College Match: A Blueprint for Choosing the Best School for You, 15th Edition
By Steven R. Antonoff, Ph.D., Illustrations by Milan Glosic

In addition, special requests for quantity discounts, school examination and signed copies can be made using the bulk order request form.

221 pages ISBN 978-1733578424

The College Finder, Fifth Edition, revolutionizes how students approach the college selection process
By Steven R. Antonoff, Ph.D.

The College Finder cuts through the confusion of college selection, providing what students and families truly need—reliable information organized in a way that makes sense. This completely revamped Fifth Edition features over 1,200 carefully researched lists—65% more than the Fourth Edition—categorizing colleges by virtually every factor that matters in finding your ideal match.

Rather than promoting prestige as the primary consideration, this guide helps students identify institutions where they’ll be academically challenged, socially comfortable, and financially secure. It answers practical questions about affordability and admissions likelihood while also addressing lifestyle considerations like campus culture, extracurricular opportunities, and community values.

This edition significantly enhances coverage of key decision areas with 250% more lists on affordability, 74% more on athletics, and a 66% increase in international options. The expanded “Lifestyle Interests and Personalities” section offers 160% more content to match your unique character with compatible campus communities—whether you’re a techie, free spirit, scholar, or athlete.

The College Finder‘s straightforward format makes it easy to cross-reference multiple factors, helping you identify institutions that combine your academic interests with the right social atmosphere and financial support. For students seeking to transform their college search from a “confusing territory mined with unforeseen obstacles” into an “energizing voyage of discovery,” this guide provides the reliable compass you need.

The College Finder, Fifth Edition will be available on May 1 at all booksellers. To be included in the College Finder community: [email protected].

The College Finder: Choose the School That’s Right for You! Fourth Edition
By Steven R. Antonoff, Ph.D.

In the fourth edition of The College Finder, Dr. Steven R. Antonoff has compiled nearly 700 lists that will help students zero in on the colleges where they can get in and fit in. As the author notes, “The primary goal of The College Finder is to expand the pool of schools that students consider, extend the possibilities they envision, and magnify their sense of power as they research colleges.”

College guides tend to be thick compendiums offering “snapshots” of hundreds of schools. Much of this information is available on individual college websites, and little of it will help a student differentiate among the thousands of choices out there.

The College Finder is in a class by itself. Essentially, it is a book of lists. The latest edition features lists of schools organized by essential categories (Academics, Student Life, Athletics, Costs, Admission, and Expert Opinions) as well as unexpected classifications (Where Most Students Live On Campus, Great Colleges For Cyclists, Colleges With the Most Computers Available to Students, Great Value Colleges, and Hidden Gems). Want to find out which schools charge no tuition, combine undergraduate degrees with a medical degree, offer toy design, are committed to the environment, love their football teams, seek diversity in their student body, or have unusually accessible teachers? Just check out The College Finder!

501 pages ISBN 978-1-936035-90-8

A Student of Colleges: Fundamentals of Independent Educational Consulting, First Edition
By Steven R. Antonoff, Ph.D.

View the table of contents.

From the preface to A Student of Colleges:

My life has been defined by my profession. It’s taken me to colleges around the globe and into the lives of thousands of students and thousands of parents. Through decades of private practice, I’ve learned the right and wrong ways to deliver services. Interacting with hundreds of colleagues—both novices and veterans—informed me about practices I could analyze and synthesize in order to come up with the paradigms presented in this book. As the author of two college planning books designed for students and parents, I’ve studied and shared what works and what doesn’t work as one goes through the hunt for a great fit college. I gained further knowledge and perspective through teaching and training independent educational consultants and through giving presentations to student and parent groups. I’ve taught, and I’ve learned.

This book reflects these learnings. Much of what you will read was originally developed for classes I taught at UCLA and University of California, Irvine (UCI). I developed the syllabus for the first class on educational consulting offered through the UCLA college counseling certificate program. When the UCI certificate program in independent educational consulting began, I created the syllabus for the Principles in Educational Consulting course. I also taught the final course, the Practicum, for UCI. The original outlines of several chapters in this book were conceived from those courses and from materials that I designed in teaching at the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) Summer Training Institute (formerly called Practices and Principles Institute).

This book is a lifetime in the making. When I was dean of students at the University of Denver, I learned how institutions affect students. I realized that colleges have a “feel.” That is to say, colleges are unique and serve different student needs. I then moved over to admissions and financial aid and gained a host of new perspectives. I learned how colleges market themselves, how college admission officials work with school-based counselors, and how important affordability and financial aid are in student and family decision-making. The university gave me insight into the minds of young people and the influence that adults can have on students who are transitioning and changing. I learned about how students choose a college and the factors affecting enrollment and retention. I also learned that I wanted to work directly with students.

Having a point of reference for professional success is essential. It is my intent to standardize the basic and best practices in the field.

And now I offer this textbook as a basic introduction to the field of independent educational consulting. It explores, analyzes, and explains many dimensions of the field. This book highlights the practices, principles, and tenets that define who we are, how we operate, and how we grow. I hope this foundational piece of writing serves as the basis for ongoing professional dialogue and sharing. I want to encourage leaders in the field to have a point of discussion for critical issues and perspectives. This book provides that beginning.

This book is designed to inform, and to keep it a reasonable length, I had to limit the information I wished to share. As with my prior books, the second edition will be more complete. Beyond informing, this book is intended to inspire. I wish to inspire readers to share my love of the profession of independent educational consulting. And I wish to use these pages to address what it means to be a student of colleges. It means to be an insatiable learner of college knowledge. It means to be a generous sharer of such rich knowledge. This book is my tribute to the world of higher education and its many students. We, as independent educational consultants, are lifelong students.

A Student of Colleges can be ordered from Amazon. Quantity discounts are available via this order form.

Visit astudentofcolleges.com for supplementary resources.

298 pages ISBN 978-1-7335784-0-0

For decades, Rugg’s Recommendations on the Colleges has been a go-to resource for students, parents, and counselors looking for reliable, research-based college recommendations. Written by Frederick E. Rugg, this guide has helped countless students make informed decisions about their college choices. Now, as Fred steps into retirement, we are offering the 35th edition exclusively as a digital download.