Princeton University admissions officer Portia Nathan must suddenly confront a secret from her past just as thousands of the nation's brightest students await her decision regarding their academic admission.

"Examining the two basic components of scholarship competition--essays and interviews--this vital guidebook offers practical advice and real-life examples to guide students through the entire application process. A roundtable panel of judges and applicants supply inside information regarding the winning qualities sought after by award-giving organizations and tips for finding scholarships by using books, the internet, personal connections, and sources...

"A resource to help students write the college admissions essay with tips on selecting a topic and recycling essays and an essay-writing workshop. Includes 50 examples of successful essays, 25 essay-writing mistakes, and writing strategies from admission officers"-- Provided by publisher.

"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 WHERE YOU GO IS NOT WHO YOU'LL BE, Frank Bruni explains...

"A resource for high school students and parents on how to apply to selective colleges. Covers strategies on college selection, college applications, essays, interviews, standardized tests and scholarships and financial aid. Outlines what selective colleges look for in applicants. Includes more than 20 essay examples" -- Provided by publisher.

"This book is a handy, readable manual, which deals with the practical problems students face when writing their college admission essays"-- Provided by publisher.

This segment of Sunday Morning is about college choice and the over importance placed on attending a prestigious school.

"Alicia is a tech giant, wealthy beyond compare. Kelly is a stay-at-home mother and Stanford legacy. Maren makes three: single, broke, and out of place among the rich and elite. All their daughters are natural choices for Stanford: except the school can only recommend one student. As the competition heats up, an attempt is made on one of the girl's lives and the community spirals into panic. Now the mothers have to decide if one of them is capable...

"A guide to help applicants to the University of California colleges with writing the admissions essay. Contains Q&As from former University of California admissions officers, advice from students and essay mistakes to avoid. Presents 50 successful University of California essays and detailed analyses of each essay"-- Provided by publisher.