Gwyeth Smith, known as Smitty, is a nationally renowned guidance counselor who believes that getting into college should be a kid's first great moment of self-discovery. In , David L. Marcus, Pulitzer Prize-winning former education writer for , spins an absorbing narrative of a year in the lives of Smitty and "his" kids. At a diverse public school in Long Island, New York, Smitty works his unique magic on students' applications and their lives, helping them find the right college by figuring out who they are, rather than focusing on what their test scores, grades, and finances reflect. Loaded with advice that readers can apply to their own college searches, is a book that thousands of students and their parents will find indispensable.