This  year,   over   three  million   students  will   graduate   from  high   school.  Approximately   70  percent   will  enroll   in   college.   And   at   least   a   few   million   parents   will   tear   their   hair   out.   Stuck   in   a   confusing,  compe??ve,  and  costly  process  with  a  moody  teen,  parents  are  le@  searching  for  support,  solu?ons,  and  reassurance  that  their  kid  will  get  into  college  and  their  family  will  return  to  normal.  

College   Bound   and   Gagged:   How   To   Help   Your   Kid   Get   Into   A   Great   College   without   Losing   Your  Savings,   Your   Rela@onship,   or   Your   Mind   (on   sale   October   14,   2011;   Nancy   Berk  Media  LLC;   ISBN:978-­‐0615548838,  $15.95)  is  the  straight-­‐talking  survival  guide  for  anyone  who  needs  to  rein  in  their  high  school  student  or  the  crazy  process.  Whether  it’s  ?me  to  buckle  down  or  calm  down,  author  Nancy  Berk,  Ph.D.,  gives  parents  ?ps  and  insight  to  nurture  student  success,  preserve  family  resources,  and  maximize  rela?onships.  

College   Bound   and   Gagged   tackles   procras?na?on,   confusing   procedures,   compe??ve   parents,  standardized   test  anxiety   (especially  parent   anxiety),  campus  tour  trauma,  admissions  office  disasters,  and  all  the  other  bumps  on  the  road  to  higher  educa?on.  With  top  ?ps  from  leading  college  experts,  top-­‐five  lists  to  keep  you  informed,  helpful  online  and  print  resources,  fun  illustra?ons,  and  humor  that  will  hit  home,  this  book  is  the  prescrip?on  for  every  family  on  the  college  journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHORNancy   Berk,   Ph.D.,   is   a   clinical   psychologist,   award-­‐winning   humorist,   comic,   professor,   and   former  admissions  commi_ee  member,  who  was  shocked  to  find  herself  as  panicked  as  the  rest  when  her  older  son   began  his  college   search.   She   quickly   realized   that   parents  needed   strategy   AND  humor   to  keep  smiling   through   the  process.  A   frequent  contributor   to  Chicken   Soup  For   The   Soul,   she   blogs   for  The  Huffington   Post,  USA   Today   College,   and  MORE   Magazine.   Author  of   Secrets   of   a  Bar  Mitzvah  Mom  (2005),  Nancy’s  been   spotlighted   in  The   New  York   Times   and   interviewed   by  The  Wall  Street   Journal,  CNN,  MSN,  and  na?onal  magazines.  

Nancy  has  appeared  on  television,  stage,  and  radio,  and  hosts  two  podcasts:  Whine  At  9  and  The  College  Mom   Minute.   This   year   she   will   give   one   of   the   keynote   speeches   at   the   American   Marke?ng  Associa?on’s  Higher   Educa?on   Symposium,  and  will   be   a   featured   speaker   at   The  Women’s  Summit  2012,  as  well  as  the  Erma  Bombeck  Wri?ng  Workshop.  Nancy  and  her  husband  Ron  are  the  proud  and  relieved  parents  of  a  college  graduate  and  a  college  freshman.

Nancy  Berk  Media  LLCContact:  Nancy  Berk  nwberk@DrNancyBerk.com/412.721.8239

Parents  need  a  li_le  ?me-­‐out,  a  lot  of  guidance,  and  some  laughs  when  it  comes  to  their  kid’s  college  search  and  selec?on.  Some?mes  the  stakes  

seem  as  high  as  their  anxiety,  but  now  there’s  a  solu?on....

COLLEGE BOUNDAND GAGGED

The  survival  guide  for  all  college-­‐bound  families

On sale October 14, 2011

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

“This  book   is  a  great  college  companion  wri_en  in  a  language  we  really  understand   -­‐   by  a  parent,  for  parents!  College   Bound  and   Gagged   is   a  helpful   and   humorous  resource   that   can   aid   in   the  college  search  process."     ~  CollegeProwler.com,  A  leading  college  search  site  by  students  for  students

“What's  been  missing  among   the  guides  on  surviving   the  college  admissions  process  has  been  humor.  Nancy   Berk,   PhD,  helps   you   laugh  your   way   through   the   process  with   terrific   resources  and   ?ps  for  paren?ng.  It's  like  having  a  comic  with  creden?als  in  your  corner.”       ~  Z.  Kelly  Queijo,  Founder  Smart  College  Visit,  Inc.  

