Contents

Part I: Conversations About the Discovery Phase

A. The “Why College?” Conversation

B. Helping Your Child Imagine Their (Ideal) College Campus

ACTIVITY #1: Jotting Down a Few Key Attributes on an Index Card

C. Rules of the Road: Establishing Guardrails for Your Role as a Parent

D. Around the Kitchen Table: Preparing Parents to Help Children Get to Know Themselves

ACTIVITY #2: The Five I’s

E. Behind the Admissions Office Door: A Brief Primer on the Holistic Admissions Process (And the Ultimate Audience for Your Child’s Application)

Part II: Conversations About the Search

A. A Framework for Your Child’s College Search

ACTIVITY #3: The Four C’s

B. A Word About Fit (And Please Note: It Won’t Be Perfect)

C. Adding Other Voices to the Conversation

D. The Fifth C: Cost

E. Helping Your Child Build a College List

ACTIVITY #4: The College List

F. Conversations About Learning Style

G. Some Thoughts on Standardized Testing

H. Your Child’s Background (And How It Might Factor into Their Search)

I. Interests and Talents Developed Over Time

J. The College Visit

ACTIVITY #5: Planning a College Road Trip

Part III: Conversations About the Application

A. Refining the List

ACTIVITY #6: Creating a College Application Requirement and Deadline Tracker

B. The College Application as a Reporting Mechanism, and a Moment for Your Child to Take Stock

C. Your Child Assembles the Parts: Opportunities to Render Their Experiences

ACTIVITY #7: Your Child Catalogs Their Activity List

D. Conversations About the Essays: Your Child Frames Their Story

ACTIVITY #8: Your Child Looks into Their Rearview Mirror

E. Application Plans

F. Assessing Whether an Early Application Plan May Be Best for Your Child

ACTIVITY #9: A Preflight Checklist for Those Considering Flying Early

G. The Fifth C Revisited: Managing Cost and Affordability

H. Some Thoughts on Pacing, Time Management, and the Parallel Universe Where Life in High School Goes On

I. Ready to Submit

Part IV: Conversations About the Decisions

A. Back Inside the Admissions Office: Conversations About the Applicants, and Building a Class

B. Back to the Kitchen Table: Sorting, Weighing, and Analyzing the Colleges’ Decisions

C. Your Child Is Back in the Driver’s Seat, with Decisions to Make

ACTIVITY #10: Your Child Revisits Their Priorities as the College Choice Looms

ACTIVITY #11: Mapping the Choice

D. Another Round of Due Diligence: Supporting Your Child as They Weigh Their Final Choices

E. Factoring Financial Aid into the Final Decision

F. If Your Child Remains on a Waiting List

G. For Those Students Considering a Gap Year

H. Time to Choose

ACTIVITY #12: Narrowing the Field

I. The Moments Immediately After the Decision

Part V: Conversations About the Transition

A. On the Importance of Your Child’s Finishing High School Strong

B. Decisions and Actions Between Your Child’s High School Graduation and Their Arrival at College

C. Conversations About Laying a Foundation for Success

D. Drop-off, Departure, and Check-in Points Thereafter

E. The (Potential) Transfer Conversation

ACTIVITY #13: Back to the Future: Revisiting those I’s and C’s from Your Child’s First Round of College Decision-Making

F. Another Potential Transfer Conversation: From Community College to a Traditional Four-Year College or University

G. Back to Your Child’s First Year of College

Acknowledgments

Sources Consulted