Starting points for families.

College readiness involves more than grades, test scores, and choosing a major. These trusted resources are good places to begin exploring the broader transition to college.

Free download: Beyond Grades, A College Readiness Self-Check (PDF)

For parents

College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be
Andrew Delbanco. A thoughtful look at college as a place where young people find their direction and become themselves.

Preparing for College Emotionally, Not Just Academically
Child Mind Institute. Practical ways to help teens build coping skills before they leave home.

Set to Go
The Jed Foundation. Free guides for students and families on emotional readiness for life after high school.

Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years
Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger (6th ed.). A classic on what the college years look like from a parent’s side.

How to Raise Successful Kids, Without Over-Parenting
Julie Lythcott-Haims (TED talk, 14 min). A former Stanford dean on stepping back so teens can build real independence.

For students

Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education
Matthew L. Sanders. A short, readable guide to why college is about more than earning a degree: it’s about who you become as a thinker and a person.

What the Best College Students Do
Ken Bain. Stories of graduates who used college to grow in curiosity, character, and purpose, not just to collect grades.

Six Strategies for Effective Learning
The Learning Scientists. Free posters and guides on research-backed study methods.

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel. Why practice and spacing beat rereading and cramming.

Designing Your Life
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. Design-thinking tools for exploring purpose and direction.

Defining Critical Thinking
The Foundation for Critical Thinking. A clear introduction to what good thinking looks like.

The research behind our approach

Research on the transition to college points in a consistent direction: alongside academic preparation, a student’s sense of belonging, motivation, self-management, and sense of purpose are associated with persistence and success. These two sources are good places to start.

Supporting Students’ College Success
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2017). The academic, personal, and social skills associated with college success.

College Students’ Sense of Belonging
Terrell L. Strayhorn (2nd ed.). Why feeling connected on campus matters.

These are independent resources. The Inner Syllabus is not affiliated with them.