5.0 out of 5 stars I give the book as gifts to every friend with a child in middle or high school - since it worked for us!

A. · August 6, 2013

I got this book five years ago when my daughter was a 7th grader. I had not discovered her passion yet, certainly not a math kid who would win national competitions. I was actually quite worried since she was shy and we went through many extracurricular programs, piano, dance, sports, you name it. Today: she is about to start college. She got into the most competitive colleges and awarded several full/sizable merit scholarships to top colleges. I never dreamed about this at that time. Actually, getting into the most competitive colleges doesn't seem as important now as who she becomes (full of confidence) and what she has learned. As a matter of fact, she will not attend her/our dream college.This book gave me great ideas listed by categories and interests. I benefited most from the writing competitions, awards (congressional awards, president's volunteer service awards), science camps, mythology exams etc., for my daughter and from the math sections for my younger son. I went through the book twice when I first purchased it, and refreshed myself every time I needed to look up something. We started with what seemed her interest at that time - reading & writing. She wrote stories and we found writing competitions for her to enter. The first time she got a writing award at 9th grade (based on the information from this book), it was a dream come true - finally found a passion! Since then, she developed other interests, and we found summer camps, scholarships and more competitions for her.In contrast to the points that some reviewers made that this book is only for parents who can afford to spend thousands of dollars, I actually took an advice the author gave in one session indicating that you don't have to spend thousands of dollars for a teen camp. The author used the example of a girl spending a summer writing a novel at home by following a strict schedule, and then self-published the book. Based on that example, I decided not to spend money for my children's summer camps. The only summer camp we spent money for was her DUKE TIP camp before I implemented the advice from the book. My kids applied for and attended competitive camps that are free to accepted students.I also used the examples listed in the resume pages and found the awards and had my children apply for as many awards as possible. Actually, everyone could have their children work and achieve some of the awards (i.e. congressional awards, president's volunteer service awards). It is great for the society and for the children. The results were amazing for us. It started from smaller ones and gradually built up. She is now a national award winner in multiple categories. "You will never win an award you didn't apply for", I believe the author said this in the book and I read it in many other scholarship books too. I was amazed on how winning awards and doing more activities could increase a student's confidence and inspire her to become a better person.The author gives many advices in the book, so parents/kids will need to follow those that are most suitable for your child or family. I laughed when I read the sentence "does every child need to do community service? It's not a bad idea if you want your child to be a caring adult." I personally think it would be a loss for anyone who decides against reading the book because of this sentence or sentences like this, which maybe a different writing style than you would use.The high school book and college book (What Colleges Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You to Know): 272 Secrets for Getting Your Kid into the Top Schools) by the author are complementary, so I recommend both. I actually wrote to the author and asked whether she would write a book for elementary students!I hope this will help your family and children since it has been helping mine tremendously. Best of luck.

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most helpful books I've read!

A. · January 1, 2010

This book changed the way I'm parenting our 13 year old. Our youngest son (8th grade) picked 3 "dream goals" from the list given, which actually helped me understand him better. I found several great ideas in the book to help him work towards his goals (including the Congressional Youth Award.) It's given us a framework for the next few years. He feels like I'm on his side, and I see my role as helping him get from his point A to point B.Because of this book, I ended up encouraging him to apply for a summer language program that will help him reach his goals. Before reading this book, I wouldn't have considered it, since it's expensive. But they offer financial aid, so we're going for it!I wish I would have had this info for our older 2. They lucked into opportunities (teaching in Tanzania and TASP) which helped them get into Swarthmore and the ivies. This process would have helped our relationships, though.I just gave a copy to a friend's daughter after she heard me rave about how helpful it was. I'd also like to share the info with parents at our rural school (the only one in the county that doesn't offer AP classes.) Our kids and parents need all the help they can get!

