Whether this is your first or your fifth child beginning the college- consideration process, there is much information to gather, many evaluations to be done and a young personality to support.  We have gathered on these pages some of the tools we think are the most useful in this process. 

Our absolute favorite: "The Smart Parents Guide to College: The Ten Most Important Factors for Students and Parents When Choosing a College" by Ernest Boyer and Paul Boyer.  If you are going to borrow or buy only one book about colleges, this is the one to get.  The Boyers (father and son) not only give you a list of questions to ask of and about the colleges your child is considering, but explain how to evaluate the answers you receive. Head and shoulders above the rest. 

Our absolute favorite FREE publication is "College. What You Need to Know Before You Go."  This marvelous pocket-sized guide lists questions to ask during visits to college campuses, but they could just as easily be posed in other situations as well.  Based upon the remarkable work done by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) at Indiana University, this simple little listing can help you, and your student, understand what’s really important in a college education.  Obtain a copy for free by
contacting NSSE at http://www.indiana.edu/~nsse/.  

One other book that is helpful for the parents of seniors is "Letting Go: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the College Years," by Coburn and Treeger. This book is a must-read for parents of students planning to attend college. 

Do you have specific concerns you have about the college search process or your child?  Let us know what they are and we will do our best to either answer your questions or help you to find an answer.  Contact us at: admission@whittier.edu