By Larry Getlen

Going to college can be the most exhilarating, terrifying, and mystifying experience all at once.

To help navigate this crucial life step, there are a plethora of good books providing tales and guidance to prepare for the first great adventure.

Here are our top picks.

“Choosing College: How To Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life” by Michael B. Horn and Bob Moesta (Jossey-Bass, $18).

Choosing a college is likely the most important and complex decision a high school student has to make, so Horn and Moesta steer students toward thinking about why they want to matriculate in the first place. Once they understand their motivations and the author’s reason, it becomes easier to pick the school most likely to be a match.