Teens are complicated. So are colleges. So the process of helping a teen select the right college(s) for them is not an easy process. (That’s an understatement and a half.) A new book,Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life by Michael Horn and Bob Moesta, helps both parents and kids view the process as an opportunity to learn to make good decisions. Doing so means really understanding underlying goals and motivations. Once students and parents know that, the rankings become far less important and the choices become both clearer and the outcomes are more positive.

Author Michael Horn answers some questions about Choosing College, the extensive research that went into it and some ways that parents and kids can navigate the process in a more effective ways.