More than simply a vital collection development tool, this book can help librarians help young adults grow into the kind of independent readers and thinkers who will flourish at college.

Parents of teenagers in mid to late high school will appreciate this resource as they wade through myriad details concerning college applications, financial aid applications and admissions procedures. Tom Shaw, as a parent of collegebound teens, and as a seasoned educator and Christian college administrator, helps anxious or simply interested parents guide their teens to making the best choice for their college experience. Tom helps parents answer questions like: Is college the right choice for my teen? Would my teen thrive best in a secular or Christian environment? What are the differences between private, liberal arts and big state schools? How do I get involved without appearing controlling or overbearing? Written from the perspective of a Christian parent, this book places particular emphasis on the parent's role as nurturer and shepherd of their children's spiritual future. This resource would also be excellent for youth leaders and mentors of high school students nearing graduation.

Connecting teens to books they’ll truly enjoy is the aim of every young adult librarian, and the completely revamped guide Outstanding Books for the College Bound will give teen services staff the leg up they need to make it happen. Listing nearly 200 books deemed outstanding for the college bound by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), this indispensable resource Examines how the previous lists in the series were developed, and explains the book’s new layout Features engaging, helpful book descriptions useful for readers’ advisory Offers programming tips and other ideas for ways the lists can be used at schools and public libraries Includes indexes searchable by topic, year, title, and authorMore than simply a vital collection development tool, this book can help librarians help young adults grow into the kind of independent readers and thinkers who will flourish at college.

From award-winning higher education journalist and New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo comes a revealing look from inside the admissions office—one that identifies surprising strategies that will aid in the college search. Getting into a top-ranked college has never seemed more impossible, with acceptance rates at some elite universities dipping into the single digits. In Who Gets In and Why, journalist and higher education expert Jeffrey Selingo dispels entrenched notions of how to compete and win at the admissions game, and reveals that teenagers and parents have much to gain by broadening their notion of what qualifies as a “good college.” Hint: it’s not all about the sticker on the car window. Selingo, who was embedded in three different admissions offices—a selective private university, a leading liberal arts college, and a flagship public campus—closely observed gatekeepers as they made their often agonizing and sometimes life-changing decisions. He also followed select students and their parents, and he traveled around the country meeting with high school counselors, marketers, behind-the-scenes consultants, and college rankers. While many have long believed that admissions is merit-based, rewarding the best students, Who Gets In and Why presents a more complicated truth, showing that “who gets in” is frequently more about the college’s agenda than the applicant. In a world where thousands of equally qualified students vie for a fixed number of spots at elite institutions, admissions officers often make split-second decisions based on a variety of factors—like diversity, money, and, ultimately, whether a student will enroll if accepted. One of the most insightful books ever about “getting in” and what higher education has become, Who Gets In and Why not only provides an unusually intimate look at how admissions decisions get made, but guides prospective students on how to honestly assess their strengths and match with the schools that will best serve their interests.

Deresiewicz takes a sharp look at the high-pressure conveyor belt that begins with demands for perfect grades and culminates in the skewed applications received by college admissions committees. Students are losing the ability to think independently. College is supposed to be a time for self-discovery-- but the system is broken, and he offers solutions on how to fix it.

This book includes simple easy to understand information about all phases of the college search and application process. A special section on financial aid and the changes to the process is also included as are hints for Parents and for Students to accomplish all this successully.

Now revised and updated, this guide offers incoming college freshmen the experience, advice, and wisdom of their peers: hundreds of other students who have survived their first year of college and have something interesting to say about it.