About Early Decision
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (August 26, 2014)
A delightful and salacious novel about the frightful world of high school, SATs, the college essay, and the Common Application—and how getting in is getting in the way of growing up
Anne Arlington is twenty-seven, single, and in demand: she is the independent “college whisperer” whose name is passed from parent to parent like a winning lottery ticket, the only tutor who can make a difference with the Ivy League.
Early Decision follows one application season and the five students Anne guides to their fates: Hunter, the athletic boy who never quite hits his potential, a kind, heavily defended kid who drives his mother mad; Sadie, an heiress who is perfectly controlled but at the expense of her own heart; William, whose intelligence permits him to dodge his father’s cruel conservatism but can’t solve the problem of loneliness; Alexis, a blazing overachiever whose Midwestern parents have never heard of a tiger mom; and Cristina, who could write her ticket out of her enormous, failing high school, if only she knew how.
Meanwhile, Anne needs a little coaching herself, having learned that even the best college does not teach a person how to make a life.
In this engrossing, intelligent novel, Lacy Crawford delivers an explosive insider’s guide to the secrets of college admissions at the highest levels. It’s also a deft commentary on modern parenting and how the scramble for Harvard is shaping a generation. Told in part through the students’ essays, this unique and witty book is so closely observed that it has been mistaken for a memoir or a how-to guide. A wise and deeply felt story, Early Decision reveals how getting in is getting in the way of growing up.
Praise for Early Decision
“This entertaining tale of upper class parents and adolescent learning curves points a keen eye at the college application process… with the right support, those students find their way despite themselves. Sprinkled with tips for writers, essays in various forms of rewrite, and a very satisfying twist at the end.” —Publishers Weekly
“At times hilarious, at times soul-crushingly sad, and unfailingly astute and well-written, Early Decision will leave you super-satisfied.” —Redbook.com, October Book of the Month
“Early Decision is part Gossip Girl, part Dead Poets Society, and entirely addictive! A brilliant, satirical peek at the families of privilege behind the Ivy Curtain, this book made me laugh out loud.” —Kevin Kwan, Bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians
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About Lacy Crawford
For fifteen years Lacy Crawford served as a highly discreet independent college admissions counselor to the children of powerful clients in cities such as New York, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and London. Her “day jobs” included serving as senior editor of Narrative magazine and director of the Burberry Foundation. Educated at Princeton and the University of Chicago, Crawford lives in California with her husband and two children.
Connect with Lacy Crawford through her website or Twitter.
Lacy’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, August 26th: Walking With Nora
Wednesday, August 27th: Back Porchervations
Thursday, August 28th: Man of La Book
Monday, September 1st: Alison’s Book Marks
Tuesday, September 2nd: The Ludic Reader
Wednesday, September 3rd: cakes, tea and dreams
Thursday, September 4th: Staircase Wit
Monday, September 8th: Vox Libris
Wednesday, September 10th: The Scarlet Letter
Thursday, September 11th: missris
Monday, September 15th: Mrs. Mommy Booknerd
Tuesday, September 16th: Shall Write
Wednesday, September 17th: Book Journey
Thursday, September 18th: Bibliotica
Thursday, September 25th: Books in the Burbs