Deciding on college is the biggest decision of a young person's life: social， intellectual， economic， and financial。 Yet it is also a decision that is based on some the shakiest of foundations--where/whether parents went to college， beloved sports teams， cool colors， traditions。Beth Akers brings a sober economist's eye to the college application process， minimizing the differences between private and public universities while maintaining a strong focus on the significance of choosing a major tha Deciding on college is the biggest decision of a young person's life: social， intellectual， economic， and financial。 Yet it is also a decision that is based on some the shakiest of foundations--where/whether parents went to college， beloved sports teams， cool colors， traditions。Beth Akers brings a sober economist's eye to the college application process， minimizing the differences between private and public universities while maintaining a strong focus on the significance of choosing a major that will make a college investment pay off for the student and her/his family。Later chapters discuss the types of loans available and offer advice on debt （key idea: have in mind a career that will help you pay them back）。 Drawing on her own experience as a first-year art student at a tony private college who transferred to a public university to major in economics， she provides key appendices with resources that compare colleges and which illustrate the true value of variety of college majors。At a length that families， students and guidance counselors will find useful， this book is an ideal resource for those who are thinking big--trying to match big dreams with financial fears。 I don't think that Akers （or any economist， guidance counselor， or parent） will ever take the emotion， the pride， the ambition， or the many other emotions out of choosing college。 But her book informs and enlightens。 It will make a difference for those who read。Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more