LET’S BLOW UP THE ELITE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS BLACK BOX is an informational text about the admissions practices of America’s elite colleges and universities. It’s split into three sections: an explanation of why another book on college admissions needed to be written, a deep-dive into current admissions practices, and a set of suggestions on how to change those practices and restore America’s “social and economic mobility”.
Don’t let the playful title fool you: LET’S BLOW UP THE ELITE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS BLACK BOX is a powerful exposé. It highlights how the American education system feeds into the prevalence of systemic racism, the growing socioeconomic divide, and the ongoing mental health crisis among American youth. It also provides commentary on how the college admission process has been (and will continue to be) affected by COVID-19. This information in this book is timely and relevant to the present day zeitgeist of social reform. The research that has gone into the book is staggering. Terry Connelly has curated a wide array of quotes, research, and references. He uses his background in finance and education to comprehensively examine the “pay-to-play marketplace” of the college application process. His exploration of topics like academic dysmorphia, college marketing techniques, manipulation of ranking algorithms, and the harmful nature of early decision admissions leaves no stone unturned. Readers will come away from LET’S BLOW UP THE ELITE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS BLACK BOX with a better knowledge of the American education system’s long standing effects on our society.
Because of the informative nature of this book, it can be dense. There are some sections that are overly verbose or disorganized, which some readers may find off-putting. LET’S BLOW UP THE ELITE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS BLACK BOX could benefit from some minor restructuring to make each section clearer and more focused. However, a reader who is passionate about the American education system will not be discouraged by this book’s academic style.
Terry Connelly has written a powerful exposé with LET’S BLOW UP THE ELITE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS BLACK BOX that calls into question the integrity of America’s post-secondary education system and while some readers may find the book’s dense style intimidating, the subject matter is of great importance, benefiting parents, students and educators.
~Stephani Hren for IndieReader