Nine Steps Closer to College
When you began this journey through high school with your student and “mapped out”
your destination to senior year it sounds like college was your focus and
included taking the classes necessary to get there. Congratulations on completing your goal! Here are nine steps to take your closer to the destination . . .
Get Applications
You can get applications by requesting them through the college admission office. You will find those addresses on-line, or go to the career center or the counseling office to look in college books. The public library will also have college books to look up addresses.
Look at Deadlines
When you get the application, you must look at the due date! It is important that you turn in your application by the due date!
Check for an Early Acceptance Option
Some college applications also include an Early Admission Option. Finding out if you are accepted early (as early as November) means that you won’t have to wait for that acceptance letter later on in the year. Check to see if this is an option. If it is, you will want to see if your student qualifies. Students who usually qualify for early admission have already taken the tests (ACT,SAT) and have met admission requirements (An example would be that they took the second semester of English and American Government [two, full-year senior year requirements] in summer school and they are ready to graduate.
Find Out If You Need a Letter of Recommendation
Many applications will require a letter of recommendation from a teacher or a counselor. Choose a person that knows you well that will talk about your character and work ethic. If you ask a teacher please give them at least a week or more to write your letter. That goes for a counselor, as well. Not all colleges require a recommendation but make sure you read your application thoroughly to see if it’s required.
Fill Out the High School Transcript Request Form
Part of the application is sending in the high school transcript. (Your student has probably gone over this many times with his counselor to make sure the high school credit requirement has been met and that your student has met the admission requirement.) Students usually find the transcript request form in the counseling office. They can fill it out there and enter the college where it needs to be sent and it will be sent from the office. Students are not allowed to send transcripts (unless they are in a sealed envelope) because they are legal, confidential documents. Also, when a student turns 18 a parent cannot order a transcript to be sent without the student’s signature on the request form.
Find Out if a Personal Essay is Required
The personal essay is an important part of the application. Look over the application to see if one needs to be written. These essays are crucial because it gives your student a chance to sell himself to the college. Colleges are interested in knowing about one significant difference your student has made in improving the community, school, or the impact he has made in his world. If your student needs help with the essay then have a favorite teacher read it over or have your student read it to you. (You’ll get a big lump in your throat… I guarantee it)!!!
Fill Out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
If your student needs financial aid, then it is important that parents fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). These forms usually arrive in the career center or counseling office the fall of your student’s senior year. Many times parents will say that they think they make too much money and they won’t qualify for financial aid but let the government determine that! You will need your income tax statement from the previous year and an estimate of this year’s income tax to fill out the form. After that is submitted you will have the results usually by the New Year. You can send in the FAFSA information if you are requesting financial aid from your college. All of this information will go with your college application. If you don’t have all the financial information by the time the application is due you can tell the college that it will be arriving soon. For additional tips before you fill out the FAFSA, visit their website at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Explore Scholarship Possibilities
Have your student go to the career center or counseling office to explore potential scholarships. Examples would be State of Idaho Scholarships, Pepsi, and others which are offered through the schools.
Watch for Admission Status Letters
Usually by April (often times earlier) your student will receive a letter in the mail with the admission status. If your student has been accepted, then the college will inform you that they can offer a certain amount of money to help your student attend. Sometimes it’s the breaker as to whether it is affordable or not. A college may have a fixed allotment number for how many students they can help financially per year, and colleges are also affected by the economy. Additionally, students are sometimes wait-listed until the enrollment numbers are finalized. Students who have already been selected have to respond by a certain date if they are planning to attend that school. Many students decide to go elsewhere, so that leaves some spots open. The admissions committee will go to the “wait list” and invite those students in. This list is usually for hard to get in schools like Stanford and other big name schools. Your student may still be admitted, but, to be safe, have a back-up school selected.
ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
