Bound-for-College Guidebook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding and Applying to Colleges

by Frank Burtnett

Overview

The Bound-for-College Guidebook is a step-by-step guide to the student transition from high school to postsecondary education, including the self-awareness, exploration, goal-setting, decision-making, application and enrollment stages that must be successfully navigated to ensure the best results. This edition addresses the recent changes and adjustments that have been made in the college admission process, as well as those that have occurred as a result of the Varsity Blues Admission Scandal and forced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475861815
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/15/2022
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	202
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

Frank Burtnett is a counseling and counselor education veteran. His books offer concise and pragmatic investigations of and solutions to the challenges encountered by individuals across the life span who are experiencing school-to-college, education-to-career, employment-to-employment and career-to retirement transitions.

Table of Contents

Student Exercises ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 How Colleges Admit Students: Anatomy of an Admission Decision 1

Chapter 2 College Exploration: Getting Off on the Right Foot 11

Chapter 3 A Calendar of Exploration, Decision-Making, and Application Tasks 17

Chapter 4 The First Step: Taking a Look at You 27

Chapter 5 Mounting a Search: Getting Answers to Your College Questions 37

Chapter 6 High School Course Selection: Relevance to College Admission 53

Chapter 7 Learning about College Options: Getting the Best Information 57

Chapter 8 Using the Internet to Explore and Apply to Colleges 67

Chapter 9 Making the Most of the College Fair Experience 73

Chapter 10 Campus Visits: Getting Ready to Go 77

Chapter 11 Campus Visits: Being There and Afterward 83

Chapter 12 Admission Plans: Modes of Admission Access 91

Chapter 13 Degree of Difficulty: Understanding the Admission Competition 95

Chapter 14 Admission Tests: How They Are Used and Strategies for Preparation 99

Chapter 15 Admission Essays: Putting Forth Your Best Effort 105

Chapter 16 Narrowing Options: Deciding Where to Apply 109

Chapter 17 The College Application: Making It Work for You 121

Chapter 18 Understanding College Costs 129

Chapter 19 Types and Sources of Student Financial Aid 135

Chapter 20 Making Financial Aid Forms Work for You 145

Chapter 21 After the Application: What Happens Next? 151

Chapter 22 Off to College: Getting Ready for Your First Year 157

Chapter 23 Parents and the High School to College Transition 163

Chapter 24 Educational Success: How Counselors Can Help You 167

Chapter 25 School to College: Counselors as Your Allies 169

Chapter 26 Learning from the Experts: Reflections of Veteran Deans and Directors of Admission 173

Chapter 27 Some Closing Words about Expectations 179

Index 181

About the Author 187

What People are Saying About This

Patrick J. O'Connor

A very useful tool for students looking for colleges. Burtnett's approach is comprehensive, but cut into good-sized pieces.

R. Russell Shunk

There are a number of books about the college admission process on shelves all over this country. Frank Burtnett has written one that will be on desks, open and used. I particularly like his FAQ sections and hands-on approach. Admission at its best is a developmental process, and Burtnett has captured this through the personal student exercises.

William E. Cox

Frank Burtnett has created a reader-friendly guide to helping the college-bound student navigate his or her challenging journey. The information he presents, complimented by the student exercises and Frequently Asked Questions, covers the process from A to Z.

Editorial Reviews

Students have more power than they may realize in the college search process and Burtnett assists students in understanding and using this power to their advantage. This updated edition covers topics found in previous versions, but it also addresses changes in the admission process due to COVID and the Varsity Blues scandal. Readers will understand the factors colleges use for admission decisions, explore affordability, and learn how well they may fit in at specific schools. Numerous self-awareness exercises and frequently asked questions add to the discussion. The author also provides students a plan for each year of high school, including standardized tests, the role of counselors, appropriate coursework, college exploration, visits, the application process, college costs, financial aid, managing acceptances from multiple schools, and handling rejections and wait lists decisions. Parents and care givers will find advice for guiding their child’s transition from high school to college. Burtnett provides solid guidance in this highly recommended work for high school students and those assisting them with college decisions.” —Library Journal

“Chapters outline everything from the lesser-thought-of aspects of picking a college, such as preferred climate, to the nitty-gritty of financial aid. Easy-to-follow steps spanning a student’s freshman to senior years of high school provide a simple time line of when to expect to send things in, schedule college visits, and more.... Detailed FAQs have answers for many common questions, supplementing the information in each chapter with lots of helpful tips.... Parents, too, will find plenty that's useful within these pages. College-minded teens will find this guide helpful for every step of the application process.” —Booklist

“There are a number of books about the college admission process on shelves all over this country. Frank Burtnett has written one that will be on desks, open and used. I particularly like his FAQ sections and hands-on approach. Admission at its best is a developmental process, and Burtnett has captured this through the personal student exercises.” —R. Russell Shunk, former executive vice president and former dean of admissions of Dickinson College, Pennsylvania

From the Publisher

There are a number of books about the college admission process on shelves all over this country. Frank Burtnett has written one that will be on desks, open and used. I particularly like his FAQ sections and hands-on approach. Admission at its best is a developmental process, and Burtnett has captured this through the personal student exercises.

R. Russell Shunk

Chapters outline everything from the lesser-thought-of aspects of picking a college, such as preferred climate, to the nitty-gritty of financial aid. Easy-to-follow steps spanning a student’s freshman to senior years of high school provide a simple time line of when to expect to send things in, schedule college visits, and more.... Detailed FAQs have answers for many common questions, supplementing the information in each chapter with lots of helpful tips.... Parents, too, will find plenty that's useful within these pages. College-minded teens will find this guide helpful for every step of the application process.

Booklist

If you are exploring college options and attempting to understand the college admissions process, there is nobody better to learn from than Frank Burtnett. As a veteran counselor the breadth of his knowledge and the depth of his experiences are unparalleled.

Jay Garant

A very useful tool for students looking for colleges. Burtnett's approach is comprehensive, but cut into good-sized pieces.

Patrick J. O'Connor

In the Bound-for-College Guidebook, all the steps to finding and applying to colleges are thoroughly explored.

JVibe

Frank Burtnett has created a reader-friendly guide to helping the college-bound student navigate his or her challenging journey. The information he presents, complimented by the student exercises and Frequently Asked Questions, covers the process from A to Z.

William E. Cox

In the Bound-for-College Guidebook, all the steps to finding and applying to colleges are thoroughly explored.

April 2009 JVibe