A parent's guide to the college education experience addresses everything from paperwork and insurance to health care and furnishing a dorm room. College. It's enough to send a shudder through the heart of any parent, and not just because of empty-nest syndrome. Money (both the parent's and the student's) or lack thereof. Transportation. Dorms versus apartments. Parent weekends. What the student wants from the parent and doesn't want. How is a parent to know where to even begin? Marie Pinak Carr is more than qualified to tell you. The mother of three daughters who have collectively attended four different universities, she's been through it all: car issues, finances, homesickness and long-distance physical illness, roommate anguish, and coping with the loss of parental control. Her even-keeled book, explains what to expect, how to cope, what it takes to navigate the maze of collegial options and regulations, and what to do when the unexpected (or expected but dreaded) happens. Carr not only understands the processes, she understands that the parent facing this daunting challenge doesn't need a tome of thousands of pages to complicate their lives. Instead, she presents a brisk, easily digestible book with concise chapters full of bullet lists, short descriptions of necessary terms and situations, and comprehensive checklists, including budgeting, insurance management, inventory checklists, discussion points, and even a car emergency kit. Dividing the book into these brief chapters filled with hands-on tip sheets and checklists makes the process seem more manageable and less stressful. Carr's approach, which is (if I could do it, so can you, especially since you can learn from my experience), gives the book a no-nonsense but friendly sense of guidance. She works from the beginning, with the first chapters detailing what should be done during the summer prior to the student's departure for college. Things that could easily be forgotten, such as health care proxies, health insurance records, and determining how and what homeowner's insurance might cover for off-premises dependents, is all detailed. Worksheets help students figure out the process of budgeting, and a thorough (and necessary) section covers the ins and outs of credit and debt. Carr does an excellent job of covering what parents and students should know and what they should do. This is an indispensable handbook for any parent facing the college years, whether it's the first year or even the last the advice is valuable for each year the student is enrolled. (March) Review by: Amy Rea --Foreword Magazine March/April 2008 March is typically the month when college seniors, breathlessly wait for college acceptance letters to arrive.. Ready or not, your child is now a young adult. In Sending Your Child to College, Marie Carr covers everything from student banking and dorm life to health insurance, class schedules and paying bills. There are forms, checklists, helpful tips and much, much more. Sending Your Child will help parents deal with the nitty-gritty details of sending your child off to college. --Staten Island Parent College seems more and more necessary to gain a foothold in the world. Now in a newly updated and expanded edition, Sending Your Child to College: The Prepared Parent's Operational Manual; is intended for parents who want to make sure their children can get into college. From dealing with massive bills, to medical and safety concerns, to saving money in a situation where the term poor college student; is all too often a reality, authors Marie Carr and her daughters give a solid tool kit for parents and students. Sending Your Child to College; is well worth the investment for those who need all the help they can get, financial and otherwise. --Midwest Book Review June 2009 Marie Carr is a retired immunologist and member of several charity boards and college parent-councils. She joined writing forces with her three college daughters. Katharine received her BS from Emory University (2006) and a BRN from Georgetown University (2007); Ann received her BS from Texas A&M University and is attending North Carolina State to pursue a PhD in Entomology; and Beth is a senior at Boston University in their School of Hospitality.