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If you\u2019re the parent or guardian of a student embarking on the college admissions process, congratulations! More than likely, the process of sending your student to college is exciting AND overwhelming. It can be hard to know where to start, how best to support your student, which college application deadlines you\u2019ll need to know, how to pay for college, and so on!<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why we here at Magoosh have compiled all of our best resources for students and their families to use along their college admissions journey. This post is specifically geared toward parents, family members, and guardians looking to support their students through this complex process<\/strong>, but we\u2019ll link to plenty of resources addressed directly to students!<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/a> \nWe highly encourage you to share and discuss these resources thoroughly with your student (or students) because if there\u2019s one thing we believe fully, it\u2019s that the college admissions<\/a> process is highly collaborative<\/strong> by nature.\n<\/p>\n \nAlso, most colleges require ACT or SAT scores<\/strong> (though there are a growing number of test-optional colleges and universities now) and official transcripts<\/strong> with a cumulative GPA<\/a>. For the purpose of this post though, we\u2019ll be focusing on the other major moving parts of the college admissions process. For more information on preparing for the ACT or SAT, feel free to check out our ACT resources<\/a> and SAT resources<\/a>! Both resource hubs link to many support tools and pieces of advice for preparing to take these exams.\n<\/p>\n \nFor now, though, let\u2019s dive in and take a look at the other pieces of the college admissions process.\n<\/p>\n <\/a> \nFirst thing\u2019s first: the epic college search. Choosing a college is perhaps the biggest beast of the entire college admissions process. It\u2019s a big decision and involves all kinds of financial and logistical considerations.\n<\/p>\n \nThere may be conflicting opinions and desires when it comes to choosing a college. For example, your student wants to move to the other side of the country, but you\u2019d like them to be able to come home affordably as much as they\u2019d like to. Or perhaps your student is expressing interest in attending a college for a given major, and you\u2019d prefer they study something else.\n<\/p>\n \nThere may also be prohibitive factors. Perhaps your student\u2019s GPA isn\u2019t as competitive as it needs to be to get into a certain school. Perhaps you are doubtful that your family will qualify for need-based financial aid and college tuition is just not in your budget.\n<\/p>\n \nNever fear. ALL families face these discussions and compromises but rest assured, the perfect school choice is definitely out there for your student.\n<\/p>\n \nAs a good starting point, here\u2019s some advice on how to choose a college<\/a> based on a number of factors:\n<\/p>\n \n \nWhat is most important to YOUR student? It can be easy for students to get caught up in what their friends are prioritizing for college but what resources, opportunities, and programs are \u201cmust-haves\u201d for your student? Because there are SO many factors to consider, a good starting place is college size<\/strong>, as this will greatly inform your student\u2019s experience. Is a bigger, more expansive campus their thing, or is a smaller, more intimate setting more up their alley? Share the below quizzes with your student to start the conversation:\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once your student has a clear idea of what they want to study, the second quiz can help narrow down the application process to schools with good programs for this major. (Side note: it\u2019s definitely okay<\/strong> if your student doesn\u2019t know their intended major as a senior in high school. Most colleges and universities do not ask students to declare a major until after their first or second year of college!)<\/p>\n We also really like this piece about choosing the perfect college<\/a> that includes many great reflective questions you could discuss with your student.<\/p>\n \nOverall, here are some tips for parents and guardians for how to choose a college as a team with their student:\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For more great advice on supporting your student in choosing a college, check out this piece on helping your teen with college decisions<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/a> \nOnce your student has chosen which colleges to apply to, you\u2019ll want to help them stay on top of the application requirements for each school.\n<\/p>\n \nBut beyond these standard requirements, there are a few very key pieces of the college application process you\u2019ll want to check in with your student about.\n<\/p>\n \nEvery college has its own specifications, but nearly all of them ask for at least one<\/strong> letter of recommendation from a trusted academic teacher or advisor. These are almost always due along with the rest of the application materials.