- "The Ultimate Guide to HBCUs: Profiles, Stats, and Insights for All 101 Historically Black Colleges and Universities", by Dr. Braque Talley (Ep. 329)
- "How to Get the Most out of College: 127 Ways to Make Connections, Make it Work for You, and Make a Difference", by Elliot Felix (Ep. 293)
- "Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life", by Annette Lareau : The book looks at how social class impacts parenting and how that impacts opportunities for kids. (Ep. 291)
- "Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us", by Evan Mandery : An eye-opening look at how America’s elite colleges and suburbs help keep the rich rich—making it harder than ever to fight the inequality dividing us today. (Ep. 287)
- "Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs", by Lauren Rivera : The book argues that where you go to college greatly influences your job offers when it comes to Wall Street, Consulting and white shoe corporate law firms. (Ep. 285)
- "Paying for College, 2023: Everything You Need to Maximize Financial Aid and Afford College (2022) (College Admissions Guides)", by Kalman Chanu (Ep. 273)
- "The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College", by Jacques Steinberg : Another classic that helps readers understand how decisions are made at a selective Liberal Arts college. (Ep. 267)
- "Creating a Class: College Admissions and the Education of Elites", by Mitchell Stevens : One of the best books you could ever read to understand how selective Liberal Arts colleges make decisions. (Ep. 267)
- "College Admissions and the Public Interest", by Chris Peterson SM '13 : Jon Bockenstedt says is the best admissions book on college admissions of how college admissions should work: Alden B Thresher’s classic “College Admissions and the common good”. The book was written in 1966 and it looked at MIT’s admission perspective but Chris Peterson of MIT (an MIT admissions officer we have had on our podcast) reissued this classic book with the 2018 version. MIT is making it available for free. (Ep. 265)
- "The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money", by Ron Lieber (Ep. 263)
- "Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America", by Paul Tough (Ep. 259)
- "The Agile College: How Institutions Successfully Navigate Demographic Changes", by Gen and Kelly Tanabe (Ep. 255)
- "The Agile College: How Institutions Successfully Navigate Demographic Changes", by Nathan Grawe : The book gives colleges tools to help them to thrive when demographic trends are working against them. (Ep. 251)
- "Breaking Ranks: How the Rankings Industry Rules Higher Education and What to Do about It", by Colin Diver (Ep. 249)
- "Fiske Countdown to College: 41 To-Do Lists and a Plan for Every Year of High School", by Edward Fiske and Bruce Hammond (Ep. 247)
- "Valedictorians at the Gate: Standing Out, Getting In, and Staying Sane While Applying to College", by Becky Munsterer Sabky : Sabky did admissions at Dartmouth for 13 years. Her honesty about the business side of admissions is refreshing and enlightening. (Ep. 229)
- "The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions: A Conversation about Education, Parenting, and Race", by Timothy L. Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown (Ep. 224)
- "The Attack on Higher Education: The Dissolution of the American University", by Ronald Musto (Ep. 220)
- "Colleges Worth Your Money: A Guide to What America's Top Schools Can Do for You", by Andrew Belasco, Dave Bergman and Michael Trivette (Ep. 214)
- "The Introvert's Complete Career Guide: From Landing a Job, to Surviving, Thriving, and Moving on Up", by Jane Finkle : The book provides great advice for how the introvert can get ahead in her/his career. (Ep. 210)
- "Crush Your Test Anxiety", by Ben Bernstein : The book gives practical advice on how you can conquer the anxieties that keep you from achieving your peak performance on tests. (Ep. 209)
- "The Debt Trap: How Student Loans Became a National Catastrophe", by Josh Mitchell : The book traces the 70 year history of how student debt is now at 1.6 trillion dollars. (Ep. 207)
- "Perfect Quotes for College Success: Inspiration, advice, and tips for anyone going to college", by Tom Krieglstein : This book has over 300 quotes on 34 topics related to excelling while in college. (Ep. 203)
- "The Freshman Survival Guide: Soulful Advice for Studying, Socializing, and Everything In Between", by Nora Bradbury-Haehl and Bill McGarvey : This book provides sage advice about how to successfully transfer from high school to college. It covers topics like: academics, roommates, mental health, money, social life, etc. (Ep. 202)
- "The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make" by Ron Lieber : The book does a pretty good job at removing the shroud of secrecy about how decisions about what you will be asked to pay actually works, so you and your child are not blindsided by an unaffordable offer from a college. (Ep. 201)
- "Time Management Secrets for College Students: The Underground Playbook for Managing School, Work, and Fun" by Dennis Stemmle (Ep. 197)
- "Procrastination Solutions For College Students: The Underground Playbook For Overcoming Procrastination And Achieving Peak Performance" by Dennis Stemmle (Ep. 197)
- "The Naked Roommate: For Parents Only: Calling, Not Calling, Roommates, Relationships, Friends, Finances, and Everything Else That Really Matters when ... Goes to College (Student Parenting Book)" by Harlan Cohen (Ep. 188)
- "Get Real and Get In: How to Get Into the College of Your Dreams by Being Your Authentic Self" by Dr. Aviva Legatt (Ep. 184)
- "Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges" by Loren Pope : A classic book that looks at several dozen small transformational colleges that welcome many B students. (Ep. 181)
