Book Review: "Admission, a Novel"

"Admission," Jean Hanff Korelitz's novel about Portia, a 38-year-old Princeton University admissions officer, is perfect, lightweight fare for parents whose kids are deep in the throes of college - or grad school - applications. A huge part of the fun and allure is the behind-the-scenes look at the process from the admissions officer's perspective. If only the plot developments were not so very predictable.

"Admission," Jean Hanff Korelitz's novel about a Princeton University admissions officer is perfect, lightweight fare for parents whose kids are deep in the throes of college - or grad school - applications. It's the tale of 38-year-old Portia Nathan, whose life revolves around admissions season, school visits, and the process that winnows out the merely ordinary mortals with their 4.2 GPAs, from the Olympians, Broadway actors and International Tchaikovsky Competition violinists ... with 4.5s. But on a college rep visit to the crunchy granola Quest School, Portia connects with an extraordinary young teen, who isn't just like everyone else - and romantic sparks begin to fly with his teacher.

Korelitz is a Dartmouth alum and much-published author, who worked as an outside reader for Princeton's admissions office in 2006 and 2007. Korelitz lives in Princeton, NJ, and she's married to a Princeton professor, so this is very familiar terrain for her.

A huge part of the fun and allure of "Admission" is the behind-the-scenes look at the admissions process on an Ivy League campus and the chance to see certain things - those college rep visits, for example - from an admissions officer's perspective. It's a quick and absorbing read, and the perfect thing to browse after an exhausting day of campus tours or while waiting in the car while your kid takes the SAT for the fourth time.

That said, the most compelling and entertaining parts of the book soon give way to predictable plot developments, a secret from the past and a potentially career-devastating moral dilemma. It's a progression of events that some reviewers have described as a journey of self-realization and empowerment for Portia. Maybe. But as a parent of kids going through the admissions process, I have to say at one point - actually, at several points - I threw the book across the room. I enjoyed the book, but I'm not a Portia fan.

Now, with the announcement that Tina Fey is in negotiations to play the role of Portia, in a movie described as a comedy, I'm very curious indeed. The book is no comedy, so we'll see what rewrites lie ahead.