The Truth about College: The Essential Guide for Parents and Teens--So You Can Make the Right Choice Together - Hardcover

by Ric Edelman (Author)

An unbiased, accurate, and up-to-date guide to making college-related decisions

Should I go to college? Which college should I go to? When should I go? What should I study? How should I pay for college? Should I work while I'm attending?

In The Truth About College: The essential guide to help your teenagers succeed - so college doesn't ruin their lives, #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ric Edelman, delivers an unbiased and eye-opening guide for parents who want to help their children answer their college questions and for the teenagers doing their best to make the "right" choice.

This is not an anti-college screed or a full-throated endorsement of college for everyone. It's a deeply researched decision-making guide that carefully considers the unique characteristics, considerations, and circumstances that will influence college-related decisions. The book recognizes that college is not a subject that should be considered through an ideological lens. It shouldn't be one characterized by snap decisions or decisions made based on what peers or parents did or didn't do. Instead, you'll learn all about the real-world benefits and costs of attending college today. You'll discover the doors it unlocks, the doors it closes, the most common mistakes made by college students, and how to minimize the downsides and cost if you or your child decide to attend.

Inside the book:

• A comprehensive and accurate exploration of the specific information that you and your child need to make the most beneficial decisions possible
• Concise summaries at the end of each chapter for easy review, as well as a standalone, step-by-step guide to talking with your teenagers about college
• Clear-eyed, unbiased advice from an experienced finance professional based on contemporary evidence and data about college and the college experience

Perfect for all teenagers preparing to go (or not go) to college and their parents, The Truth About College is packed with the information you need to make smart decisions that will be beneficial over the long-term.

Front Jacket

Of all U.S. households earning more than $200,000, 94% are headed by a college graduate. Grads earn $900,000 more over their careers, on average, than non-grads. College graduates are also half as likely to divorce as those with only a high school diploma, and they're healthier too--living an average seven years longer than those who never attended college. Very compelling reasons for going to college!

But a quarter of college freshmen drop out and only 62% graduate after six years. And 10 years later, only half of graduates are in jobs that require a degree--yet, 20 years after graduating, 42% of student loan borrowers are still paying off their debt.

This helps explain why 49% of college students have been diagnosed with depression.

And it's not just students who are struggling; so are the schools themselves. In 2010, colleges were closing at the rate of about one a month. They're now closing at the rate of one a week, and 10% are in immediate financial peril. Seven in 10 colleges that closed since 2020 did so with no warning, stranding 1.25 million students.

No wonder 78% of U.S. adults say college is not worth the cost.

Nevertheless, college is still the right choice for millions of high school seniors -- but only if you navigate the journey correctly. Do it right and your future will be filled with prosperity and happiness; done wrong, college can ruin your life.

That's why you need this book. The Truth About College is your essential guide to helping both parents and teens decide if college is the right choice, and if so, how to select the right school and major, how to graduate debt-free and on the dean's list, ready to start your happy and fulfilling life.

Each chapter gives you quick takeaways of key points, and you'll find 20 Conversation Starters to help parents and teens make the right decision.

The Truth About College is your essential resource as you face the all-important college question. Read it today.

Back Jacket

The essential guide for both parents and teens--to help you make the right decision about college

In The Truth About College, acclaimed financial advisor and #1 New York Times bestselling author Ric Edelman gives you the information you need to answer all the college questions you're facing: is college the right choice? Which school, and which major?

In his trademark no-nonsense style, Ric shows both parents and teenagers how to make these important decisions.

Most importantly, Ric shows students how to graduate from college in four years, debt-free, on the dean's list, with a degree that allows them to have a career in the field they want to work in.

Along the way, you'll discover the 10 mistakes parents make in counseling their children, and the common errors made by college freshmen. You'll also explore the ways you can reduce the cost of college, using Ric's clear, realistic advice that draws on his 40-year career, when he was ranked three times as the nation's #1 Independent Financial Advisor by Barron's. Ric's ability to help you make smart financial choices is highly acclaimed from coast-to-coast, with his objective, unbiased and in-depth review of today's personal finance challenges.

This is the one-of-a-kind resource you've been looking for, to help you make the right choices about college. The Truth About College is the essential guide for both parents and teens.

Author Biography

RIC EDELMAN founded the nation's largest financial planning firm, is recipient of two Lifetime Achievement Awards, appeared on Oprah five times and was once the answer to a New York Times crossword puzzle. He's the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 14 books and, for four decades, one of America's most trusted voices on personal finance.