Do you remember going on college tours, selecting a few to apply to, then starting the daunting process of applying? Filling in college applications can be one of the most stressful times of high school life. As parents, it’s only natural that we want to help our kids when it comes to their college applications. However, many of us don’t know the best ways to go about it.
The most important thing when it comes to college applications is to start helping your child prepare early. The earlier they start thinking about college, the better. Ideally, once your child turns 14, you should start talking about the possibility of college with them. It’s important that you get an idea of whether your child wants to attend college. So that you can do everything possible to give them the best chance.
For everything that you need to know about helping your teen get into a good college, keep reading.
Get them into a good school
This is something that you need to think about as soon as your child starts middle school. If you want them to have a good chance of getting into a high profile college, they need to get the best education possible. If the school that they’re in is a good school, then there’s no need to stress. However, if the education that they’re receiving has room for improvement, it might be wise to think about looking for a new school. Or, if you believe you can give them a better education at home, homeschooling could be ideal.
Help your teen find work experience
One of the most important things when it comes to getting your teen into college is ensuring that they have plenty of experience. As well as encouraging them to get a Saturday job, it’s also worth helping them to find work experience. Regardless of whether they know what career path they want to go down or not, helping them to find work experience is crucial. Ask them if there are any fields that interest them, and find work experience in one of those. Explain that when it comes to applying for college, the more experience they have, the better.
Give them all the support they need with applications
When it comes to applying to colleges, it’s crucial that they get their applications right. Instead of leaving your teen to get on with their applications by themselves, give them lots of support. This means helping them to come up with a unique way to fill in their application. Reading through every one with them, and doing whatever you can to make the process easier. There are some students who should hire college coaches, as this helps to make applying easier, and doubles their chances of success. If you think that your child could benefit from the help of a college coach, do some research and find a good one to hire.
Take them to open days and college tours
Make sure that you take your child to a range of college tours and open days. So that they get an idea of what college life is like. It’s great to give your teen a little inspiration for why they need to work hard at school. Aim to take your teen to at least three college open days, so that they get and idea of what their options are.
To help make applying to college easier for your child, take note of the tips above.
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