“If   you're  the  stressed  out  parent  of   a  college-­‐bound  teen,  Dr  Nancy  Berk  has  the  perfect  prescrip?on.  You'll  learn,  you'll  laugh  and  you  will  survive  brilliantly  with  her  smart  ?ps,  shortcuts  and  stress  bus?ng  ideas.  Nancy  is  your  one  stop  college  therapist!”     ~  Mary  Lou  Quinlan,  CEO  Just  Ask  A  Woman,  Author,  What  She’s  Not           Telling  You

“The  process  of   finding  a  college  for   your  no-­‐longer-­‐li_le  one  is  enough   to  make  any   parent   ill.   Now  humorist/psychologist/blogger   Nancy   Berk,   PhD,   has   come   up   with   a   handy   book   that   guides   you  through  all  the  big  and  small  bumps  in  the  road.  Throughout,  Berk  s?cks  to  one  important  axiom:  If  you  want  to  keep  your  sanity,  laughter  is  the  best  medicine.”     ~  Nancy  Stedman,  Deputy  Editor,  Health,  MORE  Magazine

“Many  Savvy  Aun?es  invest  in  their  nieces'  and  nephews'  college  savings  plans  so  we're  invested  in  their  future  and  almost  as  anxious  and  proud  as  their  parents.  Nancy  Berk's  guide  will  help  us  cope  -­‐  and  help  us  help  their  parents  cope  too!”       ~  Melanie  Notkin,  Author,  Savvy  AunLe:  The  UlLmate  Guide  for  Cool  Aunts,           Great-­‐Aunts,  Godmothers  and  All  Women  Who  Have  Kids  

“Dr.  Berk  perfectly  captures  the  angst  and  frustra?on  of  the  college  applica?on  process  in  a  hilarious  and  truth-­‐telling  book  that  is  chock  full  of  prac?cal  advice.”     ~  Elizabeth  Scarborough,  CEO,  SimpsonScarborough

Nancy  Berk  Media  LLCContact:  Nancy  Berk  nwberk@DrNancyBerk.com/412.721.8239

COLLEGE BOUND AND GAGGEDBy  Nancy  Berk,  Ph.D.ISBN:  978-­‐0615548838Nancy  Berk  Media  LLC$15.99

Excerpts from college Bound and Gagged

ATTITUDES: “Many  parents  run  a  ?ght  ship,  but  parents  of  college-­‐bound  teens  can  feel  like  they’re  running  a  ba_le  ship.  Teen  artudes  can  become  more  extreme  during  the  college  search.  Whether  it’s  adolescent  egocentrism  (“the  world  revolves  around  me”  and  “everyone’s  looking  at  me”),  struggles  for  independence,  academic  obliga?ons,  applica?on  demands,  or  fear  of  the  unknown,  it’s  unpleasant  and  usually  unavoidable.  Many  parents  run  a  ?ght  ship,  but  parents  of  college-­‐bound  teens  can  feel  like  they’re  running  a  ba_le  ship.  Some  days,  your  world  will  feel  like  a  remake  of  Ferris  Bueller’s  Day  Off.  You’re  on  guard,  issuing  ul?matums  and  always  the  bad  guy.  Life  is  totally  repe??ve.  You  remind,  nag,  go  to  sleep,  wake  up,  and  do  it  again.  You  wonder  how  your  teen  will  complete  four  years  of  college  when  she  can’t  scare  up  the  enthusiasm  to  even  finish  the  applica?on.  You’re  exhausted  and  she  probably  is  too.”

STANDARDIZED  TESTS:  “During  my  son’s  junior  year,  I  woke  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night  swea?ng,  but  this  ?me  it  wasn’t  from  a  hot  flash.  In  my  dream,  or  to  be  more  accurate—nightmare—I  was  taking  the  SAT.  I  didn’t  have  a  pencil,  a  calculator,  or  a  clue.  (And  I  was  naked  and  my  teeth  were  falling  out,  but  that’s  beside  the  point.)  That’s  when  I  woke  up  and  panicked.  Was  I  a  bad  mother?  I’d  take  a  bullet  for  my  kid  but  not  the  SAT.”

