Nearly all parents and guardians of college-bound high school students are involved in the college search process. Most institutions understand this and would say they communicate with those families or provide information for them. However, is that information really reaching families? Is it accessible, comprehensible, and useful to them? Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL), CampusESP, and Ardeo Education Solutions surveyed more than 6,400 parents of prospective college students to explore the preferences, expectations, and experiences of families of prospective college students. This report addresses the following questions: (1) Communication preferences for parents--Which channels they prefer? How often they want to hear from you? What information do they value? (2) Financial expectations and challenges--How difficult will it be for parents to pay for college? How much do they intend to borrow? (3) Campus visits--How do families view in-person and virtual visits? What do they want to experience during these tours? (4) Online education--How do families and students perceive the value of online classes and programs? and (5) Travel for college--How far are parents willing to let their students travel to attend college? [Ardeo Education co-published this report.]