Books
My work advances the fields of college readiness, counseling, and student persistence. My books—Ready, Willing, and Able, Fulfilling the Promise, and Making Technology Work for First-Generation College-Bound Students—highlight how developmental principles, systemic reform, and digital tools can better support students’ transitions to and through higher education.
Ready, Willing, and Able rethinks college access by centering adolescents’ developmental needs and positioning them as active participants in shaping their futures. Linking developmental concepts with practical planning strategies, it has become a widely recognized resource for educators and school counselors, ranking among the top 20 books at Harvard Education Press.
Making Technology Work for First-Generation College-Bound Students draws on a four-year study to show how digital tools and social media help first-generation students stay connected, engage in campus life, and persist in college. Highlighting technology’s potential to foster belonging, the book underscores the need for institutions to leverage it more strategically to support student success.
Fulfilling the Promise highlights the vital role of teachers, leaders, policymakers, and philanthropists in creating equitable access to counseling. Introducing the concept of an “academic home,” Savitz-Romer positions counseling as central to student success while offering both a blueprint for systemic reform and a practical guide for practitioners.