College Prep for Parents and Teens
How to Prepare Your Child for the College Application Process
Sep 3, 2009
Over the years, the college application process has become even more competitive and can often be very overwhelming. Here's a list of ways to simplify the process.
The National Association for College Admission Counseling offers a detailed and step-by-step guide to the things a child should be doing each month of high school to help prepare for college. Here's a simplified "college-prep" calendar for parents:
Freshman Year
- This is the start of a child's permanent transcript, so parents should motivate their children to succeed.
- Encourage extra-curricular activities and after school work experience. Colleges love to see how involved students are outside the classroom.
- Parents should help students keep a record of these activities and jobs. When it is time to fill out applications in a couple years, it can be difficult to remember everything.
Sophomore Year
- Parents should try to notice what types of activities their child excels in and encourage their children to seek a leadership role.
- Parents can look at college websites and brochures with their child and get information from any family and friends who have recently gone through the college process.
- Parents should be open to discussing scholarship and financial aid opportunities with counselors and admission offices.
- Parents should have their child speak to their high school guidance counselor about taking the PSAT.
Junior Year
- Visit a local college fair. This may be something a child would like to do on a their own, but parents can suggest the idea of going separately so both student and parent can obtain valuable information.
- Parents can create a calendar that both the parent and child can use that is only for college related dates and events. Include specific application deadlines and registration dates, such as the PSAT, ACT and SAT.
- Plan a trip to visit as many schools as possible. Sometimes a school that was on the top of a child's list can change after a visit.
- Parents who have a child who is an athlete should speak with high school coaches about NCAA requirements.
Senior Year
- "Senioritis" may set in for students, so parents should encourage their children to continue working hard because colleges do look at the senior year transcript, even after a student has been accepted.
- Make sure all applications are sent in by deadline and be sure to keep copies
- If needed, complete a financial aid application at Fasfa.ed.gov.
- Parents can ask their child to follow up with all applications to insure that each college has received all the necessary materials.
- Sit back and wait for college acceptance letters in the mail.
- Parents can send a deposit to the school their child has decided on.
- Celebrate graduation!
Each year of high school in a student's life is an important step to success in the college application process. Most counselors and parents agree that organization is key. Parents can use this information as a outline for their own timeline they would like to use with their children. The best piece of advice from most parents, students and professionals is try not to stress out so much! Students and parents can work together to enjoy the experience.
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The copyright of the article College Prep for Parents and Teens in Parenting Teens is owned by Sharon Tully. Permission to republish College Prep for Parents and Teens in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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