<p>I received a delivery from Amazon today. Two more college books. I didn't even remember ordering these. Not counting test prep books, I have 23 books relating to college search, admissions, or finances. I'm slightly embarrassed but sure that I'm not alone in this.
So fess up. How big is your college library? How many of these have your kids read?</p>
<p>Three. .</p>
<p>Five or six specifically on colleges. If you include books on gifted kids and books on parenting adolescents, way too many!</p>
<p>About 4000.</p>
<p>Three for college and three for test prep. </p>
<p>Seems like three’s the magic number. 0o</p>
<p>Indian Parent, it helps if you read people’s posts before you respond to them. Otherwise you are just responding to what you wish they had asked you, and it is confusing.</p>
<p>We bought a couple of phonebook college guides – I don’t remember which – and they served for both kids. Then we gave them to friends.</p>
<p>My college library is indeed about 4000 books.</p>
<p>The OP indicated the question is how many books on the topic of “the college search”, i.e., admissions at universities. Not how many books you have accumulated for or after college.</p>
<p>In answer to OP- four plus USNWR.</p>
<p>Zero. .</p>
<p>Sigh. Somehow my point is not getting across. Buy books for your kids, lots and lots of them. They won’t need many college prep books then, if any.</p>
<p>or websites like this one presumably.
;)</p>
<p>And not have chance me threads? Random definitions of well roundedness? Never!</p>
<p>I thought I was “over the top” with eight … two of which were worthless (though they got GREAT reviews on Amazon).</p>
<p>Haha…It seems that I really am alone in this. I even have a book that suggests majors and colleges based on the Myers Briggs personality type.</p>
<p>We still have a bunch of SAT and AP prep books that I haven’t gotten around to either tossing, donating to the school or the library. No books about college hunting I got them all out of the library. </p>
<p>IndianParent, my kids didn’t need to prep for the verbal part of the SAT, but younger son did need to look over the math, and even my oldest reviewed a bit for the physics subject tests because the course he was taking didn’t align that well with the test. The AP review books were required by their school.</p>
<p>How many books in all? Over 1000 probably. Maybe a lot over a 1000.</p>
<p>We only own one admissions one: the Harry Bauld essay book, which D1 refused to read. Over the years I read a lot of the usual suspects, but like mathmom always got them from the library. reeinaz, I’m sure you’re not alone! </p>
<p>Test prep is a different story. AP study guides, ACT and SAT sample tests, the works. I’d use those to bump up my Amazon cart to the magic $25 for free super saving shipping. I’m a little jealous of how kids nowadays have guides to help with AP prep, as opposed to back in the day.</p>
<p>I tried using the library very early on but the books I wanted to look at were tagged as reference books so could not be checked out and I’ve realized that I like to mark and highlight things. At this point, I’m sure that I’m just compensating for my lack of control in all the other areas of this process and with this being my only child, I’m trying to feel like it’s a thoughtful process. Even though I’m the only one in this house thinking about it 
But I swear I’m done. Those were the LAST books I’m buying. Eh…except possibly an ACT prep book. Oh…and some SAT subject test study guides. And a how to survive your first year in college book. And a how to survive your child’s first year in college book.</p>
<p>I probably have/had ten or fifteen books on colleges, but they were almost all used books I picked up for a dollar at the used book sale. We also had four or five test prep books, including a couple that are in like new condition.</p>
<p>The one college guide we bought new (twice) was 361 (or whatever the number is this year) best colleges, I think from Princeton Review. I like that one.</p>
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<p>Oh, please. Don’t be so condescending. The OP asked a specific question about a specific type of book. I can assure you that many of us have just as many books as you do–or have access to better libraries than you do–and we and our children read at least as much as you and yours. If your point is that years of reading widely and deeply is more valuable than prep for scoring well on the CR portion of the SAT, I certainly agree. But that was not the question asked. (Not to mention that scoring well on a test is a poor reason for reading, which brings its own rewards.)</p>
<p>I used to have two college guides, but they are long gone. S had a prep book for the Chem SATII, and several for specific APs, but I can’t say they got a lot of use. I think he had a prep book for the SAT proper, but I KNOW he never looked at that! :D</p>
<p>I have 18,000 comic books. Do they count?</p>