HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD PREPARE FOR THEIR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

Financial Obligations

Not all parents are able to put money away during their child’s life to help pay for college and ensure their child does not need to rely on student loans. But even if this is the case, you still need to discuss finances and what will be expected once they go to college.

Firstly, you need to ascertain how much the preferred course is going to cost at each of the colleges you get accepted to. If you are not able to pay upfront for the tuition for the entire course and/or living expenses, then this is something you and your child need to figure out.

There may be help from the Department of Education in the form of federal student aid to cover expenses such as tuition, books, housing, food, and supplies. If you don’t qualify, you might need to look into the different types of private loans for students. It’s important to understand the implications of taking out student loans for college, whether your child takes it out or you do it on their behalf. Discuss the commitment involved in taking out student loans, the importance of repayments, and how to properly budget their money so they can manage their living expenses and loan repayments effectively.

It can be a good idea to find out if you are likely to be accepted and what the loan requirements are ahead of time as this knowledge can help you devise a plan to repay the loan and ensure you have the funds ready when you need them. 

Now is the perfect time to help them understand more about finances, supporting themselves, budgeting, and being financially responsible. The more prepared they are, the less they’ll experience difficulties with their money once they need to find for themselves at college.

Be Interested

There is a difference between pushing your child, being interested, and showing up. You want to support, not force; you want to let them take the lead, and you follow. Discuss with them what they feel might be best for them, what they envision, how they think things will pan out, and what they might need moving forward to prepare for their application.

Showing up for meetings, responding to requests for attendance from school, going on campus visits, etc., are all great ways to support your child. As their parents, you know them best, so you should be able to ascertain what level of involvement works for them so you can avoid crossing the line from help to annoyance.

Support Academic And Test Prep

As a parent, there are a few ways you can help your child prepare for their SAT or ACT. Investing in resources such as tutors or additional courses can be beneficial to help your child realize their goal. Talk to their teachers about where they feel your child might benefit the most and odds with their child to help you put plans in place to assist them.

If paying for additional resources is out of the question, there are free resources you can find online to help your child with the areas they’re struggling in.

Student-led platforms can be valuable resources, e.g., College Confidential or College Prowler. Sites such as Udacity offer free courses that might benefit your child. These courses allow students to take their tests and graduate with the marks they need for their Preferred courses and college.

Other useful resources for low-income people include Tutorpeers, Learn To Be, and Achieve.

Be Understanding

It is all too easy as an adult to forget how hard the college application process is and how all-consuming it can be. This is even more challenging if you, as the parent, choose a different route in life and college wasn’t a part of your plans. But being there for your child as their parent and not pushing them or forcing them into things they do not want to do or be can be massively helpful during this time. After all, they are still kids, and they still need help, support, and love from their parents to guide them through this period. So, as much as you might want to take a more stern approach and dictate what your child needs to be doing and when. Don’t. Stop and take a step back and be a parent. Listen to them, understand, and offer help and guidance when needed and requested. 

Help with Organisation

Not all teenagers are the most organized and methodical of creatures, and helping with organizing the copious amounts of information they will find themselves bombarded can allow them and you to break things down into more manageable pieces.

For example, collating all lists of the colleges that offer their preferred courses can be great, but breaking it down further to look for other qualities and experiences provided by the school can enable you to create a more effective shortlist. 

Next, split your list into three sections: “reach,” “match,” and “safety” schools.

Reach schools are those where qualifications are significantly lower than the criteria, there is a significantly lower acceptance rate, or there is a greater number of applications, meaning you’re less likely to be accepted but are trying anyway.

Match schools are those you match perfectly in terms of meeting the academic and application requirements, while safety schools are the schools where you exceed entry requirements and are great candidates for acceptance.

Identify Scholarships

Another aspect of college application is understanding the requirements for scholarship acceptance. There are many different types of scholarships that your child might qualify for, and as a parent, helping them find suitable scholarships they can apply for will help them understand what they need to strive for and help guide their choices. 

You need to approach identifying and applying for scholarships like you would for colleges; see the above point. This way, you can hedge your bets and give your child a great chance of acceptance if they meet the scholarship criteria.

Tips for finding and identifying scholarships include

• Asking at the financial aid office at the colleges you’re applying for
• Talking to a high school or TRIO counselor
• Using the search function on the US Department of Labor scholarship tool
• Searching federal agencies
• Checking your state grant agency
• Use sites such as scholarships.com to help you find and identify suitable scholarships to apply for.

Understand what they are looking for so you can perfect your palliation in plenty of time and have your options open.

Final Thoughts

As a parent, there are many ways you can help your child get ready to start the college application and prepare them for what this process entails. Finding out as much information as possible about different aspects of the process, finding resources to help, and guiding your child without forcing them or taking over can all be great ways to help them during this time. Remember, emotions will likely be high, as well as stress levels, which can all strain relations until the application is complete. Be understanding and supportive, follow their lead, and be the parent they need, as this will be what gets you and them the best experience during this time to reach their educational goals.