Admissions by Design

The race to matriculate into the most-prestigious-university-possible is killing America's students. There is a better way

Admissions by Design is a poignant, unorthodox, and thorough guide that upends the traditional paradigm of college admissions. Incorporating the latest research in brain science and human development and using stories from her nearly 20 years of work with students, Lisa Fisher offers students practical tools to reframe the college admissions process to one of an inspired and authentic journey toward self-discovery.

Building from the root of the word "admission," meaning "toward purpose," and tying the college admissions process to the development of self and to emerging trends in economic development, the author argues that the admissions process shouldn't be about getting into a prestigious "name" school, but about a journey to knowing one's self, heeding one's callings, and identifying the "right fit" school that will serve as the catalyst to embracing a purpose-led life.

Presenting facts and details about the ways in which the current system of college admissions negatively impacts students, the author challenges prevailing methods and offers new ideas and solutions to reinvent the approach to college admissions to be more humanistic and student-centered. This practical guide challenges students to define and pursue their unique paths and offers hands-on tools to help students in their process of self-discovery and in identifying and applying to the "right fit" college.