There are hundreds of books available that coach kids on writing college application essays, improving SAT scores and trying to beat the admissions system. Admissions Confidential is a definitive look at why those books don't work. Toor lifts the veil on a process that anxious parents and high school students have never had decoded before. And they may be shocked to find:

--that elite colleges spend thousands of dollars recruiting students they will never admit
--why some students at the bottom of their high school classes are admitted to top schools when the valedictorians are rejected
--how pricey independent college counselors can hurt an applicant's chances
--why admission to a top school depends on who reads your application
--why the top of the class at a high-performing high school may end up at their second and third choice

Written in engaging first-person and covering the entire admissions process--from recruiting to enrollment-- Admissions Confidential is a year in the life of a college admissions officer.