College admissions has gotten out of hand.
Stories, guidance, and humor for parents trying to do this well
Available wherever books are sold.
Crazy for College is part memoir, part guide, and part reality check for families caught up in today’s college admissions frenzy. Drawing on fourteen years of work with nearly 500 families and conversations with admissions leaders nationwide, Beth Heller Gelles shares honest stories, humor, and practical insights that help lower the pressure around college admissions.The book shifts the focus away from prestige and panic and back toward fit, growth, and protecting the parent–teen relationship.
About Beth
Beth Heller Gelles is a college admissions advisor, parent advocate, and author of Crazy for College. For more than fourteen years, she has worked with nearly 500 families and seen how the admissions process can turn even the calmest households upside down. Her work blends experience, humor, and heart to help families lower the temperature and protect what matters most — their relationships with their children.
About Beth
Beth Heller Gelles is a college admissions advisor, parent advocate, and author of Crazy for College. For more than fourteen years, she has worked with nearly 500 families and seen how the admissions process can turn even the calmest households upside down. Her work blends experience, humor, and heart to help families lower the temperature and protect what matters most — their relationships with their children.
Work With Beth
Beth draws on more than fourteen years of experience guiding nearly 500 families to lead honest, grounded conversations about a process that can easily overwhelm even the most grounded households. Her talks help parents focus on what matters, make thoughtful decisions, and protect their relationship with their child along the way.
Tailored Talking Points
College Admissions 101 (Without the Panic)
What matters, what doesn’t, and where families should focus first
Laying the Groundwork for a Strong, Authentic Application
Practical, ethical ways to help your child show up as themselves
Mental Health Matters
How families move through the process matters as much as where students land
The Numbers Behind the Pressure
If College Has Taken Over Your House
Crazy for College is for parents who want to help
and aren’t always sure what actually matters anymore.
Inside you'll find:
A clearer understanding of what colleges are really looking for, and what you can finally stop obsessing over.
Practical, ethical ways to support your child while letting their real interests unfold naturally.
A grounded approach to building a college list based on fit, not just the name on a sweatshirt.
Ways to manage the process without turning every dinner conversation into a strategy session.
Perspective from admissions professionals on the other side of the desk.
Permission to laugh at the intensity of it all, including your own.
A reminder that your relationship with your child will last longer than any acceptance letter.
Look Who’s Crazy for College!
CLEAR
PRACTICAL
ADVICE
—ANDREW MARTIN, Chancellor, Washington University in St. Louis
“... Beth Gelles draws on decades of experience to offer clear, practical advice—along with warmth, humor, and hard-earned perspective...This book is an indispensable guide for anyone seeking a saner, more student-centered path to higher education.”
...a protein shake for the college admission workout
—HEATH EINSTEIN, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Texas Christian University
“...a protein shake for the college admission workout, blending Beth’s experience with humor, compassion, and sanity. Offering real life examples, it is chock full of lessons for parents who not only seek a healthy college search process, but— more importantly—a thriving college journey for their children.”
An invaluable resource
—GRANT M. GOSSELIN, Dean of Undergraduate Admission & Financial Aid, Boston College
“[Crazy for College] reinforces what matters most—supporting and loving their children through a process of self-discovery, resiliency, potential setbacks, and the success that ultimately follows...”
an antidote to the intensity of the college search process
—EMILY ROPER-DOTEN, Dean of Admissions, Brandeis University
“Crazy for College provides an antidote to the intensity of the college search process, hitting an ideal mix of advice and wisdom with humor and straight-talk. It’s a helpful ‘decoder ring’ for students and parents alike.”
Gelles cuts through the noise
—MATT ROSENBAUM, Former Senior Admissions Officer, University of Chicago
"College admissions today can feel like a high-stakes guessing game—rules keep shifting, competition is fierce, and colleges aren’t making it easier. ... Gelles cuts through the noise and captures the full emotional rollercoaster: confusion, stress, hope, excitement. She offers reassuring advice every family needs to hear... there's a right-fit college for every student.”
Humor, humanity, and expertise...
—DR. MEGAN STUBBENDECK, Ph.D., CEO Arbor Bridge,
“... a must-read for any parent who wants to survive the college process intact—and sane. With humor, humanity, and expertise, [Gelles] reminds us to focus on what really matters: our child and our relationship throughout the journey.”