On april 8th, I attended my first glenbard parent series talk. The evening featured new york times bestselling author, frank bruni, speaking from his new book, Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote To The College Admissions Mania.
Mr. Bruni provided an engaging, thought-provoking look at how the college admissions system works plus a fresh, reassuring reminder of what really matters in the college experience. (and it’s not what most parents and students believe it to be.)
In researching the book, mr. Bruni interviewed students, parents of prospective college students, colleagues and fortune 500 business owners, among others. He introduces his audience to some of the then-students who thought their future depended on a ivy league education only to find out that wasn’t true. Together, the audience gains insights as these people reflect on their achievements and put college into a saner, healthier and more accurate perspective. Where you go is not who you’ll be tells story after story of successful, accomplished and happy people who attended public institutions, lesser known private ones, and everywhere in between.
Where you go is not who you’ll be truly is a must-read for any student getting ready to go through the process of picking a school and for the parents of these students. This book dispels so many myths about admissions which are considered the honest-to-god-gospel-truth today. It gives families an honest and realistic perspective on the road ahead, affording them the opportunity to make the college years all they can be while not getting ensnared all the hype and misinformation prevalent today. As the book so eloquently states, all too often “a yes or no from amherst or dartmouth or duke or northwestern is seen as the conclusive measure of a young person’s worth, a binding verdict on the life that he or she has led up until that point, an uncontestable harbinger of the successes or disappointments to come.”
In my experience, everyone’s an expert.
Students take their friend’s experience (especially those with older siblings) as authoritative. Parents cling to every word uttered by acquaintances a couple years ahead of them in the admissions process. And most of the information being passed around only serves to further the hype and mania.
There’s a sane way to approach the college experience.
This book could well supply the missing key to help families successfully move off on the wrong path and onto one that is calm, realistic and empowering. As william deresiewicz, author of excellent sheep, says, “[this book] should be required reading for everyone caught up in the college-admissions game.”
Where you go is not who you’ll be was just released at booksellers everywhere and became an instant bestseller. You Can Click On This Affiliate Link To Purchase Your Copy Today.
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