In addition to knowing the basic requirements for each application, familiarize yourself with the admissions standards at each school. Some schools require official SAT score reports with the application others allow students to self-report their scores and only require an official report (which you must pay for) for confirmation after an applicant is accepted. Knowing these differences isn’t just convenient it can also save time and even money. Different schools will have different specific requirements, so investigate the details for each school on your student’s school list.įor example, some schools will request two letters of recommendation from teachers and one from a school counselor, while other schools will allow a letter from a coach, boss, or other mentor. These typically include components like an official transcript, letters of recommendation, and standardized test score reports. In addition to getting to know specific application forms and platforms, you should also familiarize yourself with the supporting materials your student will need to submit or request.

Your teen will likely appreciate your insightful suggestions or answers when he or she shares a question or comment about an application. These three cover the applications for most colleges and universities in the country.

To support your teen through the process, read up on the Common Application, the Coalition Application, and the Universal Application.

Then, keep the door open: as your teen progresses through high school, his or her interests will likely change or solidify at the same time, the application process will become more serious.ĭon’t make it your teen’s job to educate you about college applications-he or she has enough to worry about! Instead, educate yourself about the college application process (spoiler alert-it’s mostly online these days). Having conversations about college early and often can help to establish common goals, clarify expectations on both sides, and open the door for future communication, including hard conversations about differing priorities or choices. By beginning college discussions in broad terms when your student is in 10th or even 9th grade, you’ll lay a strong foundation for future discussions before the stress begins. That’s why we recommend starting the conversation about college early. College applications are hard enough on their own the last thing your teen needs is the additional stress of procrastination. Sometimes, the longer you wait, the harder it is to even get started. In this post, we outline eight ways you can help to support your teen through this stressful process without overstepping. If you’re the parent of a college hopeful, you might be unsure of how to ease this stress. If your teen is applying to college, the fall of senior year is crunch time, and your student is likely feeling the pressure.īut college applicants aren’t the only ones under stress during application season the stress can rub off on the entire family-especially you, the parents. It also signals the beginning of the college application season-and all the stressors and deadlines that go along with it. For millions of high school students across the country, the start of 12th grade doesn’t just signal the beginning of the end of high school.

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