A practical, witty guide for adult returning students.

The number of adults completing bachelor's degrees later in life is at an all-time high. Many universities have targeted this market with expensive, substandard programs. In this essential guide, Carole S. Fungaroli (now Carole Sargent) challenges the conventional wisdom that advocates distance learning, Internet degrees, and second-rate weekend programs for adult students. She argues that adults are best suited to a traditional college experience, and she insists that even those with children, jobs, and mortgages can earn a standard, four-year degree at a first-rate college. As Sargent shows, traditional studies at excellent universities will foster a scholar mentality that leads to top grades, greater academic opportunities, and more fulfilling careers.

In addition to information on program selection, application, and financial aid, the book offers advice on such issues as overcoming fears of not being "college material" and taking part in campus life.

Sargent writes from her own unique experience as an adult returning student. She has also interviewed scores of adult students at colleges and universities across the country, including the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Bryn Mawr College, and Harvard.