Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid into College [Paperback]

As a professor working at my state's "Big State University" (BSU in Mr. Ferguson's parlance), I see the flip side of the story that Mr. Ferguson presents in this book. I can relate to the issues he discusses, and I feel for his family as they go through the hoops of getting their son into college. This is an outstanding read that hits a great many nails on the head. The writing style is easy, the book is incredibly informative, and it is a pleasure to read. I was struck with how thoughtful this book is. I was expecting it to be funny, and it is, but only because Mr. Ferguson himself is funny. This book never reads as an intentionally funny comedy. It is instead a very temperate and evenhanded discussion of the joys and pains his family encountered as they went through the inherently arduous process. Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect is his own introspection as he struggles between giving his son freedom/aid and realized he is behaving peevishly, stressed, or neurotic. I think that every father will be able to relate to all of the author's foibles and triumphs.

Mr. Ferguson has organized his book chronologically from the beginning realization that his family needed to start thinking about college admissions through his son's orientation into his own BSU. In addition, each chapter contains a detailed and relatively scholarly consideration of the underlying issues and structures of the associated component of the admissions process, so the book is really structured as an annotated discussion of college admissions as opposed to a simple story of, "and then we mailed the applications."

Chapter 1 focuses on Mr. Ferguson's efforts to come to grasp that getting into college, especially an elite institution, is more than just sending off a few applications. It is instead a detailed process of accumulating the right sorts of accolades in the right amount to present your student as "the right candidate." His discussion includes an entertaining account of his interactions with professionals who help draft the right application for a fee. He marvels at the existence and scope of this business, and arrives at the (correct) conclusion that the college application process for both the student and the university is fundamentally a market driven exercise focused on marketing. Only the right students get into certain school, and, for a fee, you can have a specialist help you (either directly or indirectly through a book) make your child "the right candidate." Of course, what makes on the right candidate seems to shift from expert to expert...

Chapter 2 discusses Mr. Ferguson's son's effort to select his list of potential colleges. It includes a consideration of how an applicant's experiences feed into their potential colleges, including the downside of being a lifeguard as a summer job. It also has a WONDERFUL discussion of U.S. News and World Report's influence on colleges through their rankings, and how this competition has fundamentally changed the college framework. Frankly, Mr. Ferguson's discussion is spot-on from my experience. Few colleges will admit it, but the trends and ramifications he discusses are exactly right.

Chapter 3 continues the story of the author's family seeking to evaluate the colleges in which his son was interested. In addition, it focuses on the structure of marketing in higher education, and the contradiction of colleges claiming they aren't big businesses attempting marketing campaigns when they clearly are. He also discusses the plethora of sources for advice available through books and the internet, all of which is contradictory on any given point. He humorously calls this the Principle of Constant Contradiction, which means that any bit of advice is certain to be contradicted, either within the same text or by other sources of advice.

Chapter 4 is my favorite chapter. It presents Mr. Ferguson's worry about, and study of, the SAT. He discusses its importance to his son's application and their hope that his son does well. It also discusses his own evaluation of a sample test he took from one of the study aids his son used. The author's prose is great, and the absurdity of the situation is compelling. The author also presents a wonderful discussion of the history, significance, and controversy surrounding the SAT's role in college admissions. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book!

Chapter 5 is a more detailed consideration of the way colleges market themselves and the process through which Mr. Ferguson's son evaluated the various "brands" he encountered. It recounts their visits to various colleges and information nights his family attended. Again, the humor and social commentary are excellent.

Chapter 6 focuses on the actual application process, especially writing the application essays. The author perfectly identifies the contradiction within the exercise. Applicants are asked to write about themselves, but in a way that makes them sound simultaneously victorious and victimized. The most compelling essays are those that focus on failures, embarrassments, social ostracization, and other moments of weakness that the typical family seeks to avoid. Applicants write about experiences (real or imagined), but twist them to portray themselves in whatever light they think the college admission office wants. What comes out is consequently not a true reflection of either the student or the experience. This is especially true when applicants can hire a service to write the essay for them.

Chapter 7 discusses the tribulations of applying for financial aid and why college is so doggone expensive. As Mr. Ferguson notes, tuition and other costs have risen much faster since 1970 than both the rate of inflation and the previous increases. I think there are a few additional factors that a complete, scholarly treatment should include, but I really, really liked Mr. Ferguson's discussion. I think that as a general discussion, it is right. I also agree that there is an "education" bubble that cannot last. Simply put, we are charging more for an increasingly inferior product that is increasingly less valuable. Fortunately my institution has not followed some of the foolish trends as many other institutions have...

Chapter 8 turns more towards the personal narrative, although it does continue the larger consideration of the college admissions system. The most interesting point is that the author begins to hope that affirmative action focused on white males might benefit his son, given that admissions administrators are actively seeking to keep the number of males and females somewhat balanced. Mr. Ferguson notes the irony that while he hopes it helps his son, he is concerned it will hurt his daughter...

Chapter 9 explores the joy and agony of the father taking his son to college orientation, where the boy leaves home both metaphorically and literally. It is humorous and poignant how Mr. Ferguson and his son seek to navigate their new relationship. On a broader context, Mr. Ferguson discusses the disconnect between the simultaneous treatment of his son as a man and a child by the University, as well as the trouble of getting meaningful classes in a curriculum that is no longer anchored to a rigorous framework that seeks to impart a core body of knowledge.

Ultimately, Mr. Ferguson's social commentary reflects the reality I experience everyday, a reality where some students want the certification (the college degree) as opposed to the knowledge that is the true product of a good university. In Chapter 2 he likens this attitude to wanting to go to a restaurant to get the menu to prove you were there, as opposed to going for the meal. He is right. Still, this misguided perspective is reflected on every college campus I have attended/taught at. Fortunately, I also have outstanding students who make it all worthwhile. I think that anyone who has been to college and wants to understand how it has changed, is planning on sending kids to college, or works in the college system will get a kick out of this book. It is well worth the time to read!

Interesting "rite of passage" story told from the vantage point of a father trying to deal with his son's attempting to get into college. While that part is certainly interesting, the part I enjoyed was the background material on things like expensive "college admissions coachs", the history and substance of the SATs, background of the rating systems, etc. These are told with a definite tongue in cheek at times. (Classic look at the profound predictions by the pundits on the effect of the recession on colleges. Could have been taken from the stock market prognisticators!) I also loved the analysis of why colleges that cost $795 a year in 1958 now run $40,000. How do they get away with it? Because they can!

Great book if this experience is about to become part of your life. Suggest you read it in your kid's freshman year!

This book confirms my suspicions about college admissions being somewhat gamed to fit what the colleges are really looking for. It is sad in someways to think how both parents & young adults put their entire self worth on what college they get into. College in my view is a gateway for students to successfully & happily pass thru into a world that will eventually judge them on their ability to contribute to society & the workplace. There are so many great colleges that never seem to get mentioned. All of the testing vehicles - SAT's, ACT's, ect... cannot even begin to test a student's eventual true self worth. Success in life is not guaranteed by what college one attends. My father who ran an employment agency for many years in NY would shared many stories about Ivy League grad's who were extremely hard to place because they did not fit what companies were really looking for. While having stellar grades & credentials - they ultimately did not have the well-rounded attributes of what is really required. Students should really look inside themselves to ask what they are capable of & what they really would be happy doing in life. All of this said, I really enjoyed the book. The US News College ranking report should be taken with a grain of salt, and a much more due diligence by all should be pursued.

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