- "Now You Tell Me! 12 College Students Give the Best Advice They Never Got: Making a Living; Making a Life" by by Sheridan Scott, Nancy Allen and Anya Settle (Ep. 176)
- "I'm Going To College--Not You!" by Jennifer Delahunty : Surviving the college search with your child. (Ep. 175)
- "Robot-Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (The MIT Press)" by Joseph Aoun : Aoun covers the three skillsets that are essential if you want to robot-proof yourself from the changes created by AI. (Ep. 174)
- "How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character" by Paul Tough (Ep. 171)
- "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth (Ep. 171)
- "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol Dweck : The book looks at how your intelligence is not stagnate, it can grow and improve. (Ep. 171)
- "The College Conversation: A Practical Companion for Parents to Guide Their Children Along the Path to Higher Education" by Eric Furda and Jacques Steinberg : Eric’s insights he draws on from his time as an admission Dean at the University of Pennsylvania are invaluable. (Ep. 171)
- "Paying for College, 2021: Everything You Need to Maximize Financial Aid and Afford College (2021) (College Admissions Guides)" by Kalman Chany : Mark’s favorite book if you want a comprehensive book to cover all things money related with paying for college. (Ep. 169)
- "Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic and Miseducated Students" by Ms. Denise Clark Pope : A classic book that looks at how we are creating a generation of stressed-out, materialistic and miseducated students. (Ep. 162)
- "The Price of Admission (Updated Edition): How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges--and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates" by Daniel Golden : Daniel Golden is the author and a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in journalism. The book was written in 2006 but an updated version came out in 2019. Golden's core argument is just as relevant today; America's elite colleges resemble an aristocracy more than a meritocracy. Golden uses hard facts to prove this case. (Ep. 159)
- "Bring the War Home" by Kathleen Belew (Ep. 156)
- "Hate in the Homeland" by Cynthia Miller Idris (Ep. 156)
- "College Admission Essentials" by Ethan Sawyer : This comprehensive book interviews multiple college admission experts and it shares their sage advice about college admissions. (Ep. 153)
- "The College Visit Journal: Campus Visits Demystified" by Danielle Marshall : The book is a great place to record and store all your notes from your campus visits in one place. (Ep. 152)
- "The College Dropout Scandal" by David Kirp : This classic book looks at the reasons why 40% of students do not graduate from college even after six years. It discusses what changes colleges could make to change their graduation rate and it gives examples of colleges that are very successful at increasing their graduation rates. (Ep. 146)
- "College Beyond the States: European Schools That Will Change Your Life Without Breaking the Bank" by Jennifer Viemont (Ep. 144)
- "Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students" by Anthony Abraham Jack : A look at how under-resourced students experience being on affluent college campuses. (Ep. 136)
- "Hacking Elite College Admissions: 50 Surprising Insights on the College Application Process" by Gaelle Pierre-Louis : A former admission officer at Georgetown takes us behind the scenes to share what selective schools look for and how they make admission decisions. (Ep. 134)
- "Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions" by Jeffrey Selingo : Mark believes this is the best book at explaining how admission decisions are made; it takes you into the admission committee and it does it at three very different colleges so you can see three different models. (Ep. 127)
- "The College Stress Test: Tracking Institutional Futures across a Crowded Market" by Robert Zemsky, Susan Shaman and Susan Campbell Baldridge : A brilliant and insightful method of identifying which colleges are in financial trouble. (Ep. 124)
- "The Best 385 Colleges, 2020 Edition: In-Depth Profiles & Ranking Lists to Help Find the Right College For You (College Admissions Guides)" by The Princeton Review : For our 28th edition, Princeton Review surveyed 140,000 students to tell you which college has the best food, best career services, happiest students, and more. Includes 385 college profiles. (Ep. 113)
- "How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid: The Secrets to Negotiating a Better Financial Aid Offer ... and Getting More Financial Aid in the First Place!" by Mark Kantrowitz : The secrets of how to appeal for more financial aid and how to get more financial aid in the first place. (Ep. 108)
- "Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population" by Tim Elmore and Andrew McPeak : This book really gets to the root of the anxieties and fears that our kids face and it explains why our kids think and feel the way they do. (Ep. 107)
- "Generation Z Goes to College" by Corey Seemiller and Meghan Grace : This book showcases findings from an in-depth study of over 1,100 Generation Z students. (Ep. 106)
- "The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us" by Paul Tough : The book looks at the structural changes that create inequities in the college admissions process between well-resourced and under-resourced students. (Ep. 104)
- "The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together" by Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark : Two friends, one a Director of Admissions (Rick Clark) and another one, a Director of College Counseling (Brennan Barnard) combine to write a book full of sage admission advice that is designed to strengthen the relationship between the college applicant and his/her family, rather than pull them apart. (Ep. 100)
