6 College Novels for Teenagers

Sure, our primary interest in Buxbaum’s book was the drama: it’s basically a fictionalized account of Lori Loughlin’s role in the Varsity Blues scandal (despite the claim that characters are not intended to resemble any specific person, living or dead). And it absolutely delivers in that department.

But it also provides thought-provoking opportunities to reflect on the college admissions process in the United States. We have a system that not only favors the wealthy but is so competitive, families feel pushed to find loopholes and back doors or outright cheat to get their children into school. 

We also appreciated the self-reflection the scandal forces on the protagonist, Chloe Wynn Berringer. At first, she is horrified and consumed by the embarrassment of the national scandal, insisting she had no idea what was going on. Over time, however, she realizes how much she chose to ignore and reflects on what it says about her that her parents felt they needed to lie and cheat in order for her to get into school. 

We often focus on the behavior of the adults or paint the children in these scenarios as spoiled and entitled, so it’s helpful to consider the subtle (or not-so-subtle) messages these parents send their children and the damage these messages can cause. It’s also, as always, satisfying to see our protagonist mature, course-correcting to become the kind of young woman who doesn’t need her parents to feel proud of her because she is already proud of herself.

When Andie Rose shows up for her first day as a transfer student at competitive Blue Ridge State, she can’t wait to reconnect with her boyfriend, Connor, and carry on her mother’s legacy as the founder of an underground campus radio show. When Andie finds out Connor has transferred to the community college she just left and gets in trouble with her super tough statistics professor for coming to class late after a major social event, however, she realizes things might not quite go as planned.

No problem is too big for Andie, though, because she is a fixer, and in addition to her own problems, she’s got plenty of her new friends’ problems to fix: her roommate, Shay, doesn’t know what to major in; her tutor, Valeria, is trying to get over a breakup with a guy who’s keeping her on the hook; and her RA, Milo, has a “frightening” caffeine addiction.

Andie also has a role to play in the underground radio show, she’s determined to gather as many ribbons as she can in the school’s annual competition, she’s got a difficult relationship with her father, and she’s got a work-study job at the local coffee shop.

What we loved most about Lord’s novel was the sweet reminder of college friend groups: you’ve moved away from home for the first time and met “your people,” people who become uniquely close. Lord also portrays the self-doubt and uncertainty of starting out on your own and the bumpy efforts with your parents to navigate the transition from dependent to adult. 

Lord’s novel is a good story on its own, but we also think your seniors, in particular, will enjoy anticipating the adventures and friendships that await them as they apply to college.

Henri “Halti” Haltiwanger seems to have it all: he’s popular, he’s the star debater at a prestigious private school, he runs his own dog walking business, he’s determined to go to Columbia University, and he’s (obviously) quite charming. 

But when Halti’s uptight neighbor Corinne Troy discovers a potentially troublesome secret about his dog walking business, she blackmails him into helping her develop a social life. After all, she’s spent her high school years aggressively pursuing academic achievement and realizes she may have missed out on some experiences (not to mention, colleges are looking for well-rounded students with social lives, right?).

Philippe’s novel tells the story of the sweet friendship that develops between Henri and Corinne, and when Henri makes a mistake that potentially destroys his carefully planned future, our hearts are broken right alongside his as we hope against hope he’s able to work things out.

In addition to capturing the emotional highs and lows of the college application season, the novel highlights issues like parental expectations, the immigrant experience, the wealth gap, and coming face-to-face with your own strengths and weaknesses as you work out who you are and who you want to be.

Danielle Ford is determined to attend NYU to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, her name joining the list of women inscribed on her vintage typewriter: Maya, Alice, Zora, Toni, Roxane, Jesmyn. If only she could finish 

her college essay. After a traumatizing event at a college party, Dani has isolated herself from her family and friends, and her writer’s block just won’t go away.

Prince Jones loves his job as a “high school love doctor” in a one-hour slot at the local radio station. He loves music the way Dani loves books, and he is determined to develop his skills as a DJ and radio host. It’s hard to balance everything, though, since he also takes care of his mother, who has multiple sclerosis, and his younger brother Mook, who has ADHD.

Prince has had a crush on Danielle for years, and when he claims he can make her fall in love with him in three dates, they begin a relationship that pushes each of them to grow and grapple with the fears that threaten to hold them back.

The love story is sweet, but it’s far from the best part of the book. The novel tells the story of Black teenagers with passions for Black culture—the literature, the music, and the hairstyles—who learn the importance of self-love, relying on community, finding your voice, prioritizing your mental health, and standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before you. Their personal growth is beautiful, healthy, and relatable, and we wanted the best for these fictional characters as their story came to a close.

This one certainly tackles the college admissions process from a different angle than the others on this list, but it asks thought-provoking questions about the role race and class play in college admissions, particularly at the nation’s most elite colleges.

Adina Walker has worked hard at Edgewater Academy, earning admission to Yale. When her classmate suggests Adina’s admission was merely to fill a quota, however, Adina gets angry and retaliates . . . only to find her admission Yale has been rescinded as a result of her actions.

Desperate, Adina gets herself invited to compete in the Finish: an annual competition for young women hosted by the ultra-elite Remington family, in which the winner receives admission to the elite college of her dreams and a leg up into a world of wealth and power. 

This year’s competition, however, is different, and Adina finds herself fighting not to save her future but to save her life. How far will she and the other contestants go to achieve the futures they desire?

While, perhaps, testing the limits of suspension of disbelief, it’s an exciting read that will give you and your students a lot to think about. (And, in our experience, our students tend to take much less issue with the suspension of disbelief than we do.)

Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals since freshman year when Neil insulted Rowan’s selection of a romance novel for an essay contest about a book that most impacted them. (He, naturally, selected The Great Gatsby, an expected choice for a suit-wearing teenager who loves his “White Man in Peril” classics.)

On the last day of senior year, Neil edges Rowan out for the role of valedictorian, and Rowan’s last chance to destroy McNightmare is in the senior class game of Howl, a combination of Assassin and a scavenger hunt that takes place all over the city of Seattle.

When Rowan overhears a group of jealous classmates plotting to take the pair of them down, she and Neil team up . . . only to realize what they may have been missing out on through all those years of fighting.

The game of Howl is fun, the romance is oh-so-sweet, and the mixture of excitement, nostalgia, and regret many of our seniors feel at the end of the year is palpable. But the novel also gains depth as Rowan struggles to admit to her family and friends that her greatest dream is to write romance novels, a genre they look down on.

As she gains the courage to be herself and own her dreams, we’re rooting for her the whole time. (It is a romance novel, so there are a couple scenes and comments that may be too mature for younger readers, especially depending on your students and your community.)