Guidelines are presented to assist colleges in preparing for an evaluation by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The seven chapters provide: an outline of the purposes of self-study and the Commission's expectations for self-study; advice and suggestions for establishing a self-study committee, developing a self-study plan, and organizing and conducting the self-study process; a discussion of the evaluative criteria in the self-study process and suggested questions related to each of the criteria; guidance on the elements of the self-study report that are essential to the Commission's needs; information specifically for institutions preparing for evaluation for initial and continued candidacy; advice on focused evaluations; and information on resources available on self-study from both the Commission and other sources. It is noted that preparation for a Commission evaluation begins approximately 2 years before the on-site evaluation when the chief executive officer of the institution receives a reminder letter from the Commission. An index refers the reader to the locations of various Commission policy statements in either the guide or companion documents. (SW)