Archive for November, 2009

Senior Year 101: The Early Bird Gets the Worm

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

On my second installment of senior year advice for parents, I’d like to talk about getting applications in early. Our college financial planner told us how important it was to apply early to colleges for the best scholarships. Of course my main motivation for getting applications in early was to get life back to normal as quickly as possible so we could all start actually enjoying senior year. We finished up in by mid-October, and though it was a lot of work getting it all done that soon, it felt really good.

When the acceptance letters started rolling in a few weeks later, that’s all they were, acceptance letters. Some more personal than others, but nothing in any of them that even hinted at scholarship money or otherwise. Then, to our surprise, we came home from church late last Wednesday night to an envelope from my son’s number one college pick. He’d gotten his acceptance letter from them a few weeks earlier so we knew it wasn’t that. We opened the envelope and were amazed to read that he’d been awarded two scholarships for a total of $8,000, renewable for up to 4 years. We were so excited and so grateful. It made immediate believers out of us that applying early is the way to go.

But it makes sense really. Schools have a certain amount of scholarships available each year. It just makes sense to award them not only based on merit, but also on a “first come, first serve” basis. Colleges are looking for serious students who know what they want to do and where they want to go. Turning in a quality application well before the cut off date speaks volumes to the ones making the decisions about who gets the money.

Once scholarship money is given out, that’s all there is. Financial aid packages and final financial letters come our after FAFSA forms are completed in January, but the dollars that don’t have to be paid back can be awarded well before that date. So, in this sense it really does “pay” to apply early.

Receiving a scholarship doesn’t obligate you to a particular school, but it does make the decision making process so much easier. In our case, it’s confirmation that we’re on the right track as far as his top pick. It gives us one more reason to believe the place he’s already chosen appreciates him for what he’s accomplished in high school. It’s pretty clear he’ll be more than just a number, and that’s what we’re looking for.

So, as you look ahead and make lists of what you need to do as senior year approaches, put “apply early” somewhere near the top. If we weren’t sure how important it was when we started, we certainly are now.

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Senior Year 101- Getting Started

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Senior year started off with a bang at our house when I realized exactly how much there was to do. We had no idea the amount of work that goes into doing college visits, getting applications filled out, taking the ACT as many times as it takes and starting to look for scholarships; much of which needs to happen well before senior year begins. Most colleges want applications turned in by mid-November of a young person’s senior year in order to get the most out of school sponsored scholarship programs. The bottom line is students receive scholarship funds on a first come first serve basis. That, among other things, is something most parents do not know about until they start this process. Just so I don’t forget all these crazy details by the time my 7th grader is ready to take on the challenge of getting in to college, I thought I’d start blogging about the senior year experience from a parent’s perspective. Here is hoping it helps me remember everything when it is our turn again, and that it helps some of you who are just getting started.

College Visits

It is a good idea to start these during your son or daughter’s junior year. That way it is not so early that she forgets what she likes about a particular campus, and she is not so busy with senior year that it is impossible to get away. Senior year is a busy time right out of the gate. By the time November or December rolls around, applications really need to be in. If you have not done any visits by then, plan to visit campuses as a way to make final decisions between top college choices.

ACT/SAT Testing

You can never start this learning process too early. Many school systems even offer practice ACT/SAT testing in as early as 8th grade. Take advantage of every opportunity to practice these tests, but find out which test your state looks for most often. We learned that not every state offers both tests in convenient and easy testing locations because states tend to prefer one test to the other. Michigan is predominantly an ACT Test state, so our son took the ACT Test for the first time at his own high school. Not only that, but our school has the entire junior class take the test together over the course of two mornings, while the rest of the students have a late start. It was a great testing environment in familiar surroundings.

Another ACT Test note: Do not send out your scores to any schools until you are happy with them. You have no way of knowing how your son or daughter will do on the test the first time. If you send those scores to colleges automatically, you may not be giving the best first impression. Use as many test opportunities as you need to get a first score you like. Some schools even combine scores from the various batteries to come up with the strongest composite score for admission and scholarship consideration, so it is a good idea to know what the scores are before you send them. It costs a little bit more to do it this way, but it can definitely be to your advantage in the end.

College Application Budget

One thing we did not think about ahead of time was how much money it costs to submit applications and take ACT/SAT tests. College application fees range anywhere from $35 to $50 dollars (and more in some cases), and must be submitted with the application for processing. If you apply to seven different schools as we did, this number adds up quickly. We found one school that waved the application fee if we applied before December 1, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

College tests cost each time you take them, so if you are going to test multiple times, that needs to be in your budget. In addition, if you choose to wait to send out scores, there is an additional fee for that as well.

Do not forget printing costs and travel expenses for resumes and college visits! A resume is not a requirement, but it looks good when one is included with the college application. As far as travel expenses go, try to visit more than one college per day if you are traveling a good distance that requires an overnight stay. I would not recommend doing more than two visits per day. College tours tend to be very similar, and if they begin to blend because you have tried too much at once, you will not get the maximum benefit.

Well, that is all for today. Check back again soon for more advice on surviving senior year and getting your child ready for college. We are learning as we go, and believe me, it is quite an adventure so far!

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