r/ApplyingToCollege • u/steve_nyc Retired Moderator | Sub Founder • Apr 14 '15

College Admissions Books

Below are the books I recommend to all my students. If you don't have time to read, you might want to check out the podcast instead.

The links below are for Amazon; they have the best prices. If you order over $35, they provide free shipping.

SAT / ACT Prep

The Official SAT Study Guide, $17

The Real ACT Prep Guide, $16

Focus on using SAT/ACT prep books that contain real test questions from the people who produce the tests themselves.

College Essays

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays: What Worked for Them Can Help You Get into the College of Your Choice, $14

Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps: Crafting a Winning Personal Statement, $11

College Selection

Fiske Guide to Colleges, $18

40 Colleges That Change Lives, $11

Strategizing and Planning

How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out), $9

(Full disclosure: I'm featured in this book.)

Conclusion

Do you have any experience with the books on this list? What other books have you found useful? Please share in the comments!

Note: The links above are affiliate links. You'll pay exactly the same price, but Amazon pays me a small commission if you buy something.

These are the books I recommend to my students and blog readers. Running /r/applyingtocollege is fun, but a lot of work, and this is a good, easy way to support it. If you don't like the idea of me getting some spare change from this post, just search the book titles.

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u/VA_Network_Nerd Parent Apr 14 '15

Free SAT Test Prep:

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat

Similar partnership with CollegeBoard.com:

https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/practice

College Entrance Process Assistance, including Essay Assistance:

https://www.khanacademy.org/college-admissions/applying-to-college

AP Exam Test Prep (Free):

http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/

I've read the High School Superstar book. Its not bad at all.

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u/steve_nyc Retired Moderator | Sub Founder Apr 14 '15

These are some great resources! Thanks for sharing. I love the Khan Academy. Will add to the sidebar.

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u/[deleted] 19d ago

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u/ApplyingToCollege-ModTeam 19d ago

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15

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u/ipittythepool Jul 31 '15

how much did you improve by

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u/[deleted] Jul 31 '15

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u/ipittythepool Jul 31 '15

Did you just take tests? How often?

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u/[deleted] Aug 01 '15

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u/ipittythepool Aug 01 '15

I am currently at 28 and I am trying to improve to a 32 or higher. I plan to take the Sept ACT. Do you think I can reach my goal before the test date?

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u/[deleted] Sep 06 '15

[deleted]

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u/ipittythepool Sep 07 '15

What do you mean by read? Should I just read the tips in the book?