(Author of What Every Parent Needs to Know About College Admissions) Christie Barnes encourages you to go to college when you are ready.

Deposits are paid, your teen is heading for college…But if he or she is burnt out, undecided, just wants to be away from home. College is an expensive place to career-explore, to party, or to play video games. Defer with the college’s permission, then find an alternative. Kids who take gap years have better college and career success rates…and some colleges will even give merit scholarships to encourage a year off–the Gap Year results are that good.
What Every Parent Needs to Know About College Admissions
How to Prepare Your Child to Succeed in College and Life─With a Step-by-Step
College planning re-examined. All economic levels are getting vastly incorrect information for college and career planning, leading to anxiety-ridden youth and crippling student debt. Less affluent students are being led to more expensive options and high achievers feel compelled to apply for college at the most prestigious institutions. But, whether it’s a state school, safety school, or public school―there are other options beside an overpriced private school. It could be, but it might not be.
A guidance counselor for parents. Learn that it’s not just about the “right” college, it’s about the “right fit” college. Using statistics, experts, and multi-factor analysis to clarify what should and should not be a worry in college planning, Barnes helps parents identify better, and often overlooked, options. In this guide, she dissects the top ten parental worries about how to get into college, including college applications, college admissions, college requirements, and college acceptance.