Hacking Harvard

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Use only the most undetectable schemes and techno-brilliant skills. Don't break the Hacker's Code. Take down someone who deserves it. A lot higher than they think. They've got the players, the plot, and soon -- the prize. Read more Read less. Customers who viewed this item also viewed. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1. Customers who bought this item also bought.

One of Us Is Lying. Here's how restrictions apply. Start reading Hacking Harvard on your Kindle in under a minute. Don't have a Kindle? Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features: Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention hacking harvard college admissions pages confusing ideas narrator. Showing of 12 reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. I love books like this because years ago I worked a menial job at Harvard University.

I lived often in the shadows of the most highly educated, and prestigious students in America. Yet it was at Harvard that I came to understand that people are people. Also, I had the ability to attain a similar education if I would listen, and glean ideas from students of this prestigious institution. I gave it to a student of mine and he was thrilled to get it and loves the read! The novel Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman starts with a prank.

Readers quickly learn that these characters aim to do things that will make people stop and think, to consider what's happening - no whoopee cushions or silly hacks, but rather, something that means something, that makes a statement. The bet is to get someone into Harvard that wouldn't get in otherwise. Not a prank, Max clarifies, but a hack.

Forget the kid stuff they've done before - this will be something huge, powerful, meaningful. Schwarz doesn't want to get expelled. Eric doesn't want to do something immoral. They find out that this is a bet Max made with the Bongo Bums. Named after Richard Feynman, a prankster and bongo player, they are two juniors from Boston Latin High School who make bets and do things for bragging rights, and want a rivalry with the other boys, who'd rather be left alone and do their own thing. Our players are not so forthcoming with the full details.

Readers learn more about the terms and the payout as the book goes on. It's not about sabotaging the other party's candidate but getting your own candidate IN. They get a tough guy named Clay who beat Eric up as a kid, when Eric tried to stand up for other kids and ended up as the punching bag. Also along for the ride is Alexandra Talese. Wanting a name that is a little daring and edgy, she has decided to go by Lex in college.

She takes the name out on trial run during her first in-depth conversation with Eric, after the SATs. Lex wants to go to Harvard of her own choosing, not for the sake of "superficial, society-imprinted, consumerist non-entities," not legacy, but because she wants it, because she thinks it's the best school to attend, the result of her extensive college research. Lex reveals that she uses knowledge to her advantage - not just her book smarts, but the things she knows about certain people. She doesn't sabotage them in a physical or evil way, but she casually or otherwise lets people's secrets slip out so that she is picked over them.

So why would an overachiever team up with the bums?

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Because although she had great grades, community service, leadership positions, and school staff positions, she felt like there was nothing outstanding about her, nothing that set her apart. No national awards or anything unique, outstanding, international, or amazing. She was not one-of-a-kind, she was not a special snowflake, she was merely one of many smart fishes in the sea: He considers himself a realist, and he normally abides by the honor system, doing the right thing because it's right, so he really struggles with the bet.

Eric is Jewish and says that instead of doing good deeds in life in order to earn a wonderful afterlife in an eternal paradise, "Judaism isn't about what happens next. It's about what happens here, in this life.

More books from this author: Robin Wasserman

You don't necessarily get rewarded for doing the right thing; you don't get punished for doing the wrong thing. You're supposed to be a good person just because that's the right thing to do. Doing the right thing -- that's the reward. He's in this not just for his father or Harvard, but because of what they've been told. He rejects all of the nonsense that "they" have been feeding him since preschool, that the only thing that matters is getting into college. He's a born rebel, more than ready to buck the system. Let's not forget Schwarz: Now 16 and a Harvard freshman, this pound weakling prefers numbers and photographs to real-life people, as humans are inherently flawed and photographs trap beauty on the page.

He doesn't necessarily use huge words, but he always uses full sentences and sometimes sounds a little antiquated "I was not doing anything of any importance" as he actively avoids swearing and contractions he tends to say "it is" rather that "it's". He is awed by beautiful college girl named Stephanie who whines to him about her dates and breakups. He would be right at home in an 80s movie - and Max would then sell the movie poster on eBay. The book also closes like a classic teen movie, providing information on what happened to all of the major players after high school - what colleges they attended, what career paths they followed, et cetera.

