title: College Countdown: The Parent's and Student's Survival Kit for the College Admissions Process
author: Jill Von Gruben
description: College Planning Starts NOw - Because college Won't Wait for You. There are few things more overwhelming than the procedure, paperwork, and price tag of a college education. Forms have to be filled out, tests need to be taken, and long-range planning needs to begin - as early as the eighth grade level! Filled with anecdotes, dates, and timelines, College Countdown, is the parent's and student's personal filing cabinet - organizing all of the "stuff" during this intense time. Based on intensive research and hundreds of interviews, College Countdown makes sure that all of the chaotic college preparation steps are taken in the right order with: Handy timelines for college entrance exams, applying for financial aid, and more; Key test dates with registration deadlines; Sample college admission forms and financial aid applications; Essential information on financial aid and scholarships; Latest information on using the Internet in your college search, including submitting your application online; Checklists, worksheets, tips, and quotes that will save you time, money, and headaches; Advice on the admissions interview and essay writing; Suggestions on choosing your college. let's face if, getting into college doesn't happen overnight - it takes hard work and planning. Make the process less stressful with College Countdown.
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  [SEPTEMBER](Admissions_toc.html#chap_1)
  
  
  The Tuesday after Labor Day marked the official start of admissions season,
  the Manhattan parents’ version of a blood sport. The ferocity with which Wall
  Street traders worked the floor, mergers-and- acquisitions lawyers closed
  their deals, magazine editors staked their claims on a hot new trend, and
  ladies who lunched jockeyed for position at the fall shows couldn’t hold a
  candle to the intense competition between families to secure that most coveted
  of accessories: a space for their child in the school of their choice.
  
  
  Anticipating the onslaught, Sara Nash arrived at The School early and found
  her new assistant, Brandi, already at her desk, speaking rapidly into the
  receiver while casting a wary eye at her phone’s four other blinking red
  lights. Every blip signaled an incoming call from an anxious New York parent,
  each more desperate than the last to obtain an application for one of the few
  available spots in The School’s renowned Kinder