The Best Guide to All Things that 'Matter' in Admissions

Fans of Sally Springer’s remarkable guide to college admissions, Admissions Matters, will be thrilled to learn that she has once again connected with Jon Reider and brought Joyce Vining Morgan in to collaborate on a third edition of what is the single, most useful handbook on the complicated and often confusing process of applying to college.

As someone who annually reads and reviews a considerable number of college guidebooks, I’m very choosy about which ones I recommend to applicants and their families.  In fact, the list is very short.  

Since I discovered Sally and her book at a NACAC conference several years ago, Admissions Matters has been and remains at the top of that list.

This is because I want to recommend a guide that is up-to-date, accurate and offers the kind of advice I offer to families, in easy-to-understand, user-friendly terms. 

Following its predecessors, the third edition of Admissions Matters is thorough, crystal clear, and very direct about what college applicants need to do and how to do it.  

Sally, Jon, and Joyce are seasoned professionals who bring experience from their roles as counselor, admissions officer, teacher, and administrator.  They are parents themselves who have undertaken the college admissions journey with their own kids. 

And their book reflects a sense of humor that says to the reader in everyday language, “You can find a path through this forest.  The stakes seem high, but if you are deliberate and thoughtful, you will be just fine.”

In calm, reassuring terms, Admissions Matters covers all the nuts and bolts of college admission—from developing a balanced college list to applying for financial aid.

And to help you along the way, there’s a comprehensive glossary of terms, an invaluable annotated list of additional resources, as well as a detailed index. 

The third edition also contains new or expanded sections on athletics, the arts, learning disabilities, homeschooling, gap year, or transferring.  And there’s a new chapter specifically for international students.

Parents often remark to me, “Wow, college admissions isn’t the same as when I was applying to college.”

I’ve got news for you.  College admissions isn’t the same as it was last year.  

We have new emphasis on enrollment management; the renaissance student is out and passion is in; colleges care about the “hook;” we’re on second, third, and fourth generation electronic applications; and standardized tests are evolving in ways few would have predicted as recently as five years ago.

Admissions Matters will give you an insider scoop on all this and more.

I highly recommend Admissions Matters to anyone with a college-bound student going through the process this fall or anyone wanting to be a little bit better prepared for the future.  

And this recommendation goes for admissions professionals in colleges, schools, or working independently.

You won’t find a better, more comprehensive admissions guide on the market today.