It’s easy for students and parents to feel overwhelmed during the college admissions season. With applications to fill out, campus visits to coordinate, and finances to budget, families have a lot to think about. MEFA has put together some advice to help everyone survive the chaos and tackle the many tasks ahead.
1. Have a Thorough College List
Set a goal to have a balanced college list. As well, make sure the student applies to a few schools that satisfy all three of these criteria: you’re almost positive the student will be admitted to the school, you think you can afford the school regardless of the financial aid offer, AND the student is excited about attending. This might mean more research to find additional colleges and being more open-minded about school options, including state schools and community colleges. Having a variety of schools on the list will help your family make a financially feasible college choice and select a school that your student is happy with.
2. Stay Organized
Keep track of admissions and financial aid deadlines. Since these vary from school to school, they are easy to miss, and colleges do not offer extensions. Students can check in with school counselors intermittently to make sure they’re on track. It’s also a great idea to use tools to manage this process, anything from a planner to a spreadsheet to MEFA Pathway’s College Application Manager.
3. Start the Common App in August
The Common App opens each year for high school seniors on August 1st, so have your student create an account as soon as possible after that date. Even filling in the demographic information can provide a sense of accomplishment. And students can look around the website to get familiar with it and learn what else is needed.
4. Set a Weekly Check-In Time
Pick a day and time every week to talk as a family about the progress on college applications. By doing so, the student will know to come prepared for questions during that set time, and can relax the rest of the week knowing they won’t be badgered. And parents can feel good having a regular update about the process and stay in tune with any questions or anxieties about postsecondary plans.
5. Be Aware of the Communication Process
The student will be the sole recipient of all communications from colleges, including notifications if something is missing from the admissions or financial aid applications. Parents are sometimes surprised by this, so it’s good to be aware of it early on, and to remind your student to check their email inbox regularly.
6. Check the Portal
After each application is submitted, check the school’s portal to make sure the school received everything. Sometimes there are system glitches, so it is always important to make sure your application is complete at each school.
7. Expect the Unexpected
Remember that, a lot of the time, this process won’t make sense. A neighbor with lower grades and SAT® scores will get in somewhere that your child didn’t. Your child might not get a merit scholarship at a school you considered a sure bet. In the end, your family won’t really know why admissions offices made the decisions they made, and you just have to accept that.
8. Prepare for Rejections
Almost every student receives a rejection or two. It doesn’t feel good when it happens, but remember that it only means a school didn’t have room for the student or the school had certain enrollment goals that year that didn’t match up with the student’s profile. As hard as it is, students should do their best to brush it off and concentrate on the schools that did offer them acceptance.
9. Be Balanced
Spend quality time as a family doing something that doesn’t include all the pressures of postsecondary planning. Connect about topics and interests other than the college process. It’s a lot for everyone, so take a break when you can.
10. Trust in a Happy Ending
Most students find a place they’re happy with! And remind your child that college is what you make of it. Almost every school will have wonderful academic opportunities, strong alumni connections, fun activities, and great people that will become life-long friends.
Ready to take a deeper dive into the college admissions process? Watch our College Admissions webinar. It covers current trends in admissions, how to build a balanced list of colleges, and the different components of the application.
