Book excerpt: Updated and completely revised, the ultimate family guide to managing a college search in a positive way. Is your family just starting to think about visiting colleges? Maybe you are in the throes of the college search, feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. Miss a deadline? Should you be looking in-state or out-of-state, big school or small? How do you pay for it, and what is a "FAFSA" anyway? The Truth about College Admission is the easy-to-follow, comprehensive, go-to guide for families. Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark—with combined decades of experience and insight from both the high school and university sides of the process—provide critical advice, thoughtful strategies, helpful direction, and invaluable reassurance during the long and often bewildering college admission journey. This book covers every important step: searching for colleges, creating a list of prospective schools, weighing financial considerations, crafting an application, learning what schools are looking for academically and outside the classroom, and understanding how colleges decide whom to accept. Helpful sections like "Try This," "Talk About This," and "Check In," and "Extra Credit" show your family how to have open and balanced conversations to keep everyone on the same page, feeling less stressed, and actually enjoying the adventure together. This completely revised second edition includes new information on affordability and aid that addresses important financial considerations. It also explores changes in standardized testing and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Truth about College Admission is the practical and inspiring guidebook your family needs, an essential companion on the path toward acceptance to college.