads like a fictionalization of real events. You feel for the students. In the book, they have so much pressure placed on the students to get into the right school. Most of this is from the parents, where it's an Ivy League school, their alma mater, or nothing. The author used to counsel students in real life, so she knows from experience. As far as Anne is concerned (the counselor in the book), I wonder how much of her character was bssed on the author's personal life. I know it was nerve-wracking waiting for the final decision. Back then, you knew by the size of the envelope. If it was a fat envelope, you were in. If it was a thin envelope, you were either waitlisted or rejected. I could at some level feel with the students as they heard whether they got in or not. It also shows the pressure Anne was under, on the one hand wanting the students to explore, but on the other realizing that the parents signed her paychecks. Overall, a good book. FYI, I took a big chance. I only applied to one school--Notre Dame. I graduated in 1986. GO IRISH!

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