How to Say It® to Get Into the College of Your Choice

December 1, 2007
Gr 9 Up-College entrance guides are big business, and Metcalf enters a competitive field armed with experience as a high school guidance counselor and middle school teacher. She provides plenty of examples and scenarios for anxious parents and students to consider in her guidelines for studying for entrance exams, correctly filling out the myriad application forms (one chapter is devoted to mastering the Common Application), and crafting the all-important letter and essay for admission. Metcalf also includes dos and don'ts of letter and essay writing, and interview tips. One chapter, "How to Impress, Express, and Dress at College Interviews," coaches students with steps very similar to those for a job interviewa skill all students need. The layout includes sidebars, sample forms, and worksheets. Catchy subheadings, sectioned pages, and typeface variations may make it slightly confusing, but many students will be comfortable with this busy, interactive page design. Metcalf's writing style is confident and confiding, direct but friendly, which may help ease the anxiety associated with college applications. Practical advice and ideas and a useful glossary and index make this a decent competitor in this crowded market."Roxanne Myers Spencer, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.