Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania

As the parent of a high school senior about to go off to college and having to make a smart choice as to where to go, I found this book incredibly timely. It sends a message I thought I knew yet need to hear again and again: that for some reason we value the brand name of a university, the "elite factor," much higher than it should be valued if we rationally looked at all the factors important in school choice.Frank Bruni is so talented in getting this message across. He presents us with dozens of resumes of well-known people we admire who went to what he calls the "unsung" alma maters. Howard Schultz, Chris Christie, Condoleeza Rice, and Christiane Amanpour get a mention, among many many more. He shows, again and again, how countless success stories are forged by such things as hard work, a winding instead of a straight path, often one littered with obstacles and setbacks, and by an intense focus and passion that comes from within.Bruni also takes apart the U.S. News and World Report college ranking that has risen to bible status yet is a very faulty predictor of university excellence at best, putting way too much weight on selectivity and admission counselors' opinions and giving rise to myriad ways universities can game the system to improve their rank. He reveals some fascinating studies linking later success not only with average SAT scores at schools attended but at schools one was rejected from, which sort of turns selectivity on its head, if you think about it.He also points out the dangers of exerting all this pressure on our kids from the seventh grade onwards, all geared to setting them on the path to greatness as defined by which college they get into. "My fear is that these kids are always going to be evaluating their self-worth in terms of whether they hit the next rung society has placed in front of them at exactly the time that society has placed it." Let alone the fact that we might create "contrived mannequins" who assemble their record and even their life in a way they think pleases an admissions office at an elite school rather than pursuing their interests and passions.There is one caveat: If by reading this book you're looking for absolute proof that an elite school isn't necessary for your success, especially if you define success by one day running a Fortune 500 company, you won't find it. In fact, the numbers presented show rather the opposite. Yes, not the majority of top CEOs come from Ivy League schools, but a large enough number do, so as to overrepresent these schools substantially when compared to the total number of alumni produced. This book isn't about numbers, it's about how we value education: by the label that society places on it, or by what learning we ultimately get out of it?Bruni's book is really just an extensive collection of essays on the topic of college admissions, a bit in the style of Malcolm Gladwell (though not as suspenseful). But they are nonetheless excellent essays full of information and thought-provoking tenets, and they are woven together seamlessly by Bruni's talented hand. If you're not in the college admissions game, you might skip this book. But if you are, you should not proceed without it.

A must read for parents who have kids going to college!! I think this is a great book and I read it at the perfect time as I have a 10th grader. The positives are that the author gives lots of real life examples of "successful" people who didn't go to Harvard! His main point is that where you go to college doesn't really effect your life in the long run and we all know this is true but I guess we need to read a whole book telling us so. He also introduces a lot of data and different kinds of metrics -- other than the apparently flawed US News & World report ratings - to evaluate colleges . I really enjoyed his (and all the other people he interviewed) attack on the skewed methodology used by US News and how it has negatively influenced how college admissions operate!! There is definitely something wrong with this system and Frank Bruni uncovers all the problems in this fascinating book. The only negative for me is that I would have liked exact numbers (and pie charts) in some of his examples. He tends to lean toward qualitative data and his own summery rather than giving the read the exact numbers. He likes to ballpark his data. Also, I am not sure that the average middle class family who can barely afford the local community college is obsessed with college rankings and Ivy League schools. I think the audience for this book is the affluent, private school and top public school parents who have been thinking about college since kindergarten. All the tiger moms should read this!!

Let me start this review saying this: everything in this book is fairly accurate, or at the very least, I agree with most everything presented in this book. I am a big believer in higher education, but I definitely believe that Ivy League schools like Harvard, Yale, etc. are completely overrated. Anyone who strives to be an Ivy Leaguer is simply looking for prestige over education.Is a degree from Ivy League U. equal to a Large State U.? Probably not, unfortunately. Elite schools do attract elite professors and crazy rich alumni which give Ivy League students more opportunities.Should the same degree from one university be valued higher than another? It shouldn’t. The problem here, apparently, is we value the location of the degree over the work put into a degree.Who is at fault for this? Practically everyone. Students, parents, faculty, administrators, politicians, and the like are all guilty of erroneously valuing the credibility of a college degree.But, if you are a student or a parent going into the college admissions process, here’s one word of advice: relax. Find a college that fits, don’t try to fit the college. You will be happier and more successful that way. Do not look at college rankings (they are mostly bogus, misleading, and useless). Do not look at exclusivity (elite colleges explicitly attempt to increase the number of applicants, not to increase the quality of their applicant pool but to increase their image). Students are going to do better in an environment that support them and challenge them properly.Frank Bruni said it best in this book when he said, “How you use college. What you demand of it. They dynamics get lost in the admissions mania…But their importance is vividly underscored by the histories of just about every successful person interviewed for this book.”Now that I have said all that, here comes my minor criticism: there is not enough information here to fill a whole book. This book is a well-researched, thought-out, and written article that was stretched over two hundred slogging pages. I know that this may be my own fault, many of the books Bruni cites or mentions are already in my personal library, so reading this book was kind of overkill for me. There is no information here for me, but being a higher education nerd that’s not a fair criticism. If someone was wrapped up in the mania of college admissions, I don’t think this book would change their mind. Perhaps it will open their minds a little, but I don’t think it’s going to change anyone’s world.So to sum up: find your space at your college. Stop expecting college to be the “everything” for you.

I highly recommend this book to any young adult (or full grown adult) planning to go to university or college. Frank Bruni makes a very compelling case against the "college admission mania". He deconstructs the unquestioned assumptions around the hierarchy of higher ed institutions and the obsession around "labels" and "status", and cogently argues for a healthier way of choosing the "right" college/uni -- one that's underpinned by deep self-awareness, and one that will ultimately enrich the student's life and will give her an edge towards meaningful success. I love that Bruni puts back in the agenda the importance of hard work, reflection, and being fully engaged in one's college career. This book is jam-packed with highly relevant real-world cases that drive home Bruni's points. It's thoughtfully researched, well written, backed by solid examples, and overall an engaging read.Parents, school counsellors, higher ed administrators would also find this book a relevant read. I myself bought this book because I felt that it would be illuminating as I plan to go back to university for my master's degree. (I have finished undergrad, have since developed a great career, and been out of university for eight years.) I have to say, reading this book has brought to surface what my educational priorities really are at this stage of my career, and it will serve me well as I pick the institution and program that's right for ME as I continue my journey in higher learning. Well done, Mr. Bruni!

Frank Bruni reminds us that the college application process is just another step in our children's education, as is attending college, and experiencing all that these institutions have to offer. But just as in life, we are not defined by any one experience. What matters most is what you do when you get there, not which school you go to.

For parents, graduates and prospective students, a MUST read