\n<\/p>\n How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation<\/strong><\/p>\n We recommend these guiding principles when asking for a letter of recommendation<\/a>, and encourage you to discuss your student\u2019s plan for asking for letters from their teachers.<\/p>\n <\/a> \nIf you\u2019re not familiar with The Common Application<\/a>, commonly referred to as \u201cThe Common App,\u201d it\u2019s the relatively universal application that allows undergraduate students to apply to 800+ different colleges in one place.\n<\/p>\n \nAnd more than likely, it\u2019s what your student will be using to apply to most or all of their schools.\n<\/p>\n \nWe suggest that you review the Common App with your student and create an account together. Each school will have their own deadlines to keep track of, but the Common App will act as a \u201cone-stop-shop\u201d through which your student keep track of multiple applications.\n<\/p>\n \nThe most important component of the Common App, however, is the Common App essay<\/strong>, an essay that is sent to each school in addition to individual college\u2019s requirements.\n<\/p>\n \nFor the last several years, the seven Common App Essay prompts<\/a> have stayed the same, and will likely remain the same for the 2021-2022 school year. Students are required to choose one of the prompts and answer it in 650 words or less.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here are some other ways you can support your student in writing the Common Application essay:<\/p>\n <\/a> \nIn addition to the Common App essay, your student may have to write supplemental college essays<\/strong> for individual colleges as well.\n<\/p>\n \nThe best thing you can do to help your student prepare for these essays is to discuss the topics with them, help them brainstorm, and get their creative juices flowing. We find that students often don\u2019t know where to start, but bouncing ideas can help them find a direction.\n<\/p>\n \nCollege essay prompts obviously vary school by school, but many tend to fall into one of the following categories:\n<\/p>\n \nThis type of prompt will ask your student to reflect on why they want to attend a specific school. We recommend helping your student do some research on this front so that they can adequately articulate specific aspects<\/strong> of the school or academic program that appeal to them. They should also be prepared to explain what they will contribute<\/strong> to the academic community. What extracurricular activities will they join? What kind of peer will they be in class? How will a degree from this school in this program help them achieve their future goals? These are all great questions to discuss with your student if they\u2019re answering this type of prompt.\n<\/p>\n \nFor reference, a prompt of this variety may look like this one from the University of Pennsylvania:\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cHow will you explore your intellectual and academic interests at the University of Pennsylvania? Please answer this question given the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying.\u201d<\/em>\n<\/p>\n \nAnother type of prompt asks students to provide any additional information that does not appear elsewhere on their application. This type of essay provides them the opportunity to explain personal circumstances<\/strong> like hardships they\u2019ve overcome or to provide a detailed explanation for poor grades, prior legal troubles. Students may also discuss facets of their learning styles or struggles in these types of essays. Since this information can be a bit sensitive, we encourage you to discuss these topics with your student in a way that empowers them. Remember, colleges aren\u2019t looking for perfect students, they\u2019re looking for thoughtful ones!\n<\/p>\n \nOddly enough, it can be harder for students to talk about their greatest strengths (vs. their weaknesses), which is why having a brainstorming session with them is so great. For prompts like these, students should aim to be honest, humble, and reflective.<\/strong> How can knowing their greatest strengths or weaknesses serve them as a student? How has this strength or weakness helped shape them into a viable candidate?\n<\/p>\n \nSome colleges have notoriously \u201cwacky\u201d prompts like this classic from The University of Chicago:\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cWere pH an expression of personality, what would be your pH, and why? (Feel free to respond acidly! Do not be neutral, for that is base!)\u201d <\/em>\n<\/p>\n \nThese types of essays want to gauge a student\u2019s ability to think outside the box. Your student should be encouraged to have fun with prompts like these but the #1 thing to remember is to prioritize the ideas and content no matter what<\/strong>. This means that no matter how creative your student may get, they should still make a solid case for what they\u2019re arguing.\n<\/p>\n \nThese types of prompts ask your student to reflect on how they will contribute positively to the world in the wake of massive change and complex challenges. Your student may be prompted to choose a pressing topic in today\u2019s world and discuss how and why they will rise to fix it in college and beyond. For example, they may wish to discuss climate change, famine, cyber issues, and so on. Because these topics can be controversial, it helps to talk them out with your student. Encourage them to stay on track and focus on the ways they can use their skills and education to help give back to others in the world.