College Sophomore Ready: Expert Advice for Parents to Navigate Their Student's Second Year

“Many students and their families spend so much time focusing on the first year. Finally, we are getting the perspective and resources needed to help support our students on that transformative and uniquely challenging sophomore year. From increased academic demands to social, emotional, and identity adjustments and everything in between, I appreciated the holistic way that the content experts described every facet of the sophomore year experience in engaging ways, leaving us with a better understanding and practical tools to help our students and families to be successful.”—Sharon Duffy, Assistant Vice President for Student Success, Emerson College, parent of a college sophomore

“Students continue to grow throughout their entire college experience—College Sophomore Ready provides terrific guidance to families as their students learn to apply the knowledge they gained in their first year of college to their second-year successes and challenges.”—Dr. Jean Peden Christodoulou, Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the President, Hofstra University.

“Practical advice for parents from professionals with insider knowledge of the seemingly subtle yet significant differences between the freshman and sophomore experience. Insights and helpful guidance contained in this book note developmental changes in students and the delicate balance between supportive, parental guidance and a successful launch toward independence.”—Debra Merchant, J.D., Former Vice President for Student Affairs, University of Cincinnati

“As a Dean of Students, I would highly recommend College Sophomore Ready for parents, families, and guardians. The book touches upon aspects of identity, student leadership, well-being, self-care, and academic support, which are instrumental and vital to students’ personal, social, and academic development in higher education.”―Juan R. Guardia, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students, University of Cincinnati

Updated for the 2025-26 school year!

The concept of the “sophomore slump” is not new or unfamiliar to most people. Students in their second year of college are often let down as they don’t receive the same fanfare they did the year before, classes get harder, and what they thought were solid friendships start to shift. Sophomores can struggle, but what about the parents, family members, and supporters of these students? You may find your sophomore questioning things they have always been so certain of and maybe even asking you questions you don’t know how to answer. This might be something big, like wanting to change from a pre-med major to visual arts or something minor, like joining the rock-climbing club when they’ve always expressed a fear of heights.

The goal of this book is to help you navigate your student’s sophomore year, including the challenges and the joys it will bring. Chapters are written by professionals in the areas of family engagement, mental health, study abroad, career services, and the second-year experience. The content will help you guide your student on their journey with information, resources, and conversation starters. Parents have many of their own experiences to contribute, and this book will provide perspective and guidance no matter your knowledge on each topic.

Edited by Chelsea Petree, Ph.D., the Director of Parent and Family Programs at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Each contributor is a current or former college administrator and all are members of AHEPPP: Family Engagement in Higher Education, the only professional association dedicated to parent/family involvement in the college experience.

College Sophomore Ready is one of a series of Ready Guides for parents of college students published by Parent Ready. More information at https://parentready.com.

Chelsea Petree is the Parent and Family Programs director at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Chelsea moved to Rochesterin 2015 to establish the Parent and Family Programs office, including developing a comprehensive parent communications plan andimplementing family events and engagement opportunities. She has worked to establish a "parents as partners" culture at RIT, increasingsupport of families across the institution. Chelsea received her Ph.D. in family social science from the University of Minnesota in2013 and is the past president of AHEPPP: Family Engagement in Higher Education. She has won several awards, including the 2019Rising Alumni Award from the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota and the 2021 AHEPPPPowerful Partnership Award for Tiger Parent Project-a program that brings together RIT staff and faculty to learn more about the familyexperience and parent-student-university relationships. She is the editor of the College Ready book series.