The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions: A Conversation about Education, Parenting, and Race

by Timothy L Fields, Akil Bello (Foreword), Shereem Herndon-Brown

Named one of the Top 2023 College Admissions Resources by Forbes Featured on NPR as "Book of the Day" and on Marketplace "Game changer, and long overdue"―Angel B. Pérez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling Finding the right college is a challenge for all students, but Black families face additional challenges and questions when navigating the admissions process. Veteran admissions experts Timothy L. Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown demystify this complexity by advising families on when to begin the process, where to apply, and how to be a competitive applicant.

Fields and Herndon-Brown address specific concerns that are not often addressed by school counselors or other resources. They highlight how recent social justice movements and legal cases have amplified the necessity of considering both Historically Black Colleges and Universities and predominantly white institutions, while covering everything from athletic recruitment and artistic talents to financial aid and step-by-step instructions for how to search for colleges and then apply to them.

The second edition includes new chapters on
• prioritizing students' and parents' mental health,
• understanding the influence of artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT on college essay writing,
• reviewing recent Supreme Court decisions about race-conscious admission and their likely impact on Black applicants, and
• navigating the admission process as a transfer applicant. A list of the best colleges for Black students, a glossary of terms, a list of notable Black college graduates and their alma maters, a suggested reading list, and an FAQ section round out the guide. Having worked on both sides of the desk―as school counselors and as college admissions gatekeepers―Fields and Herndon-Brown are well equipped to give parents, students, and school counselors the information and inspiration to research a variety of schools, understand their choices, and define success on their own terms.

Genres: College

304 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2024

Reviews

[Elizabeth Hamblet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a college learning disabilities specialist who writes about college transition, and while I don't do college search and admission work, I like to keep up with important books in that space. I just read an excellent one - The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions: A Conversation About Education, Parenting, and Race by Timothy Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown. The authors come from different educational backgrounds and have different perspectives on a lot of relevant issues. They talk about topics including college financing, majors, and the benefits and potential drawbacks of attending HBCUs and PWIs. (Don't know what these are? Read the book.😉 )

Even if you're not the target audience for this book, they speak clearly to parents who went to college a number of years ago, explaining how different the landscape is for kids today. There are some important reminders that the college application world has changed dramatically.

Any professional working in college admissions should read this book. It's important that they know about the many considerations any of their students will have in choosing colleges that could be a good fit.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned more than a few lessons with this read, and dog-eared many pages to refer to later. The only element I wish the authors spent a little more time on was the value/purpose of Early Decision, with a focus on the Black family’s perspective. Otherwise, I think this is required reading for my profession.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative! I'm so grateful to have this as a tool to utilize during my application process.

[Tanay Tatum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I applied to college nearly 20 years ago and this was a great refresher on how things have evolved.