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There's also a disclaimer from the author asking readers not to hack in because it would be wrong, illegal, and dumb, and it's clear that she has both compassion for rising seniors dealing with college applications and total respect for admissions officers.

Wasserman is great at creating characters who are fueled by their goals and intentions, be they good or bad, selfish or selfless. There's a speech on pages that is particularly awesome. Feb 17, Heather rated it it was amazing Shelves: Their dialogue was snappy, funny, irreverent, perfect. I was surprised this this was written by a chick--chicks usually screw up male characters, but Robin which, admittedly, is a unisex name Wasserman did her job well. Plus, big hint, the narrator isn't a guy What I really liked about this book, in addition to the characters and their incredibly great dialogue, was the actual plot of this book.

The pacing was just right--actually, I read it so fast, that I'm dying to go back and re-read so I can experience it all over again--and the scenarios were so believable in so much as climbing in a tree to beam the answers to the SATs into the school can be believable. Also, the idea behind the book is really cool.

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College admissions are a tricky mistress and the question of whether what college you go to is what can make or break you is an interesting issue. The "About the Author" section says, "Robin Wasserman has always harbored a certain nostalgia for the college applications process That is, until she began writing this book and remembered what it was really like. She now realizes she would rather have her wisdom teeth removed--without anesthesia--than go through it all again.

Which is to say: She feels your pain. Having survived high school, college admissions, and college itself which proved almost worth all the trouble I recommend this book to every high school student in the United States. Jul 30, Myra Sullivan rated it liked it. I was going to rate this book a five. I was going to call it the most intelligent thing I've read in a long time. I was going to say that it was amazing and stupendous and hilarious and witty. I was going to recommend it to every single one of my friends for the rest of eternity.

And then something had to happen on the second-to-last page. Something that brought the rating down to a two. And so I did the only thing I could and added both and took the average. I think she was trying to prove a point to all high school seniors and college kids. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. What ever happened to happily-ever-afters and rainbows and bunnies and perfection? And okay, so MAYBE one of the reasons I was so affected by that life-changing-sentence was because one of the characters in the book was named Eric.

And one of my good friends is named Erich. Good-looking, moral, physics genius, etc, etc. And so of course I became ridiculously attached to Eric-the-character and THEN when the life-changing-sentence appeared This is why I love Twilight. They fall in love, they go through some crazy hardships but they still stay in love, mind you , they get married, have a baby, and live happily ever after.

Is it naive and unrealistic and irresponsible and immature? But is it also fluffy and sappy and squeal-worthy? And that's my rant. P , you should join Goodreads. Jan 02, Amy Brennan rated it did not like it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I read this book because I enjoyed Wasserman's "Skinned". The basic premise of this story is a bunch of teenaged genius hackers make a bet that they can get a slacker accepted into Harvard. Sounds like an interesting plot, so I'm not sure how Wasserman was able to make this so singularly uninteresting. First of all, the characters are awful - the dialogue made me cringe, especially Schwarz, who apparently lacks the ability to use contractions. I'm not sure if that's supposed to make him sound like I read this book because I enjoyed Wasserman's "Skinned".

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I'm not sure if that's supposed to make him sound like a genius, but he just sounds like a badly programmed robot. Eric is so sanctimonious you just want to slap him, and Max is so slimy you wonder why anyone is friends with him. The switching of narrators in different chapters is confusing and annoying - sometimes it would take a paragraph or two to figure out who was talking. The ending is unsatisfying. Yeah, they get the slacker accepted into Harvard and win the bet surprise!

Supposedly they were doing this to expose flaws in the acceptance system of the Ivy Leagues, but the book just kind of ends Jul 16, Ayanna rated it really liked it. My friend was reading the book I asked to read the back and I instantly wanted my own copy!

