College applications: What I've learned as a parent the second time around

atomom
Wed, 13 Nov 2019 16:05:56 +0000

On my 6th(of 7) kid going through the process now. I also have done test prep for many years and have seen kids I’ve tutored go through it.
Things I’ve learned over the years:
Do your research. Many parents and kids misunderstand info. about chances of admission and, especially, about financial aid. Don’t add your family to the student debt mess. Understand the full cost of each college on your list.
Scores pay off in scholarships and admissions, so don’t neglect SAT/ACT prep. (Flipping through a prep book and doing 5% of the exercises is probably not going to significantly raise your score to that admission or scholarship level you dream of.) Prep early, prep thoroughly. Prep in the summer when you have more time/no other homework.
Your kid can only attend one school. Identify the best fit/affordable/likely admit schools early on. Simplify the process by keeping the list as short as possible. Be realistic.
Know all the application requirements and keep track of deadlines. Don’t procrastinate on transcript, score, and recommendation requests–and follow up on them to make sure everything has gone through.