General Guidebooks – These books provide basic statistical and descriptive information for colleges across the United States.

The Fiske Guide to Colleges by Edward Fiske (selected colleges) **Recommended
The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges from Yale Daily News (selected colleges) **Recommended
The Best 371 Colleges -- Princeton Review
Profiles of American Colleges with CD-Rom from Barron’s Educational Series (all colleges)
The College Handbook from the College Board (all colleges)
Peterson’s Competitive Colleges from Peterson’s (selected colleges)
The Multicultural Student’s Guide to Colleges by Robert Mitchell (selected colleges)
Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities or ADD from Peterson’s 

List-Builder Books – These books allow you to research colleges by majors or areas of interest.

The College Finder: 475 Ways to Choose the Right School by Steven Antonoff (a little dated now; new edition expected in 2008)
Book of Majors from the College Board
Rugg’s Recommendations on the Colleges by Frederick Rugg

Persepective-Giving Books – These books try to de-intensify the application pressure!

The College Admissions Mystique by Bill Mayher **Recommended
Colleges That Change Lives by Loren Pope **Recommended
The Hidden Ivies: Thirty Colleges of Excellence by Greene and Greene
Harvard-Schmarvard by Jay Mathews **Recommended
Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding a College That’s Right for You by Loren Pope
The Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins

Application How-To Books

Panicked Parents Guide to College Admissions by Sally Rubenstone & Sidoria Dalby
What To Do When for College by Edward Fiske & Bruce Hammond
The New Rules of College Admissions (10 former admissions officials share their wisdom) 
The Thinking Parent's Guide to College Admissions by Eva Ostrum **Recommended
Getting In Without Freaking Out by Arlene Mathews

Test-Preparation Books —These books offer students tips on test-taking as well as full-length practice exams. Test-preparation computer software is often included, providing an entertaining and affordable alternative to paid test-preparation services.

The Official SAT Study Guide from the College Board
The Official Guide for All SAT Subject Tests from the College Board
Assorted Test Preparation Books from Barron’s, Kaplan, or Princeton Review

Transition to College Books

10 Things You Gotta Know About College from SparkNotes
The Dorm Room Diet: The 8-step Program for Creating a Healthy Lifestyle Plan That  Really Works by Daphne Oz
The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College by Harlan Cohen
Letting Go: A Parents' Guide to Understanding the College Years by Karen Coburn and Madge Treeger **Recommended
The Launching Years: Strategies for Parenting From Senior Year to College Life by Laura Kastner and Jennifer Wyatt **Recommended