The plot captivated my attention mostly because I thought I could relate to it. I was a Bostonian High School Sophomore already obsessed with college. When I got my copy, I jumped into the book immediately I was seriously thinking about putting it down but as I kept reading, things very slowly fell into place, and then it started to pick up! There we My friend was reading the book There were definately some funny parts, supprising parts and cute high school romance moments that I enjoyed. The characters were a little bit cliche The Asian overachievers, the 16 year old playboy obsessed geek, etc , but overall I liked it.

I lent the book to my friend who goes to Boston College, and he really likes it. But yeah, it's one of those books where you have to read it twice to get the full effect, it's a little hard to understand, but I would lend it to anyone who wants a little pick me up: Mar 09, Emily rated it liked it. The characters are a bunch, and entertain you slightly when you read it, but it definitely wasn't a book that I remembered. The plot line was a little scattered in my opinion, and seemed extremely familiar. I wouldn't suggest this book to people who like to read books once and get everything.

This is one of those books that you have to re-read at least three times, in my opinion, I really enjoyed the one seven deadly sins book I read by Robin Wasserman, so I was thrilled to find Hacking Harvard. This is one of those books that you have to re-read at least three times, in my opinion, to get just about everything you need. It's fast paced in some areas, and very, very, very dragged out in others. But, it was like watching a foreign movie. You really had no idea what was going on, but it sure was damn entertaining. May 05, Annelida rated it did not like it Shelves: It makes me wonder; 'Don't authors realize it when this happens to their books?

What could have been a good scene always ended in a predictable way. I wish someone else could have taken this plot and created a genuinely interesting novel about a hacker's experience in Harvard. One that is not as ridiculous. Dec 08, W rated it liked it Recommended to W by: So I read this because Myra told me about it and I have to say, what a disappointment. I didn't see Erich very much in this book but I'm glad that I didn't. I feel like I wasted my time reading this if that was what the ending was like.

I cannot believe that happened!!! It was all wonderful until two pages before the end, no warning, not even an explanation. Eric just died in my mind. I don't want to give away any more of this p So I read this because Myra told me about it and I have to say, what a disappointment. I don't want to give away any more of this pathetic ending but it leaves little hope for people and characters.

Now that book was pure torture; it was terrible in its entirety. This, though, was good all the way through and then ending on such a low note. I just can't believe it.

Hacking Harvard

View all 5 comments. Jan 25, Nancy rated it liked it Recommends it for: The title says it all. Twenty five thousand dollars. The downfall of it all? The idea is cool. The concepts behind it as well. The book mentions all this angst about getting accepted or rej The title says it all. The book mentions all this angst about getting accepted or rejected into the school, and I really agree with that. I mean, it sort of matters, but if you think about it, what if everyone gets good grades and joins teams?

Harvard will still reject some and accept some. What makes these people so different? This book is about how far some people will go to get in Harvard. I do, however, like the twists and turns. And the same will happen in college. Now that is the whole message of the book. Mar 09, Jordan rated it liked it. The book caught me by surprise. I thought I would love it, and I did… until the end.

It is told from a young girls perspective but is about three guys who initially started hacking when they were younger. The humor was exquisite. Some authors push the boundaries and the humor is flat and boring, but Robin Wasserman really made it fun. All of the characters had a different personality that stood out on the page that made the book more interesting and kept making me turn the page to read more. The submission process for totally relatable. All the hair pulling, and gnawing at your nails. It made the book three dimensional and real.

They argued like cats and dogs and at time took each other for granted… but that just brings me back to how realistic this story was. It really made it for me.

The ending the epilogue was horrid. If I could go back in time and not read the epilogue I would like this story a whole lot more. This is where it went down hill for me. The story was perfect, why go and ruin it with telling the readers who their lives ended up? Nov 12, Matt G added it Recommends it for: Robin does an extremely good job at giving the characters human like qualities that allow the reader to relate to the character and feel like they are an actual person.

The ample variety of vocabulary blended with the vivid dialog makes this book a very interesting read. Three friends, Eric, Max and Scharz take on the ultimate challenge; taking the class screw up and trying to breech the system and get him into the prestigious Ivy league school, Harvard. The trio found pleasure out of pulling off small pranks then one day Max came up with a new scheme, a new mission too good to be referred to as just another prank, he decided that they were going to get a complete slacker admitted into Harvard to prove the depravity of college admissions.

