Crazy U

12rmh18 · 03-02-2011, 08:24 AM

Has anyone read Andrew Ferguson's new book, Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College? It sounds like Ferguson reads CC.

Here is the WashPost review of Crazy U.

coureur · 03-02-2011, 09:37 AM

Yeah, we heard about it.

Related thread:

CC Dissed on Sound Money

BfloGal · 03-02-2011, 02:31 PM

There is also the very humorous "Accept My Kid, Please!: A Dad's Descent Into College Application Hell" by Hank Herman. A very quick and entertaining read!

AlohaTM · 03-02-2011, 04:20 PM

OMG. The WashPost review was funny but it made me cry in the end. I am going to be a mess when my D goes to college!

Sally_Rubenstone · 03-03-2011, 04:37 PM

I haven't read the book but I've gotten some Google news alerts about it and about Ferguson's College Confidential mentions. It sounds like he's claiming that the blind lead the blind on CC.

I, on the other hand, often tell the press (when asked about the credibility of College Confidential) that all reader-generated content creates a buyer-beware situation, but CC is surprisingly accurate. Sure, there is info here that is misleading, confusing, and sometimes downright wrong, but much more of it is right on target ... and any astute CC member can usually tell the difference.

imagep · 03-03-2011, 06:57 PM

Personally, I find the occasional opposing opinions on this site to be very interesting, it promotes healthy discussion and provides differing experiances. There are several issues that I would have never considered without reading posts on CC.

Overall I think that the advice on this site is much better than our students get from their high school guidance counselors. Guidance counselors are really so involved with just filling out paperwork and sending off transcrips that they have very little time to REALLY get to know students. Without knowing students on a personal bases, they have no clue as to what is best for the individual student. They also have little knowlege of specific colleges majors - outside of the school and major that they did.

Lafalum84 · 03-03-2011, 07:46 PM

Most of the advice here is good, and if it's off-base someone else usually jumps in to correct - at least if you stay in the Parent area. I have learned a ton here and it really helped me when my kids applied to colleges. Both got into colleges that were a great fit for them.

What is pretty much useless, but people keep doing it anyway, is the "Chance Me" threads. Unless you're sitting in an admissions conference with admissions decision-makers, you cannot predict someone's odds of being admitted. Anything you CAN tell them, they could easily find out for themselves by simply looking for the stats for the previous year's admitted students on the college's website. Most colleges post them.

mamom · 03-03-2011, 08:19 PM

I have been reading it on my Kindle. Haven't read any mentions about CC yet though.

I think a quick look at CC can overwhelm anyone. You have to sit back and just absorb for a few weeks before you can sort the wheat from the chaff.

nil desperandum · 03-03-2011, 08:27 PM

the review sounds so funny. I might go read it.

vbv8dad · 03-03-2011, 09:48 PM

"Overall I think that the advice on this site is much better than our students get from their high school guidance counselors"

@imagep, Well said. I would add Public high school guidance counselors as my S is in public hs and I see that.

12rmh18 · 03-04-2011, 07:12 AM

The review of the Ferguson book sounds like my experience with my S2.

We were fortunate that our guidance dept (and GC) was good about helping the kids get INTO college. However, the financial advice on CC is invaluable for helping people PAY for the colleges they get into. I agree with Lafalum that the "chance me" threads are pretty worthless. Yes, there are varying opinions on many topics -- and that is precisely what makes CC interesting & invaluable.

lifes2short · 03-04-2011, 08:21 AM

I only wish I had been aware of College Confidential when I went through the college search with my daughters! There is a WEALTH of information and advice on here that I would have given my right arm for at the time. The real positive about the author is that he has given the site some really great press. An interviewer on Fox News asked specifically about College Confidential. Every article that I have seen on this book has mentioned the site as well. Not only is Andrew Ferguson promoting his book, he is promoting this site.

LadyDianeski · 03-04-2011, 08:53 AM

Then there's Dad handing his procrastinator a book on successful college essays and watching the boy vacantly turn it over in his hands. "I thought of the apes coming upon the obelisk in the opening scene of '2001: A Space Odyssey,' " Dad writes. "He did everything but sniff it."

ROTFL!! I have got to read this book.

WordWorld · 03-04-2011, 10:34 AM

Here goes, my first post, but this thread inspired me to go get the book on Amazon. I don't comment on books until I have read them (I read Tiger Mom but didn't dare post to that thread since it got so heated!). I'll report back when I have read it.

Roger_Dooley · 03-04-2011, 12:01 PM

As a colleague pointed out, the author seems to be startled that not all info posted by members of our CC community is accurate. That's right up there with other Mr. Obvious statements like,
- Not all advice is good advice.
- Not everything on the Internet is true.

Sounds like an entertaining read, though.