Schedule a meeting with the high school guidance counselor. Freshman year is the platform to set goals and develop a class schedule that will give your children the best chance to meet the college course criteria. According to "Get Ready for College," children need four years of language arts, four years of math, four years of social studies, three years of science, one year of art and two years of a foreign language to gain college entry.
Instruct your children to take the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test), SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), and ACT (American College Testing) exams. The PSAT is usually taken in ninth and 10th grades to prepare students for the SAT or ACT. The SAT or ACT scores are what qualify students for college entry. Students should take these tests as many times as possible to measure what skills they need to improve. Help your students find additional tutoring and instruction to improve these scores.
Save for college tuition. If you have not already started a plan, it is never too late to begin saving. A 529 plan is a good way to save for your children's college. A 529 plan is an educational savings plan designed to help parents put away funds for college. It is named after the Internal Revenue Code 529. In 2010, every state has at least one 529 plan available to its residents.
Record and keep track of extracurricular activities, sports, clubs, community service, and academic excellence, All are considered in the college recruitment formula. Colleges want students who will become future leaders. Participating and excelling in these activities, show character and determination.
Visit schools that your children are interested in. You will be able to get see the campus and visit the dormitories where your children will be living for the next four years. You and your kids will be able to ask questions and view the campus. Student mentors are usually on hand to answer specific questions that your kids may have.
Apply for scholarships and grants. High school students are usually encouraged to begin researching and apply for scholarships and grants to help them with their financial needs. You will need to provide financial information and tax returns to help your kids qualify for financial aid. Students will be instructed to fill out the FASFA application. This is the catalyst to Pell grant funding.
Prepare and send out college applications. Your kids will need to supply their high school transcripts. In their senior year, high schools will send out the transcript records that they have up until that point. Final transcripts will be sent out after graduation. College applications are usually accompanied by a fee. It can be as low as $20 or as high as $75 or more. Each college application fee is determined by the individual college.