Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps, Second Edition: Crafting a Winning Personal Statement Paperback – June 25, 2013

I can safely say that this book is the best essay guide I've read. Being an international Early Decision applicant, I was pressed for time when I first started reading this book.The methodology is concise yet comprehensive. Each aspect and step of the essay-writing process has been detailed in this guide. If CollegeBoard's Blue Book is the SAT bible for students, this is the bible for an amazing personal statement. I've never seen a more accurate description and breakdown of a process as subjective as essay-writing. While Princeton Review and books like '50 Successful Admissions Essays' offer examples of essays that were accepted by top universities, this book sets the guidelines, rules and protocol of writing a top-notch college essay. Though I still haven't received my admission decision, I am confident that this book has helped my essay stand out from the crowd.The author also worked personally with me on my essays, and I strongly recommend his editing services. Without doubt, Mr. Alan Gelb has used his vast experience to author a masterpiece that will allow any college applicant to reveal his or her personal voice through a variety of essay prompts.I can strongly suggest all college applicants to read this book without a second thought, especially if they are considering applying to selective colleges.

I read this book from the library and decided to purchase after reading the first few chapters. This book provides a step-by-step process for writing a college application essay that uses a strictly narrative (story) approach to illustrate a moment in the student's life showing application reviewers that the student is more than just grades & test scores. It does not advocate providing a recap of achievements provided elsewhere in the application as advised in "Write Your College Essay in Less Than a Day."This books provides solid actual writing help, from choosing a (story) topic to the process of getting started, 1st draft, revisions, and final editing. It's a good book to have to learn narrative (story) writing, even if you don't use it for college application essays.Both books have a lot to offer. Combined, they provide a solid, concise guide to what can be a mysterious process. Although the authors' approaches to content are different (and each provides seemingly valid reasons for why they think their approach is correct), my student will use info and ideas from both books. You'll have to read both to determine which makes most sense for you and the schools of interest.

I have read two books about college admission in each of 3 categories and this the first one I write a review for. The other books were certainly worthy of a review but students and their parents may have gross misconceptions about college essays, which is why I am writing this review (even though I positively hate typing on a Kindle).I am a father doing a lot of reading on behalf of his junior but this is a book that my son WILL read. It is brief in the realm of college books yet comprehensive with the subject. My son WILL write his essay but I will be along as a coach thanks to this book. As the author, who has a wealth of experience with the process, writes, the essay matters more than certain aspects of an application that students devote more time to.I read this book in less than a week and it was time well spent.If you're a student, best of luck with finding the college best suited to your personality, but don't take short cuts with your essay, read this book.

'Conquering the College Admission Essay in the 10 Steps', by Alan Gelb reviews basic high school composition and how it applies to the college applicant's personal statement. Developing the technical aspects of conflict, protagonists and timing are critical to an interesting product.I recommend that the editing parent and student read 'Conquering . . ', then everyone is on the same page. Gelb crafts a great example of story telling by a classic 'mom', then injects the critical aspects of a successful essay. Very clever and interesting example for discussion between writer and editor.Another great book is 'On Writing the College Application Essay', by Harry Bauld. In contrast, Bauld's book gives incredible insight into who is the recipient of the essay; how to fashion the final product to intrigue the decision maker and their panel; and the process of the application. 'On Writing . . ' is smartly written for the Ivy League applicant -- or the best prepared future state school attendee.Together these two books will supply the writer with ammunition and the tools needed for a solid essay. Good Luck!

If you want step by step excellent advice on how to focus your son or daughter on their college essay, this book is exactly what you need. From selecting a topic to figuring out how to construct the essay and make it special, this is really an extraordinarily well thought out and accessible resource. What was really wonderful was that the advice on constructing the college essay also spilled over into excellent pointers about writing more generally so it was a valuable book for more than just the college essay. If you're wondering how your child is ever going to get started, if s/he's hit a wall in putting the essay together, or if you just feel as though the essay could be better, get this book. It's not easy helping a high school senior put together the college application (I've now done it with three children) so it's a real gift to find a book this good that you can just give to your child and know they're getting excellent advice. I really do think every parent should buy this book for their college bound high school student.

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