The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions: A Conversation about Education, Parenting, and Race

The ultimate guide to help Black families navigate the college admissions process.

Finding the right college is a challenge for all students. But Black families face additional challenges and questions while navigating the admissions process. In The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions,veteran admissions experts Timothy L. Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown share provocative insights and demystify this complex process to answer important questions from where to apply to how to get in. 

Fields and Herndon-Brown discuss specific concerns for Black families that are not often addressed by school counselors or other resources. They highlight how the current social justice movement amplifies the distinct dynamics that exist between Historically Black Colleges and Universities and predominantly white institutions and which college choices may be best for Black students. Fields and Herndon-Brown pull from decades of experience to offer the savvy advice that Black families need. Having worked on both sides of the desk―as school counselors and as college admissions gatekeepers―they are well equipped to give parents, students, and school counselors the information and inspiration to successfully research and navigate the admission journey. 

The higher education landscape is constantly evolving, and admissions criteria have evolved with it. Fields and Herndon-Brown cover everything from athletic recruitment and artistic talents to financial aid and step-by-step instructions for how to get through the college search and application processes. A list of the best colleges for Black students, a glossary of terms, a list of notable Black college graduates, a suggested reading list, and an FAQ section round out the guide. The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions is the definitive resource to begin the complex conversation of understanding the choices that Black families face as they go through the college admissions process at the intersection of education, parenting, and race.

Timothy L. Fields (ATLANTA, GA) has spent the last twenty-five years in various areas of higher education and is a graduate of Morehouse College. Currently he serves as the senior associate dean of admissions at Emory University.

Shereem Herndon-Brown (GERMANTOWN, MD) is the founder and chief education officer of Strategic Admissions Advice, an educational consulting firm specializing in the creation of college counseling curriculum for charter schools and school districts, online essay courses, and personalized college advice coaching.