High School Prep Genius -- A review

High School Prep Genius

A Review

Is it ever too early to begin thinking about the future? Well, maybe... But my eldest is now twelve and my youngest, nine, is talking about getting a Doctorate in Astronomy so that he can work for N.A.S.A. when he turns eighteen, so maybe, in my case, it is not too early to start thinking about college planning...

With that in mind, I have been reading and researching on the issue of designing a course of High school study aimed at preparing a student for success in college. One of the books I read was the book that I am reviewing in this post: High School Prep Genius: An Academic Guide to Excellence by Jean and Judah Burk

Before I dive into my review, I will offer a little background on myself:  I am the product of an academic family: my father is a Sinologist (a specialist in Chinese history -- in his case, he is the world's leading specialist in Sung Dynasty Law),  my mother is a Rehabilitation Nurse Specialist. Both of them taught at University. My brothers and I grew up in and around college and University campuses. Libraries were my refuge of choice and my father 'after schooled' us long before that term came into general use. It should come as no surprise then, that I myself attended college, received multiple degrees, and went on to teach both at intermediate school and at University level. (My specialty was History, for those who are interested.) Both of my brothers also attended University and both eventually went on to get higher degrees.

Returning to the main subject of this post -- the review of the book 'High School Prep Genius: An Academic Guide to Excellence' and its utility in helping Parents design a course of study for their students who may wish to attend college:  I will begin by considering the strengths I saw in the text and then discuss what might be improved.

[For purposes of brevity, I will henceforth refer to the text as HSPG -- I do hope that will be acceptable to the reader?]

HSPG is laid out with a great deal of thought. Rather than simply diving into academics, the Introduction suggests that the student create an organizational notebook -- a technique that many adults are just beginning to learn to use and one that is beneficial in many areas of life. It then moves on through the process of planning out the pre-high and High school years. Included in this planning is financial planning. I was particularly impressed by the fact that the authors spoke to both the students AND to the parents. And they do this through out the book. This is one of the main features of the book that most delighted me -- the interplay of parent and student discussions and homework.

Following the introduction, the first main section of the book is focused upon personal development. This, too, is a lovely surprise. Many parents presume that academics are the key to college acceptance and success. This, however, is more often than not, not the case.  Students who succeed are students who have a strong base -- who have a solid sense of themselves and who have a good support system. Students who have never developed coping skills, who do not have a support network can, of course, survive and even prosper in college but they often spend the first years of their academic life playing catch-up. HSPG suggests that students focus on developing these items prior to college so as to have them in place when they are needed.

The next section of the book turns to a discussion of academics -- tests, grades, studying etc. One of the points that this section makes is that some instructors include attendance in their grading. I am aware that some people consider this inappropriate, however, one might consider that an instructor cannot accurately assess a student's personal knowledge of material without interaction with the student. Moreover, if class participation is a portion of the grade -- and in many cases it is, absence automatically results in a mark down. Exceptions occur, of course, but that is between the student and the instructor. And attending class regularly is a mark of personal responsibility and maturity.

The last section discusses choosing the right school, taking entrance exams, paying for school and housing options. Much of what is said in this section makes good basic sense and there are some useful forms here. I liked how the authors of HSPG divided the scholarships into pros and cons/dos and don'ts. 

Also very useful are the Appendices where the authors have included 'How to build High school Transcripts', Books to get you started, Relaxation techniques, and Admissions terminology.

All that said, I do have one major problem and a few minor quibbles with this book -- the latter come both from my experience as a student and as an instructor at University: 

The major issue that I had with the book was the lack of an index. It would have been very useful for me if I had been able to go to the back of the book and been able to search for topics by keyword. That lack made using the book extremely frustrating on occasion.

Now, as regards the minor quibbles: Although the authors do mention the importance of the PSAT as regards to its relationship to scholarships, they don't do so until the end of the book. In this, they are not alone. Many Parents and children in the Public School System are unaware of the actual importance and value of the PSATs and regard it as simply a 'practice' test for the SAT.  For this reason, few children are actively prepared for the test.

As regards the option of not attending college immediately after highschool, the authors warn that putting it off is often not optimal-- that students often forget what they had learned and that this loss of knowledge is reflected when they take the placement test. This may be true. On the other hand, many students, fresh from highschool are not yet ready for college. They need time off. Working for a year, learning the value of school, of money, is often of great benefit to these students. As an instructor, I have seen how much more focused students are when they come in, having worked for their own money, and often paying for their own college. This is something that parents need to be willing to consider and to discuss with their students.

Another point upon which the authors comment  is that, at the larger Universities, one is less likely to know one's professors than at the smaller colleges. On the face of this, the statement is correct. A professor at a large University is less likely to seek out individual students -- it is up to the student to seek out the Professor. On the other hand, Professors keep office hours for just that purpose. And, in the time that I taught -- and I taught at several large institutions as well as several smaller ones -- I was also available to my students after lectures, during lunch hours and at other times during the day. Students would find me at the library or at the coffee shop. Laugh -- in fact, I had quite a few who would chase me down the mall to talk! It is not, therefore, an impossibility to get to know your professors. It is more a matter of your personality and theirs. And most people, not just professors, are interested in talking with people who are interested in the same subjects.

The authors touch briefly -- and I commend them for this -- on the issues of depression and suicide. I have seen too many students face these issues. They mention symptoms and that most schools have counselors but not much more. I am not entirely sure why this is. There are general resources available to students regardless of which institution they decide to attend that might have been included. It may be that those sources are so subject to change that the decision was made to leave them out. The unfortunate fact is that in most cases students have to seek out those resources - and may not be aware of them or, if deep in depression, may not have the energy to do so. The good news is that, in most cases, they CAN talk to their faculty -- and that includes individuals NOT mentioned by the authors --  students can speak to the graduate students who are used at University level as Teaching Assistants. Most TAs (as they are called) have a good deal of knowledge about what it is like being a student under pressure -- and many of them are more knowledgable about student services than are the higher level faculty. Students should never be too shy to approach these individuals.

My final quibble is purely aesthetic: The book itself is grey. The cover is grey. And, of course, the text is all black and white.  Prior to becoming an Historian, I trained as an artist, and one of my faculty specialized in the effect of color on the human psyche. (Yes, there really is such a speciality!) Grey is a calming, deadening, soothing color but not one designed to excite interest or curiosity. It is not one designed to inspire trust or faith in the contents. I would suggest that, for later editions of this book, the authors might consider a cover redesign.

In summation, I think that the book, High School Prep Genius is a useful addition to the library of anyone who has a child or children considering college. It would be most useful for parents whose  children are at or about to enter seventh grade or older. The authors actually encourage parents to begin preparation in the Middle School years. If you are a parent with a gift child, or one who may be participating in a Running Start program, you may also wish to consider reading and purchasing the book.

*While I did receive a reader's copy of this book for review, I do not receive any proceeds from the sale of this book. My comments and opinions are entirely my own and are unaffected by any monetary remuneration.