As a practicing Catholic and professional college planner, Katherine O'Brien MA, Founder of Celtic College Consultants, has compiled a college guide to meet the needs of practicing Catholics. In Every Catholic's Guide to College, 2019 she documents the colleges and universities across the country that have certain supports for Catholic student life on their campus. Today's parents need a guide to colleges and universities where their children can find a strong Catholic presence on campus. College is a time of growing and exploring intellectually. With a strong Catholic presence on campus, students can critically examine and deepen their faith. Catholicism has much to offer especially communion with God, who is love and mercy and the source of all hope, community, wisdom, and a stabilizing guide in life. The Guide includes detailed information about the best US colleges and universities for practicing Catholics, based on the availability of strong support for living and growing in faith on campus. Support includes the presence of a top ranked Newman Center or a Catholic dorm or FOCUS or St. Paul's outreach Catholic missionaries or being listed in the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College. Each college's entry includes basic admissions criteria and financial aid information in addition to information on the academic programs offered and the research centers and institutes associated with the university. Making the Guide easy to use, the colleges and universities are listed in alphabetical order. The 2019 edition features an exhaustive guide by major is included near the front of the book. An index listing the schools by state and alphabetically are located at the back of the book. For each institution, the following information is listed: 1. Address, website, phone number 2. Number of undergraduate students, percentage male and female 3. In-state and Out-of-state costs, and % of financial need met, on average, for undergraduates 4. Athletic Division 5. Middle 50% range of SAT and ACT scores. 6. The kinds of degrees, colleges within the universities, undergraduate majors (for most schools), and research centers and institutes hosted by the institution While Every Catholic's Guide to College gives fairly complete information for hopeful undergraduates, aspiring graduate students will also benefit from using the Guide. Both undergraduate and graduate applicants interested in research and/or special topics within their field of study will be significantly aided by the inclusion of lists of research centers and institutes hosted by the colleges and universities. The Guide will serve Catholic families with a great starting point as they search for the best colleges for their children.
About the Author: Since 2004, Katherine O'Brien, founder of Celtic College Consultants, dedicated mother, and experienced home educator, has empowered teens for their futures. She helps them develop their skills and talents and build authentic confidence. She guides them to create a plan to achieve their goals and accompanies the college bound teens through the college prep, selection, funding, and application process. In addition to being accepted at top tier colleges, art schools, engineering schools, and public honors colleges, year after year her clients have been offered over $230,000 each, on average, in scholarships. Her clients hit the ground running when they get on campus, since they know what they want, how to advocate for themselves, and have abundant funding. Additionally, Ms. O'Brien guides her client families to maximize their need based aid and scholarships so the family's net cost is the least possible. Ms. O'Brien also speaks at conferences, including NCYC and webinars, empowering parents to find the best college possible for their children and equipping Catholic parents to find colleges that will support their children's faith as well as educate them in their chosen field. For more information regarding Katherine's private one on one college preparation consulting services, please see http: //www.CelticCollegeConsultants.com. Ms. O'Brien holds a BS in Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences from Northwestern University and a MA in Theology & Christian Ministry from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.