Will my teens' faith be strong enough to withstand the tests of college? Will they focus on their studies or squander their free time? Will they form healthy friendships or join the wrong crowd? Dr. Chediak has watched too many college students flounder over these and other issues. Sadly, 44 percent of those who start off at a four-year college will not complete their degree in six years. At a time when college has never been more expensive, too many of our children are failing. What makes the difference? Character, a strong faith, and a willingness to delay gratification. And where is that learned? Ideally, at home, in the 4-6 years before they leave the nest. In this book, Alex will give you everything you need to help your teens prepare to successfully navigate the college years and beyond. Alex covers all the hot-button issues: studying, grades, time management, choosing a major, friendships, dating, what to look for in a college (and how to pay for it), God, and much more. You won't want to be without this essential survival manual for getting your 7-12th graders ready for what comes next. Alex proposes a wide-ranging series of conversations for parents to have with their teens: conversations about being responsible, forming good friendships, understanding faith, living as a Christian in ways that are wise and gracious, being smart with money, maintaining personal purity, living from convictions, discerning talents, working diligently unto the Lord, and many other topics. Parents who engage their teens in the ways Alex recommends will accomplish things that cannot be achieved through any exercise of parental authority...I am happy to recommend this book as a sharp tool for Preparing Your Teens for College. Tedd Tripp Author of Shepherding a Child's Heart Preparing Your Teens for College is an outstanding book about preparing teens for adulthood whether or not they go to college. Every parent who wants his or her teen to make a successful transition to young adulthood will profit from this book. Jerry Bridges Author, The Pursuit of Holiness Don't let the college years derail your teens. Too many are floundering in college, losing their connection to God and reality. Let Alex be your guide to preparing them for college. Highly recommended. Josh McDowell Speaker and Author of More Than a Carpenter Packed with biblical insight and practical wisdom. Should be required reading for all parents in preparation for the "bittersweet sorrow" of seeing our children in the rear view mirror as we drive away from the college campus. Alistair Begg Senior Minister, Parkside Church Preparing Your Teens for College is a practical, easy-to-use map through the spiritual, social, sexual, financial, academic, and occupational minefields. Dr. Marvin Olasky Editor-in-chief, WORLD News Groups Preparing Your Teens for College is about getting teens ready to leave the home and enter the adult world with the faith, character and maturity to be successful. It's about training them not just for college but for the totality of their lives. You don't have to look far to see that many teens are having a tough go at it. In school, their teachers will tell you about short attention spans and superficial interests crowding out their appetite and even capacity for learning. Out of school, even part-time jobs are hard to come by, depriving them of the chance to develop a work ethic, build skills, and earn money. At home, one in three is being raised without the love, protection and security of a father. After high school, the link between higher education and professional success has never been stronger. Yet higher education has never been more expensive, and the U.S. now has the highest college dropout rate in the industrialized world: 44 percent of those who enter a four-year college will not graduate in six years. And 71 percent of those who start two-year degrees will not finish them within three years.   The message of Preparing Your Teens for College is that thriving at college begins before they get there--with what you do as Moms, Dads, youth pastors, mentors, and guidance counselors. Academic and professional success flow from character and maturity. And as Christians we know that character and maturity flow from a God-mastered life, from the heart of a person who has bowed the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ. Preparing Your Teens for College is about helping you raise teens who understand the biblical message and are committed to putting away childishness, embracing responsibility, pursuing godly relationships, practicing moral purity, aiming for academic excellence, working unto the Lord, and honoring God in every aspect of their lives. If that describes the kind of teen you want to see leave your home someday, then this book is for you. Preparing Your Teens for College is about more than preparing them for college. It's actually an outstanding book about preparing them for adulthood whether or not they go