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

by Timothy L Fields, Shereem Herndon-Brown

The ultimate guide to help Black families navigate the college admissions process. Finding the right college is a challenge for all students. But Black families face additional challenges and questions while navigating the admissions process. In The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions , veteran admissions experts Timothy L. Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown share provocative insights and demystify this complex process to answer important questions from where to apply to how to get in.  Fields and Herndon-Brown discuss specific concerns for Black families that are not often addressed by school counselors or other resources. They highlight how the current social justice movement amplifies the distinct dynamics that exist between Historically Black Colleges and Universities and predominantly white institutions and which college choices may be best for Black students. Fields and Herndon-Brown pull from decades of experience to offer the savvy advice that Black families need. Having worked on both sides of the desk―as school counselors and as college admissions gatekeepers―they are well equipped to give parents, students, and school counselors the information and inspiration to successfully research and navigate the admission journey.  The higher education landscape is constantly evolving, and admissions criteria have evolved with it. Fields and Herndon-Brown cover everything from athletic recruitment and artistic talents to financial aid and step-by-step instructions for how to get through the college search and application processes. A list of the best colleges for Black students, a glossary of terms, a list of notable Black college graduates, a suggested reading list, and an FAQ section round out the guide. The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions is the definitive resource to begin the complex conversation of understanding the choices that Black families face as they go through the college admissions process at the intersection of education, parenting, and race.

Genres: College

224 pages, Paperback

Published September 6, 2022

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.