\n<\/p>\n \nNow, of course, not all essay prompts will fit neatly into one of the categories above, and prompts often change annually. Some colleges will supply very specific templates or samples for reference, but there are also plenty of college essay examples<\/a> out there. Students can take a peek at what kinds of essays are helping students get accepted. Of course, these are meant to be used for inspiration–not to be plagiarized.\n<\/p>\n \nAnd how long should a college essay be? It depends. Some colleges will issue several short essays that are each 100-200 words, while others will ask for a longer personal statement that can range anywhere from 500-1000 words.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a> \nFunding college is perhaps the most stressful component of the college admissions process, but it doesn\u2019t have to be. The truth is that there are many ways to make it happen and most of them come down to securing financial aid. The following steps will walk you through exactly how to apply for financial aid.\n<\/p>\n \nThe very first (and most critical) step to securing financial aid is completing a FAFSA<\/a> application. FAFSA stands for \u201cFree Application for Federal Student Aid\u201d and it\u2019s an application to apply for college funding from the United States Federal Government.\n<\/p>\n \nIf possible, plan on helping your student with the FAFSA, as the application requires information about your income. <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \nAfter you and your student complete the application, the government will send you a SAR (\u201cStudent Aid Report)<\/a> including an EFC or \u201cExpected Family Contribution.\u201d The EFC, reflecting the amount you can potentially help contribute to the cost of college, is used to determine how much federal aid your student is eligible for.\n<\/p>\n \nThen, each college or university your student applies uses the FAFSA information to generate a financial aid award letter<\/strong>. Each school may also give their own need-based or merit-based financial aid, but there are 3 core types of financial aid that your student may qualify for:\n<\/p>\n \nFor more information on how to apply for financial aid, check out our complete guide to the FAFSA application<\/a>, which will be updated to reflect the newest information for the 2021-2022 school year as soon as this information becomes available.\n<\/p>\n \nTo this point, the FAFSA deadlines are the same every year and are as follows:\n<\/p>\n \nCheck out this chart to see the see how these dates affect this current academic school year (2020-2021) and next academic school year (2021-2022):\n<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\nTable of Contents<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\nHow to Use This Guide<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\nChoosing a College or University<\/h2>\n
Juggling Different Opinions and Considerations<\/h3>\n
Common Factors for Choosing a College<\/h3>\n
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\nSome other factors to consider when discussing which colleges to apply to are:\n<\/p>\n\n
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\nQuiz 1: What Size College Should You Choose?<\/a>
\nQuiz 2: What Should You Major In?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nTop Tips for the College Search Process<\/h3>\n
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\nDon’t miss out on this comprehensive resource of all the virtual college tours<\/a> we could find online!\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\nGetting Letters of Recommendation<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\nCompleting the Common Application<\/h2>\n
The Common App Essay<\/h3>\n
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\nFeel free to go over this guide on how to write the Common App essay<\/a> with your student.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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\n <\/p>\nWriting Supplemental College Essays<\/h2>\n
1. Why Do You Want to Attend X School?<\/h3>\n
2. What is Important That We Know About You?<\/h3>\n
3. What is Your Greatest Strength\/Weakness?<\/h3>\n
4. Show Us Your Creativity<\/h3>\n
5. What Kind of \u201cCitizen of the World\u201d Are You?<\/h3>\n
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\nShare and discuss this guide on how to write supplemental college essays<\/a> with your student.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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\n <\/p>\nThe 5 Steps to Applying for Financial Aid<\/h2>\n
1. Fill out a FAFSA Before the Deadline (Preferably Earlier)<\/h3>\n
Types of Financial Aid for College or University<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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FAFSA Deadlines 2020-2022<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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