How to help your child get into college

Helping your child achieve their college dreams can be a real challenge, especially when you, as a parent, could not realize those dreams yourself. Today in age, a higher education is essential for a brighter future and greater success. Therefore, it’s important for parents to be prepared to help their children during this time in their lives.

Parents who didn’t go to college may have questions about how to guide their children. “It’s hard for me because I never went to college,” says Rocio García, from Bakersfield, who is now trying to help her daughter enroll in school. Mrs. García is not alone. More than sixty percent of students who will graduate high school in 2009 and took the SAT indicated that they would be first generation college students.

However, there are many resources available to parents, one of which is the high school counseling office. You can begin by asking if your child is taking the right courses required for graduation. Universities will not accept students without a high school diploma.

“We provide students with guidance every step of the way, from selecting a college to granting fee waivers for admissions applications and tests as well as the SAT” comments Ansberto Vallejo, head counselor of the Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa.

It’s very important for parents to maintain contact with counselors or teachers and take advantage of their professional experience. The College Board, one of the most important resources for college preparation, recommends parents to focus on three key aspects of college planning: deadlines, applications, and tests.

“It’s crucial for students to be aware of deadlines,” says Vallejo. Planning ahead of time helps to keep track of deadlines for tests, applications, and financial aid. Students must not forget to send their transcripts and test results, ask for recommendation letters, and write a personal essay for the application.

Most students take a standardized college entry test such as the SAT. This test assesses the skills a student has acquired throughout high school including math, reading, and writing, which are crucial to achieve success in college and work. The SAT can be taken throughout the year and students usually take it during their junior year. It’s important to keep track of the different deadlines for submitting test results to colleges.

The best way to prepare for the SAT is to study hard during high school and take as many advanced courses as possible, since students who do so usually score higher on the test. You can take advantage of the free pre-test and receive the “SAT question of the day” via e-mail. These resources are made available through the counseling office, so make sure to stop by there first. Other low-cost educational materials are available on the internet and in libraries.

Any amount of college education is valuable, but obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree is priceless. In addition to a higher income, a college degree can provide the next generation an advantage in obtaining healthcare, medical insurance, and pension from an employer.

A college education can also provide long-term economic security. The unemployment rate of those with a high school diploma is almost double the rate of those with a college degree.

Undoubtedly, getting into college requires careful planning, but a life-changing experience is definitely worth it.

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Get informed:
In English: www.collegeboard.com
In Spanish: www.collegeboard.com/enespanol/

This post is also available in: Spanish