Dream school Finding the college that's right for you

College applicants should stop obsessing over brand-name institutions and search for a school that can help them determine "who want to become" and develop the "mindset, relationships, and skills" to get there, according to this insightful guide. Drawing from interviews with students, parents, admissions officers, and experts, education writer Selingo (Who Gets in and Why) debunks the myth that one's undergrad institution determines professional success (the list of Fortune 500 CEOs has alums from plenty of lesser-known schools, as well as Ivies) or postgrad pay. Pushing back on the idea that college is just a stepping stone to a high-powered career, he also highlights the value of school in developing one's identity in broader ways, including via extracurriculars like intramural sports teams. As acceptance rates dwindle at big-name schools, applicants should take care to apply to "Plan B" colleges that get ignored in favor of Ivies, suggests Selingo, who notes that more obscure colleges can boast smaller classes, more individualized attention from professors, or simply the chance for students to be "big fish in a small pond." Selingo intersperses his actionable advice with anecdotes from college students and parents, and he effectively exposes how the American " 'elite college or bust' mentality" damages students, the education system, and the professional world. The result is an essential complement to Frank Bruni's Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be. (Sept.)

In an economic, political, and academic environment that has engendered unprecedented challenges for U.S. colleges and the students interested in attending them, books like this one will make the difference in who applies to colleges, how they do it, and why. Selingo (Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions) offers advice about how to streamline and simplify the application process by generating a list of colleges accessible at each step along the way, from the application through the admission process and ultimately graduation. Selingo breaks down the dollar-for-dollar discrepancies between what U.S. students pay and what their degree will be worth and provides accessible, action-oriented tips for matching sticker price with future plans. Plus, he includes a list of 75 affordable U.S. colleges, which will help students and their advisors reframe their ideas about the value of colleges and the educational pathways opened by higher ed. VERDICT Selingo breaks down stereotypes and assumptions about the real value of schools so students can make informed decisions, based less on false notions of prestige and more on what will pay off for them as they receive degrees and move onto the next phase of their personal and professional lives.--Emily Bowles