OTHER  PARENTS:  “If  you  think  all  parents  of  seniors  hold  hands  and  form  support  groups,  now’s  the  ?me  for  a  li_le  reality  therapy.  Not  all  parents  are  bad,  but  it  only  takes  a  few  to  make  you  crazy.  The  college  search  does  funny  things  to  parents.  Personali?es  become  exaggerated  and  all  bets  are  off.  Some  share  helpful  ?ps  and  insights.  Others  become  compe??ve,  secre?ve,  and  resenwul.  And  fair-­‐weather  friends  become  your  best  friends,  but  only  if  you’re  an  Ivy  League  alum.  Other  parents  will  help  you,  but  it’s  hard  to  predict  who  they  will  be  un?l  you’re  smack  in  the  middle  of  the  process.  There  are  five  parent  prototypes  you’re  bound  to  bump  into.  Not  all  are  pleasant,  BUT  you  can  learn  from  all  of  them.  And  don’t  panic  if  you  see  a  li_le  bit  of  yourself  in  each  one.  The  college  search  can  do  that  to  the  best  of  us.”

THE  TOUR  DE  CHANCE:  “Yes,  there’s  a  chance  you  will  visit  a  campus  and  your  teen  will  refuse  to  get  out  of  the  car.  It’s  pre_y  common,  totally  baffling,  and  goes  something  like  this….Son:  I’ve  seen  enough;  let’s  go.Parent:  But  we  haven’t  even  parked  the  car  yet.Son:  You  don’t  think  I  can  tell  already?  I  DON’T  like  it  here.Parent:  But  we’re  finally  here.  Let’s  get  out  and  look  around.Son:  Nope.  You  go  ahead  if  you  want  to.  I’m  just  gonna  wait  here.So  what’s  the  solu?on?  The  easiest  one  is  to  respect  the  illogical  teen  refusal.  A@er  all,  some  claim  if  he  is  miserable  at  first  sight,  he  will  be  miserable  for  four  years  if  you  force  the  issue.  Do  I  agree?  No,  but  have  you  ever  tried  to  pull  a  6  foot  tall  17-­‐year-­‐old  out  of  a  parked  car  and  make  him  follow  you  around  campus?  This  is  when  gentle  threats,  reasonable  bribes,  and  guilt  (“Do  something  for  me  for  a  change!”)  come  in  handy.”

Nancy  Berk  Media  LLCContact:  Nancy  Berk  nwberk@DrNancyBerk.com/412.721.8239

5  Normal  Things  That’ll  Drive  You  Crazy  1.  The  “Are  You  Kidding  Me?”  Teen  Eye  Roll2.  The  “You  NEVER  Said  That”  Teen  Hearing  Problem3.  The  “This  Is  Ridiculous”  Teen  Stomp  Off4.  The  “OMG  I  Can’t  Even  Believe  You”  Teen  Sigh5.  The  “I’d  Say  ‘I  Hate  You,’  But  I  Know  Be_er”  Teen  Grunt

talking points! ! with  Nancy  Berk,  Ph.D.,  Author

1. What  prompted  you  to  write  College  Bound  and  Gagged?

2. ! What  surprised  you  most  about  the  college  search  and  selec?on     process?

3. ! What  are  parents’  biggest  pet  peeves  during  this  process?

4. ! What  are  teens’  biggest  pet  peeves  during  this  process?

5. ! When  it  comes  to  college,  are  parents  and  students  ever  on  the  same  page?

6. ! How  can  humor  help  parents  and  teens  on  the  college-­‐bound  journey?

7. ! What  are  5  secrets  about  college  search  and  admissions  success  that  most  parents  don’t     know?

8.! Can  you  share  a  few  simple,  money-­‐saving  ?ps  for  the  college  journey?

9.! There  are  some  funny  parent  prototypes  in  this  book,  like  the  desperately  crea?ve     standardized  tes?ng  mom.  (armed  with  a  glue  gun  and  gli_er  she  creates  her  own  SAT     flashcards)  Were  you  any  of  these  types?

10. You’ve  pushed  two  sons  through  this  process.  What  would  you  have  done  differently?

UPCOMINg Speaking Events

November  8,  2011   Keynote  Speaker,  American  Marke?ng  Associa?on’s  Higher  Educa?on             Symposium.  Chicago,  IL.

March  15.  2012     Speaker,  The  Women’s  Summit  2012.  Providence,  RI.

April  20-­‐21,  2012     Presenter,  The  Erma  Bombeck  Writer’s  Workshop.  Dayton,  OH.

Nancy  Berk  Media  LLCContact:  Nancy  Berk  nwberk@DrNancyBerk.com/412.721.8239