The Parent Path
Preparing for college
The most important decision your child is going to make within the next four years is the decision "to go" or "not to go" to college. For many students and parents the decision-making and preparing for college process appears overwhelming at the beginning. The Hewitt Career Center encourages a "one step at a time" approach to obtaining any major goal, and provides the skills and knowledge to achieve the students desired future.
This checklist is a good way to kick-start and help maintain the process of searching for the right college.
FRESHMAN YEAR
Discuss the importance of lifelong learning and the value of a college education.
Create a space and time for your student to establish good study habits.
Promote extended, well-paced studying rather than short-term cramming.
Discuss the impact of grades and course selection on college admission.
Check curriculum requirements for college entrance.
Encourage involvement in extracurricular activities, volunteering, and/or internships (work experiences).
Engage your student in decision-making so that he or she learns to look at options carefully, to act decisively, and to take responsibility for final decisions.
Plan for college expenses...explore your savings options.
SOPHOMORE YEAR
Start to network with your son's or daughter's teachers and counselors.
Talk about his or her interests and career possibilities.
Begin exploring appropriate college options with your student
Continue your support of extracurricular involvement and encourage participation in leadership roles.
Inquire as to whether your student should take the PLAN (pre-ACT) or the PSAT exam. Helps to keep college correspondence in a well-organized file.
JUNIOR YEAR
Your student should develop and follow a plan of college search.
Attend information sessions and college nights sponsored by the high school.
Consult with your son or daughter's high school counselor for college search ideas and advice.
Review all options: if a school seems too costly, find out what scholarships and othar financial assistance may be available to you.
Your student should prepare for and take the ACT/SAT exams.
Find out if your student should take the Advanced Placement or SAT II exams.
Network (check progress and commiserate) with other parents.
SUMMER BEFORE SENIOR YEAR
Help your son or daughter to sort through college mail as it arrives.
Review ACT/SAT results and discuss whether your student should retest
Visit different types of schools: small and large, vocational and liberal arts, private and public.
Develop a list of questions for colleges and take them with you on your visits.
SENIOR YEAR
Send in applications and be aware of deadlines.
Make additional visits and encourage your student to spend the night and attend classes at the schools that spark his or her interest
Remain open-minded as the list of possible colleges may be short.
Stay positive - the search for the right school can be exhausting and stressful at times.
Meet deadlines when applying for merit-based scholarships and need-based assistance (for example, FAFSA).
Collect all of your tax information and file for financial assistance in a timely fashion (and keep copies).
Remain helpful and supportive while the final college choice is made. If needed, help write a well thought out pros and cons list for each college.
Notify the school you have chosen, and set up an appointment with a college counselor to register for classes.
It also is common courtesy to notify all other schools that granted acceptance.
Take a deep breath and relax! You and your college-bound student will encounter new decisions and create new checklists during the summer ahead.
This page was last updated: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 1:30:44 PM
This page was originally posted: 8/30/04; 2:59:15 PM.
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