- "Enough As She Is: How to Help Girls Move Beyond Impossible Standards of Success to Live Healthy, Happy, and Fulfilling Lives" by Rachel Simmons : A great book about the pressures women face to live up to virtually impossible standards. (Ep. 99)
- "Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education" is Nathan Grawe : This book is gold standard when it comes to showing how Demographic shifts are impacting colleges. (Ep. 94)
- "The Athletic Scholarship Playbook: A Complete College Recruiting Roadmap for High School Athletes and Parents" by John Fugler : A great book and a podcast to help with the college athletic recruitment process. (Ep. 87)
- "How Children Succeed - Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character" by Paul Tough : Major research study that looks at what factors predict success. (Ep. 86)
- "How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success" by Julie Lythcott-Haim" : Tips and strategies to help parents raise a child that will be able to excel when the parent isn't there to help them. (Ep. 81)
- "He's Not Lazy: Empowering Your Son to Believe in Himself", by Dr. Adam Price : A book that really helps us understand why boys frequently do not do as well in school as girls. (Ep. 80)
- "Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls" by Dr. Lisa Damour : A book that helps us understand the anxiety and stress that teenage girls experience. (Ep. 79)
- "The Blessing Of A Skinned Knee: Raising Self-Reliant Children" by Dr. Wendy Mogel : A great book that shows how your disappointments and failures can help you to grow. (Ep. 77)
- "The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure And Material Advantage Are Creating A Generation Of Disconnected And Unhappy Kids" by Dr. Madeline Levine : A good book that explains why kids born into affluence are often so unhappy. (Ep. 76)
- "The Gift of Failure, how the best parents learn to let go so their children can succeed" by Jessica Lahey : A book that shows how when parents overprotect their children they set them up for failure. (Ep. 75)
- "The Stressed Years of Their Lives: Helping Your Kid Survive and Thrive During Their College Years", by Dr. B. Janet Hibbs and Dr. Anthony Rostain : A book full of insights on how help your children excel in school despite all the forces that are working against them. (Ep. 74)
- "The Freshman Survival Guide: Soulful Advice for Studying, Socializing, and Everything In Between", by Nora Bradbury-Haehl and Bill McGarvey : Advice to help college students successfully transition from high school to college. (Ep. 68)
- "How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out)" by Cal Newport (Ep. 63)
- "On Writing the College Application Essay, 25th Anniversary Edition: The Key to Acceptance at the College of Your Choice" by Harry Bauld : A classic book from a former admission officer with excellent tips on essay writing. (Ep. 61)
- "College Essay Essentials: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Successful College Admissions Essay" by Ethan Sawyer : A book with tips and strategies about how to write quality college admissions essays. (Ep. 60)
- "Write Your Way In: Crafting an Unforgettable College Admissions Essay" by Rachel Toor : Mark's favorite book on how to write effective college admission essays. Toor was a former admission officer. (Ep. 59)
- "The K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences, 14th Edition: 338 Schools with Programs or Services for Students with ADHD, ASD, or Learning Differences (College Admissions Guides)", by The Princeton Review : An excellent book that looks at how over 300 colleges support students with various learning differences. (Ep. 57)
- "Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life", by William Deresiewicz : A thought provoking book that looks at how our colleges are failing to prepare students to give them the skills they need to excel. (Ep. 56)
- "Fiske Guide to Colleges", by Edward Fiske : The leading guide for the last 30 years on providing an indepth 1000-2500 write up on what life is really like at over 320 leading colleges. (Ep. 55)
- "How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less", by Cal Newport : Great study tips and ideas to help you to achieve high grades. (Ep. 54)
- "Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting into College" by Sally Springer, Jon Reider and Joyce Morgan : Mark's favorite book that comprehensively looks at all aspects of college admissions. (Ep. 50)
- "College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step" by Robin Mamlet and Christine VanDeVelde : Mark's second favorite book about college admissions, over 150 deans were interviewed but the book is now almost 10 years old. (Ep. 49)
- "So You Want to Be a Music Major: A Guide for High School Students, Their Guidance Counselors, Parents and Music Teachers", by Robert Franzblau : Mark's favorite book for students who are looking to major in music in college. (Ep. 48)
- "Countdown to College: 21 To Do Lists for High School: Step-By-Step Strategies for 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Graders", by Valerie Pierce and Cheryl Rilly : A great book with checklists of "to do" items to ensure students complete their admission tasks. (Ep. 46)
- "The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College" by Harlan Cohen : A great book to help students prepare for what the transition to college will be like. (Ep. 33)
- "The Ultimate Scholarship Book: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes" by Gen and Kathy Tanabe : Mark's favorite book to help students find and win outside scholarships. It is updated every year. (Ep. 32)
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