List of Student ExercisesIntroduction 1 How Colleges Admit Students: Anatomy of an Admission Decision 2 College Exploration: Getting Off on the Right Foot 3 A Calendar of Exploration, Decision-Making, and Application Tasks 4 The First Step: Taking a Look at You 5 Mounting a Search: Getting Answers to Your College Questions 6 High School Course Selection: Relevance to College Admission 7 Learning about College Options: Getting the Best Information 8 Using the Internet to Explore and Apply to Colleges 9 Making the Most of the College Fair Experience 10 Campus Visits: Getting Ready to Go 11 Campus Visits: Being There and Afterward 12 Admission Plans: Modes of Admission Access 13 Degree of Difficulty: Understanding the Admission Competition 14 Admission Tests: How they are Used and Strategies for Preparation15 Admission Essays: Putting Forth Your Best Effort 16 Narrowing Options: Deciding Where to Apply 17 The College Application: Making It Work for You 18 Understanding College Costs 19 Types and Sources of Student Financial Aid 20 Making Financial Aid Forms Work for You 21 After the Application: What Happens Next? 22 Off to College: Getting Ready for Your Freshman Year 23 Parents and the High School-to-College Transition 24 Educational Success: How Counselors Can Help You 25 School to College: Counselors as Your Allies26 Learning from the Experts: Reflections of Veteran Deans and Directors of Admission27 Some Closing Words about Expectations About the Author.