HE WROTE THE BOOK ON COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

Howard greene '59 has made a career of getting into college. The former history major, who also holds master's degrees from New York University and Harvard, earns his living advising parents and students on the finer points of the admissions process. The one-time Princeton admissions officer became a consultant in 1969 after observing a dearth of competent guidance services for secondary- school students. His firm, the Educational Counseling Center, now includes offices in Westport, Connecticut; New York City; and London.

"Trust the admissions office," he advises Dartmouth applicants and their worried parents. "Historically, the College is committed to a sense of family, and the admissions office tries to act in the student's best interest." He says it is not unusual (and is actually a pretty smart move) for alumni parents to seek counsel from a College admissions officer before their child applies. He also advises parents to chat with alumni interviewers to get a sense of the competition. Finally, he says, "Read books."

A good place to start is Greene's own Scaling theIvy Wall: Twelve Steps to WinningCollege Admission, coauthored with Robert Minton. Dartmouth thought so highly of the book that it obtained a grant from the Bristol Myers Foundation to send out 6,000 copies to minority applicants. Greene, who is currently at work on a third edition, is also coauthor of Beyondthe Ivy Wall, a guidebook on graduate-School admissions.

And just how effective is Greene's system? Ask his son Matthew. He graduated from Dartmouth last year.

Greene