Top 5 College Preparation Books
Preparing for College is an exciting and sometimes anxiety inducing endeavor. There are tests to take and applications to complete, then there are dorm items to buy and roommates to find. It is comforting to know that others have tread these same paths and have taken the time to write about their experiences. Read my Top 5 College Preparation Books.
For more College Preparation Help:
College Preparation Checklist for High School Seniors
7 Summer Musts Before Senior Year
College Preparation Checklist for High School Juniors
The Planning for College Planner

Top 5 College Preparation Books
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THE PLANNING FOR COLLEGE PLANNER
College Preparation is hard enough without having to keep up with thousands of pieces of paper. The Planning for College Planner is one of the absolute best college preparation books. It gives the rising college student one place to record all of their high school information, research and evaluate colleges, and keep up with deadlines, applications, and letters of recommendation. This is the one book you need to take you from your freshman year of high school to your freshman year of college.
By: Monica Matthews
When Monica Matthews’s son was a senior in high school, she wondered if she would have to go back to work full time to pay for his college education. But before sending out her resume, she decided she would do everything in her power to help her son win enough scholarship money to pay for college.
She partnered with her son in the research and application process and he was awarded so much scholarship money that she and her husband paid NOTHING for his education. She has compiled her knowledge and experience into her book How to Win College Scholarships: A Guide for Parents in 10 Easy Steps.
COLLEGE BOUND: THE ULTIMATE LIST OF CONVERSATIONS TO HELP YOUR TEEN THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL
By: Melanie Studer
Melanie Studer is a teacher and mom who knows how to talk to teens. She knows that it is tough to get their attention and tough to keep them focused. In her book College Bound she breaks down the difficult topics into easy bite-sized conversations to have with your teen as they are going through high school. These conversations will help you and teen decide how to approach the college search and application process, as well as decide if college is the best option. Don’t leave this college preparation book off your list!
THE NAKED ROOMMATE AND 107 OTHER ISSUES YOU MIGHT RUN INTO IN COLLEGE
By Harlan Cohen
This book and it’s companion, “For Parent’s Only,” was first recommended to me by the Assistant Dean of my son’s college. It is a hilarious and realistic look at college life. According to Amazon, it has been the #1 go-to guide for college life for over 10 years. This book makes a great graduation gift.
While there is no shortage of online college search possibilities, sometimes there is no substitue for a book with the information all in one place. A College guide book gives you a place to highlight and put sticky tabs and easily compare information. The Fiske Guide to Colleges is another dog-eared, underlined, and highlighted book at our house. A new addition is released every July.
I now have two sons in college and my daughter is a junior in high school. These Top 5 College Preparation Books are the books we have used to help us navigate through the choppy waters of college prep.
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