Lately, college has been a vocabulary word used a ton in my house. With my teens and tween, we talk about it, root for our favorite college sports team, and even try and visit campuses around us. I do this so that my children know their options after high school. I’m not saying that my children will all go to college. They may be the trade school type or choose to go to a community college for two years. At least they will know their options and what is out there. Helping them understand these few concepts, can save you and them time and money.
Planning for College
- Grades: Make grades a priority! I can’t encourage it enough! Yes, it matters. If your child has a 3.5 GPA, and above, the sky’s the limit for what is available out there for student aide. For instance, if you live in the West, your child may qualify for the . All your kiddo needs to do is have a good GPA and score well on the SAT or ACT. You can get up to $14,000! Check out the link to see which schools are offering it.
- SAT and ACT: It’s very important that you encourage your children to start planning and practicing for the and/or test. To help them study, you can purchase study guides, use the free app, and register for a class that offers test preparation. Remember, your child can retake the test as many times as they like to improve their scores, however, it can get expensive. Encourage them to study and start early.
- Volunteering: Yes, it is a must that your child look well rounded. It doesn’t hurt them to step out and volunteer somewhere. If they are strong in math, your child could volunteer his/her time to to help someone at school. Local churches are always in need of volunteers. We have a local event that helps provide a meal to families once a week for 2 hours. It’s free and it’s ran by volunteers. Also, help your son or daughter keep track of the time they are putting in volunteering. This question will come up on college applications.
- Extra-Curricular Club and Sports: I recommend your child do something. Whether it be drama, band, football, tennis, etc, he/she needs to be involved. There are tons of clubs to participate it. Just ask your counselors or check out your school’s website to see what is offered.
- Classes in High School: Another very important thing to watch and help your child with, is taking the right classes to help get him/her into college. Many counselors will help your child with this but it is always safe to do your own research and make sure your son or daughter is taking the right classes that are needed for college. Your high school counselor can help you with this. Don’t be afraid to ask them for help either. I had an incident just the other day where I was asking my son’s counselor about (another blog topic). He didn’t have an answer for me, however, by the time I got home, there was an email waiting for me that answered my questions.
- Scholarships: It’s never to early to start looking and applying for scholarships. You can start applying when your child is in elementary school. For this age group, there are not as many offered but they are out there. The sky’s the limit here. The majority of scholarship applicants are high schoolers. The key to applying is to make sure that you are looking at the free ones. If it cost, then don’t do it. To get you headed in the right direction, website will show you tons of scholarship options for free. (More to come on scholarships).
It’s never too early to start planning for college. Making sure you and your child put these recommendations into practice can help you in the long run. Especially, when you start working on application for scholarships.
BY JODY
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