Max is under a lot of pressure to live up to his family name. Hacking Harvard is a thrilling novel that combines many interesting aspects any novel needs to be phenomenal.

That book is something that should never be skimmed through because the beauty lies in the detailed writing. Robin sparks curiosity early and reader will feel like curious George while reading. Hacking Harvard is an A plus selection for anyone reader for a book that will take them on an adventure of a lifetime. Apr 20, Toby D. Hacking Harvard is what I thought a very informational book in the terms of college. I did not think the story was as strong as it could have been for it was very far fetched, so it is understandable why I did not consider this book for the story.

The story was ok do not get me wrong it just is not as equal to the story who focus around the story. I thought the book jumped back and forth between fiction and non-fiction, so the story was not as compelling and interesting as it could be. The non- Hacking Harvard is what I thought a very informational book in the terms of college. The non-fiction part if you were able to catch was very interesting for she was giving her experiences in the college application process and I thought gave some good information.

To sum it up it was a good book I did enjoy it and hope you understand that it was not meant entirely for its story. Those looking for what type of genre it is more a Informational book with maybe a tiny bit of Science if there is any. Hope that this review was helpful and enjoyed it. May 22, Amanda rated it really liked it. This was a well crafted book and was very intellectually written. Not in the sense that it used big words and made you feel dumb, but the intelligent characters had a higher thinking level that gave the reader a better connection. This was a really good book because the writing style worked harmoniously with the interesting story line to create a new style of books that I wish I could read more of.

The beginning was really confusing because I new it was setting the scene for the rest of the book This was a well crafted book and was very intellectually written. The beginning was really confusing because I new it was setting the scene for the rest of the book so I just kind of skimmed it and went back later. The point of view was interesting. It was told by a girl who seemed to have nothing to do with the hack but somehow seemed to end up a major part of it in the end. She herself admits, though, that it isn't her story to tell.

The characters are well developed, each somehow connected to Harvard and having a past that effects their decisions. Dec 19, Int'l librarian rated it it was ok Shelves: Once I recognized the pattern, the voice-camouflage became one more annoyance. Through it all, the mystery keeps chugging along, steady enough to get me to the final page. Oct 16, Graham rated it liked it. Hacking Harvard is about a perfect kid and his friends decide to get a random slacker into the best school in the country after a challenge from a group of rival hackers.

At the beginning of the book a bet is made to see what group of kids are better hackers. They end up hacking the system and getting the slacker into Harvard. The kids think they have outsmarted the system. When Harvard finds out about the hacking the risks turned out to be more then the reward. This book is a good example to th Hacking Harvard is about a perfect kid and his friends decide to get a random slacker into the best school in the country after a challenge from a group of rival hackers.

This book is a good example to the saying cheaters never win. At the end of the book though none of the main characters got admitted and even though they were so set on Harvard they had to go with something else. This book even though the characters had amazing intelligence was written so a high school student could easily understand what is happening. The author's style especially at the end makes it a thrilling story. Sep 12, Wee! Just finished last night. It was really interesting, really. I suppose it is kinda creative, but I'm sure the plot has been thought up of before.

Well geniuses, of course. There's not much to explain. The plot is really the title. But yet it ran for three hundred some pages Oh and there are those high school romance things in there too. It kinda made me gag The ending s Just finished last night.

The ending sucked like hell. It just tummmbled in, seriously. Like for pages or so, it was all about hacking and getting through it all, and then all of a sudden, in the last chapter of like not even ten pages, it became an epilogue. And not a particularily good one. But Clay is a really peculiar person: Aug 26, Michelle Shedd rated it it was amazing. Hacking Harvard has a very twisted moral story.

It's like you know it has a good message but the good message is hidden behind all these bad illegal things. It's a very funny novel full of twists that just make you say "I knew it! It's going to be impossible and the stakes are to high. He bet his rivals that he could get a drop out failed student into Harvard.

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