4.0 out of 5 stars Good parts, and some info lacking

M. · March 17, 2009

All this competitiveness can drive a person insane. I've watched my daughter in a private school that is very demanding, slowly disintegrating. She is a nervous wreck, sleep deprived and unfocused. The parents are pushing and pushing, the kids cheat (it makes my daughter nuts since she works so hard, and is getting B's and C's while the other kids have copies of the tests saved by older siblings!). The school puts so much pressure on them to succeed and most of the kids? well they'll get in the colleges of their choice because their parents are legacies and the parents are so filthy loaded they can give $10-25,000 a year to the colleges! That's how it really works if you want to get real about it.There is some good stuff in the book, but a lot of stuff has been left out especially for kids who want a performing arts career. Interlochen is okay, but I would recommend a place called Stagedoor Manor for real professional training in the summers. Most of the kids who did that camp are good students as well, but they have gone on to NYU, Yale, CCM, Boston Conservatory, Carnegie Mellon, Univ of Michigan, etc. Having Stagedoor on the resume helped a lot.She also has some good programs in other areas which I didn't know about it, so it was worth the purchase. I'm assuming she wrote the book after she got her own kids through their "ivy league" schools (perhaps not to share the info with other parents along the way - but that is how it is out there).Also, kids do better in school when they can focus. To focus, you need lots of sleep, especially teenagers. It's fact. The schools today give entirely too much homework. If the teachers are doing their job in school, there is no need to come home and do another 5-6 hours of homework (yep, that's what the school gives 7th on up in my child's school). They say 20 mins per subject, however, my husband and I have timed the work (and my child is a good student), and it isn't. Not by a long shot. Each teacher thinks their class is the most important. Many parents won't admit their kids spend that amount of time on homework and many don't realize their kids are up late doing it! I know only because my child is up (I don't go to bed until she's done) and kids are asking for homework help. Some kids have tutors and the tutors do their work. It is insanity because the schools know this is going on and yet do nothing (IF it is a child of a high contributor).There are so many parents afraid to speak up. The schools (all of them) will make you feel like you're in the minority, but at the parents luncheons, homework is all they talk about. It is wrong for schools to deprive children the right to do things after school to unwind. It is wrong to give homework on every weekend depriving kids of family and worship. Kids need to do chores and help out (well at least some of them). Why deprive them of responsibilities or just, dare I say, having fun! They are only kids once. And the way the world is today, to have them stay young as long as possible would be a pleasure.I love all the new books coming out on the Case Against Homework, and even the Wall St Journal wrote an article about a study that proved homework does nothing to improve grades. I know that with my child and her friends it only makes them despise the work...because the learning isn't fun. Running on 5-6 (if they are lucky) hours of sleep, is not good especially when they have subjects like math, science or languages first up in the mornings. These classes require cognitive thinking at its best.Run schools like google runs its company, and you'd see a lot more kids loving it. I hate the fact that my daughter has to put in 14 hour days learning. I hate that there are kids staying up till 2am and then setting their alarms to wake up at 4am to finish their work (yep, in this school so many of them do that in 8th grade - this technique used to be reserved for college). And I hate that one poor child stayed up till 3am and couldn't do her latin homework and the teacher said "tough, it should have been done." Mostly, I hate that schools carry dead weight - teachers who just can't teach (hello MATH TEACHERS OUT THERE) and every parent knows it but is petrified to speak up. So we pay all this money for private school, and then what? People have to spend a bundle on tutors. That's the crying shame....And it's no wonder our kids are burned out by time they are ready to enter college. It's the parents fault for pushing so hard. And why is that? Because they want their kid to be the best NO MATTER HOW THEY GET THERE.I think it's time to homeschool!As for this book, it is depressing in some parts if you don't have money (but some summer programs offer financial aid), and it should be heartening to know that even the so called "best" private schools, DON'T always have the best teachers. In fact, there is a double standard of discipline as well. If you're a high contributor, you can pay to make things go away if your child gets in trouble. If you don't contribute, be prepared to be sent to a shrink for analysis!I, for one, have just about had it with all this competition, and I think the year between high school and college when kids used to go backpacking and see the world before attempting to conquer college? Well I think it needs to be moved up to between middle school and high school!

Two Stars

S.K. · August 14, 2017

Lot of useless info