Post-College Ready: Expert Advice for Parents to Support Their College Senior

Updated for the 2025-2026 school year!

“Successful people are those who navigate transitions successfully—and POST-COLLEGE READY is chock-full of helpful advice as families help college seniors launch into life off campus. These expert authors offer so many insights that are wise and encouraging.”—W. Houston Dougharty, Special Advisor to the President, Formerly Vice President for Student Affairs, Hofstra University

“As a university career center professional as well as a parent of three recent college graduates, I find Post-College Ready to be a timely, worthwhile addition to student and parent resources. The book covers a comprehensive list of topics associated with life after college and does so in a quick-read fashion. I especially liked the Conversation Starters following each chapter!”—Tammy Manko, Ed.D., Director, Career and Professional Development, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

“Just like the transition to college, senior year and graduation are filled with excitement, anxiety, sadness, confusion, and every other emotion possible for students and families. This book gives strong practical advice from professionals who are dedicated to supporting families, and is a great resource as families support their student through their last year of college and next steps.”—Adam Cantley, Dean of Students/Ast. Vice President for Student Support and Advocacy, University of Delaware

Post-College Ready is for the parents, family members, and supporters who have answered late-night calls, advocated for their students, attended family weekends, and are ready to launch their almost-adult child into the post-college world.

There are many books out there about what college is like. There is also information about what adulthood is like. But what about the transition from one to another? How are students supposed to know what’s next? At this stage, there is even more to think about and choose from than when they were selecting a college. Do they search for a job in their field right away, apply to graduate school, or take a year off volunteering or working? Should they stay in their current apartment, move back home, or follow their partner across the country? Will you, as parents, continue to support them financially? How will your relationship change? The goal of this book—written by professionals in the fields of family engagement, career services, leadership and civic engagement, graduate education, and alumni relations—is to help you start conversations with your student now as they plan for life after college and support them with whatever path they choose.

Edited by Chelsea Petree, Ph.D., the Director of Parent and Family Programs at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Each contributor is a current or former college administrator and all are members of AHEPPP: Family Engagement in Higher Education, the only professional association dedicated to parent/family involvement in the college experience.

Rebecca Osborne, North Carolina State University
Kerri A. Fowler, North Carolina State University
Meaghan K. Davidson, Notre Dame of Maryland University
Christina R. Brundage, Ph.D., Marywood University
Darwin V. Kysor, Ph.D., University of Pikeville
Shanise N. Kent, Esq., MBA, University at Albany, State University of New York
Kathryn Cilano, Rochester Institute of Technology
Joni O’Hagan, St. John’s University
Ryan Lovell, The Ohio State University
Marshall Greenleaf, Ed.D., University of Massachusetts Lowell
Alexandra Brown, University of California, Los Angeles
George Brown, University of California, Los Angeles
Branka Kristic, Hofstra University

Post-College Ready is one of a series of Ready Guides for parents of college students published by Parent Ready. More information at https://parentready.com.

Chelsea Petree is the Parent and Family Programs director at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Chelsea moved to Rochester in 2015 to establish the Parent and Family Programs office, including developing a comprehensive parent communications plan and implementing family events and engagement opportunities. She has worked to establish a "parents as partners" culture at RIT, increasing support of families across the institution. Chelsea received her Ph.D. in family social science from the University of Minnesota in 2013 and is the past president of AHEPPP: Family Engagement in Higher Education. She has won several awards, including the 2019 Rising Alumni Award from the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota and the 2021 AHEPPP Powerful Partnership Award for Tiger Parent Project-a program that brings together RIT staff and faculty to learn more about the familyexperience and parent-student-university relationships. She is theeditor of the College Ready book series.