In a time when crossing guards are posted to prevent high schoolers from jumping in front of trains and parents shelling out $100K for packaged college applications, education has become a mad race to grab the Ivy ring. Based on experience in admissions with the Ivy League and other highly competitive universities, emerging scientific evidence on the impact of emotional intelligence and mindfulness, and discussions with admissions officers, students, families, and high school counselors, this book is a guide on how to go through the existing, however brutish, college applications process with less stress and anxiety, and more joy and mindfulness. Equipped with the powerful tools of emotional intelligence and mindfulness, this work acknowledges the reality of what the process is, and challenges young people to reach for a more meaningful ideal for themselves. This book shares a look at the holistic admissions process and offers an alternative one to the current climate of untenable stress. This updated model aims to shift mindsets from treating the admissions process as a ruthless competition with one externally-prescribed definition of success, to a step in a lifelong journey of curiosity and wonder. By building self-awareness, compassion, resilience, it’s possible to navigate the process with greater authenticity, balance, and joy.

Welcome to a no-nonsense, unconventional approach to college admissions! Hey AdmissionsMom: Real Talk from Reddit from the voices of r/ApplyingToCollege, with Carolyn Allison Caplan, aka u/admissionsmom FRONT DOOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS HELP Discover what over 100,000 engaged r/ApplyingToCollege subscribers are learning about as they discuss a fresh approach to college admissions. With Hey AdmissionsMom, Carolyn and the kids from r/ApplyingToCollege give you a place to stop trying to figure out what your top schools want in you and instead ask yourself, What do I want out of life when I leave high school? What do I see for myself? You're a talented, interesting student, and when you really know who you are, you're going to make the best decisions for yourself As a sophomore or junior entering the college admissions process, maybe you're overwhelmed by the paperwork, school descriptions, test score requirements, extracurricular activity options, and the daunting task of figuring it all out without losing yourself. Others of you already started the college admissions process and feel okay about your applications, but you're struggling with the personal statement or essays. Or, you want permission not to be a carbon copy of the ideal student and want out-of-the-box ways to be yourself, both in life and in the admissions process. And you're not just managing your expectations, but also your parents. College admissions can be especially intimidating if your high school sucks, you're first in your family to go to college, or you haven't always been a model student. You might also be a concerned parent or mentor looking for a guide designed not to stress you and your kid out and might even help with that as you learn the ropes of college admissions. For all the times you or your high school student thought, "There has to be a better way," when you hear advice about high-performance, achievement, and crazy amounts of EC's (extracurriculars)... You were right. You just found it. Hey AdmissionsMom: Real Talk from Reddit In this refreshingly honest, irreverent digest of college admissions questions and answers from u/admissionsmom and the subreddit, r/ApplyingToCollege, you'll find 37 bite-sized chapters of practical information, inspiring personal stories, insider tips, and yes, we have to be honest about this here - the occasional swear word, too. The time is NOW for you to: Focus on who you are, what you want from life, and how college fits into your goals, not the reverse Write essays and personal statements that actually sound like you, the real you Stop being one of 50,000 students applying to the same 20 colleges Stay positive even if you're not valedictorian or you didn't cure cancer (nobody else has either -- yet) Find questions asked by students just like you, so you don't feel alone or like you're the only one who doesn't already have it all figured out Take a deep breath as you learn about mindfulness By the end of Hey AdmissionsMom: Real Talk from Reddit, you will have peeled back the layers of your authentic self and be able to appreciate your personality traits, interests, and talents as you breathe and apply to college with a smile.

This pocket companion to "The Mindful College Applicant: Cultivating Emotional Intelligence for the Admissions Process" is based on experience in Ivy League and competitive university admissions, emerging scientific evidence, and discussions with leaders, educators, families, and students. A 30-page workbook designed in response to educators and parents looking for an accessible way for their students to get started on a healthier approach through the existing, however brutish, process with less stress and anxiety, and more joy. College hopefuls, this is for you. Acclaim for The Mindful College Applicant: Cultivating Emotional Intelligence for the Admissions Process "practical wisdom for managing your emotions as you navigate these rapids." ~Daniel Goleman, PhD, author Emotional Intelligence "a must-read for every high school student applying to college-and every parent, too.... Read it, students and parents, because it is essential to the survival and joy of your entire family." ~Geeta Anand, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Dean UC Berkeley School of Journalism "home truths about what really matters in education, growth and development. Hurry up and get this book.... My high schoolers need to read it." ~David Toze, Superintendent, International School Manila" VERDICT High school students applying to selective colleges and universities will appreciate this holistic approach steeped in emotional intelligence, compassion, and mindfulness." ~Jane Scott, University of Portland, School Library Journal

The author of the best-selling What the Best College Teachers Do is back with more humane, doable, and inspiring help, this time for students who want to get the most out of college—and every other educational enterprise, too. The first thing they should do? Think beyond the transcript. The creative, successful people profiled in this book—college graduates who went on to change the world we live in—aimed higher than straight A’s. They used their four years to cultivate habits of thought that would enable them to grow and adapt throughout their lives. Combining academic research on learning and motivation with insights drawn from interviews with people who have won Nobel Prizes, Emmys, fame, or the admiration of people in their field, Ken Bain identifies the key attitudes that distinguished the best college students from their peers. These individuals started out with the belief that intelligence and ability are expandable, not fixed. This led them to make connections across disciplines, to develop a “meta-cognitive” understanding of their own ways of thinking, and to find ways to negotiate ill-structured problems rather than simply looking for right answers. Intrinsically motivated by their own sense of purpose, they were not demoralized by failure nor overly impressed with conventional notions of success. These movers and shakers didn’t achieve success by making success their goal. For them, it was a byproduct of following their intellectual curiosity, solving useful problems, and taking risks in order to learn and grow.

"A guide for students and families that demystifies the college process"--

A brand new guide that helps overwhelmed students manage their mental, physical, and social health, and reach and maintain a healthy balance in their college lives. Every year, nearly two million students arrive at college campuses, ready to embark on the best four years of their lives. Yet the reality is that the current cohort of students is one of the most stressed, anxious, and depressed ever. These stressors have real effects on students' grades, social life, and physical health. And the stakes are high! Students with the right community and support services have better outcomes, from increased chances of on-time graduation, to greater ability to take on head-start opportunities (like internships) that have deep impact on post-college life. The Princeton Review is proud to introduce The Campus Wellness Guide, an innovative new book that provides a mix of information, resources, and self-assessment activities to help students reach and maintain their overall health. The book includes: Information on how to assess your college fit academically and socio-emotionally Self-assessment activities that students can use to ID their specific stressors and ways to alleviate those issues Sections on physical, mental, and social wellness, each with data-backed insights and research to help define the issues and strategies for handling Proactive activities for student use, with reflection prompts to help develop roadmaps toward a healthier status quo Wellness highlights, e.g., information on colleges with exceptional track records in specific wellness issues Resources for national and college-specific help