Successfully navigating the road from elementary to high school only means that planning for college is the next route on the destination to post-secondary education. With the most elite colleges' acceptance rates hovering around 5-8 percent, it's never too early for parents to start educating themselves and their child about college planning.…

Years ago, the popular TV game show "Let's Make a Deal" required its contestants to choose one of three doors. Contestants were just as likely to win expensive items such as cars and exotic vacations as they were to win a crate of lemons. Helping their child reach decisions about college may at times lead parents to feel as if they are contestants…

Gives step-by-step procedures for planning for a career and college from grade 8 through grade 12. Includes recommendations for parents and students and stresses the importance of planning ahead. (JOW)

As an administrator of a program intended to help retain students at Syracuse University, the author found herself in an ironic position this past August. She was presenting a workshop to parents of incoming first-year students about what they could expect from their sons and daughters during the first semester of college. It was ironic because…

A systematic decision making process to help match characteristics of the learning disabled (LD) student, characteristics of the postsecondary institution, and characteristics of the LD support program is described. (Author/DB)

New developments in college admission and student educational financing are discussed, including high demand for selective and expensive colleges, increased chances of admission at less prestigious but equally high quality schools, increased institutional student aid, and other changes in aid packaging and options. (MSE)

Research on parental involvement in educational 'choice', as well as in educational processes more generally, has highlighted clear disparities between the close and active involvement of mothers and the more distant role of fathers. While this article does not question the broad patterns identified by such studies, it does suggest that, in some…

Questions designed to help college-bound learning-disabled students and their parents evaluate a college's support services and programs cover such areas as pre-admission counseling, parent counseling, access to course syllabi, orientation programs, library services, modified admissions procedures, visits to college classrooms, testing options,…

This article examines the role of the student with learning disabilities in the transition to postsecondary settings, including participating on the transition planning team, selecting high school classes, evaluating postsecondary options, and enrolling in college. Practical suggestions to support students in this process are offered. (Author/DB)

Although competition at top colleges may be stiff, there are ways to improve the chances of admission, including: careful high school course and extracurricular activity selection to highlight academic, creative, leadership, initiative, and maturity characteristics; application and interview approaches; college choice; and timing. (MSE)

This article offers guidelines for gifted students with learning disabilities and their parents as they plan for postsecondary education. The systematic approach includes questions to think about in college selection, questions to ask colleges about support services, and a decision-making matrix. (DB)

The first of two articles on the psychological dimensions of the school-to-college transition looks at the rising anxiety of high school seniors applying to and selecting colleges, at the importance of rituals in the transition process, the stress of decision-making about the future, and the changes occurring during the senior year in high school.…