Pick a Baby Step, Any Baby Step
Are you or your child feeling overwhelmed by the number of factors involved in choosing a college? Don't be. There are quick and easy things you both can do today to start the process.
A great place to begin is by sitting down with your child and talking over his plans. What types of colleges is your child interested in? Does he know what his choice of major or career will be? What sort of financial and time contributions can you make to your child's education and to helping him with the admissions process? The earlier your family starts discussing these issues, the easier it will be for you to help make this a positive experience for your child, and for you.
Here are some things that you and your child can do to get the process started:
Read the Mail
At this point, your child is probably receiving tons of college brochures and maybe even a few college-recruiting emails. Ask your child to share this information with you. Reading this material is one way for both of you to learn about colleges and what they have to offer.
If your child hasn't been contacted by a school he is interested in, he can go to its website and request a brochure. He can also tell schools and scholarship programs that he's interested in hearing from them.
Encourage Your Child to Talk to Family and Friends
Their personal experiences can give your child insight into what college is all about. He may want to hear about your alma mater or talk to college students home on break over the holidays. Your own experiences can be a helpful resource in these discussions. Keep an open mind, though. You may find he's interested in a different type of college experience than the one you had.
Write Down Important Characteristics
Coed or single-sex? Public or private? Your child should think about who he is and what he's looking for in a college. Making a list of factors will help your child to determine what's most important to him.
Make a Wish List
Your child should list any college he would like to attend, from the one on the beach or in the mountains to the one with the best academic reputation in his intended major, but don't forget the school nearby. At this point, your child shouldn't limit himself. Just brainstorm.
Research Schools
Your child should check out a college's profile on to get all the basic information about it, such as majors and sports offered and admission requirements. Then, he should check out the college's website to take a virtual tour, see the courses offered, and contact students and the admissions office. Just remember, to see if your child clicks with a school, he should visit its campus.
Visit a Campus
Your family should visit a college that's close to home or one that a friend or family member already attends. It doesn't even have to be one that your child is interested in attending. Visiting will help him focus his preferences and may even make your child think of needs he didn't know he had. Can't get to a campus? Take a virtual tour on the school's website.
Go to a College Fair
Your child should ask his guidance counselor if there's a college fair coming to his school or a nearby school. Once there, he can pick up catalogs, talk to representatives and other students, and feel like he is officially starting the search process.
Meet with the High School Counselor
Your child's counselor is drawing on years of experience and, in particular, experience sending students to colleges your child may be interested in. He should meet with his counselor to discuss his education and career goals, and how to achieve them.