<p>If you are applying for need based financial aid, I don’t see how you can keep it a secret. They will not call your parents at work during the application process. But you need their tax returns and a lot of detailed information for the financial aid forms. And your parent probably has to sign the FAFSA (they can sign electronically, but they still have to do it themselves). And you list the colleges getting the FAFSA.</p>
<p>I can’t see that any of post #9 reasons are good reasons to not tell your parents. No one outside of them needs to know, though (cousins, other family members, etc). Just putting in applications doesn’t mean the student will be accepted or be able to afford the school or choose to attend.</p>