Help me educate my sister about college admissions and selection!

Generally speaking, parents like to read Fiske. Teens like to read Princeton Review. Take her to the bookstore and let her get whichever she likes. You may also want to get a generic how to get into college book like “Admission Matters” or “If the U Fits.” Don’t get an admissions book focused solely on the Ivy and elite schools, but one that can be used for all types of colleges.

Visit any colleges close to home, just to see some campuses. If you are lucky, she can see the difference between a large university and a small college, for example. Or between a residential college and a commuter school. Or a liberal arts college versus an engineering school. Just to see what types of colleges might be interesting to her, not necessarily to apply to the ones you visit this early.

Go over college admissions requirements. Make sure she takes the right number of math, English, foreign language, science, and social studies credits over her high school career, and takes at least some honors or AP level if she can.