Next Steps

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What to Do After Your Child Chooses a College

Congratulations. Your child has selected a college. The next few months are going to be incredibly busy and exciting ones, as you help your child prepare for the transition to college. Here's a checklist of common tasks for parents and students once that final college choice is made.

Read All College Materials Carefully

There's a reason the envelope is fat. Besides the acceptance letter, you'll also find information on orientation, financial aid, housing, meal plans, and more to help your child make a smooth transition. Much of the information will require prompt decisions and responses, so pay close attention to any deadlines. Turning in the deposit late (or not at all) can jeopardize your child's acceptance.

Send the Tuition Deposit

If your child's college follows the National Candidate's Reply Date, you should have until May 1 to send in the tuition deposit—some schools may have earlier deadlines, so take note of the reply date in materials your child received.

The deposit signals your child's acceptance of the college's offer of admission and reserves a place in the first-year class. Turning in the deposit late (or not at all) can jeopardize your child's acceptance. Good news—many colleges allow families to make deposit payments online using credit cards.

Make a Decision on Financial Aid

The award letter will outline the various types of financial aid your child has been offered, including gift aid (scholarships and grants) and self-help aid (loans and work-study). Here are some award letter tips to keep in mind:

Your child is not required to accept the entire aid package as offered. For example, some students decline a work-study amount or accept a loan for a lesser amount.
If there are any significant changes to your family's financial aid status or contact information, you must inform the financial aid office.
Make sure your child completes, signs, and returns the form by the designated deadline.

Take Care of Education Loan Paperwork

If your child accepts student loans as part of the aid package, it probably will require filling out loan application forms before the start of the semester.

Most student borrowers must also undergo loan counseling or a loan interview before funds are dispersed. Loan counseling can be done online and typically consists of a short set of questions to make sure your child understands the rights and obligations of a borrower.

If you've decided to take out parent loans such as PLUS, you will need to complete and return a promissory note. If your child doesn't already own a computer, strongly consider purchasing or leasing one.

Housing

If planing to live at school, your child will have to apply for on-campus housing. At some point, you'll receive information about the dormitory, including a housing contract and deposit form, move-in dates and instructions, roommate questionnaire, resident rules and regulations, and an overview of services, such as laundry and package delivery. Read this information carefully—you'd be surprised how many first-year students and their parents have shown up on campus, bags in hand, a day before move-in!

Read Off-Campus or On? if your child is thinking of getting an off-campus apartment.

Schedule a Physical

Most colleges require incoming students to submit the results of a recent physical exam, along with vaccination history. Try to take care of this paperwork well before your child leaves for college. Turning in this paperwork late can delay registration for classes.

Go Shopping

Does your child have everything needed for the first year at college? If shopping for college has got you overwhelmed, check out our Off-to-College Checklist. With everything from a laundry bag, to underwear, to the all-important coffee maker, our list has got your family covered.

Get a Computer

If your child doesn't already own a computer, strongly consider purchasing or leasing one. All students will need a computer to access online course materials, conduct research via the Internet, and read and send email. Some colleges require that all incoming students own or purchase a computer, and will even subsidize the purchase. If you have questions about the computer requirements at your child's college, contact their information services (or equivalent) department.

Reminders for Your Child

Here are a few last-minute things your child should remember to do in the transition from high school to college:

Write thank-you notes to those who helped with the college application process.
Study for college placement exams.
Sign up for orientation.
Have your counselor send a final copy of the transcript to the admissions office.