Over the last few decades, Americans have turned college admissions into a terrifying and occasionally devastating process, preceded by test prep, tutors, all sorts of stratagems, all kinds of rankings, and a conviction among too many young people that their futures will be determined and their worth established by which schools say yes and which say no. That belief is wrong. It's cruel. And in this book, Frank Bruni explains why, giving students...

"Offering step-by-step, practical tips, the book walks the student (and his or her parents) through the major "moments" of the college selection process: learning about the kinds of college, devising a coherent initial list, sizing up the curricula and programs of study, planning and carrying out an informative tour of the colleges, constructing a unified and compelling application, obtaining and evaluating financial aid offers, and making a final...