Preparing for college can be a long and overwhelming process–one that starts years before your child walks into his first lecture hall. The necessity of it is also something that can creep up on you. In the interest of keeping you and your soon-to-be co-ed on the ball, we've compiled a list of resources that you should start checking out by the time your child is a sophomore in high school. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it's a great starting point for your preparations. Read on to see our suggestions.
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Guidance counselor. I would say one of the most important, yet most often overlooked steps for high school students preparing for collge, is that of course planning. Most universities have strict prerequisite academic requirements for potential and incoming students, and these courses need to be completed before high school graduation. Without the help of a guidance counselor from freshman year onward, it can be easy to end up in a bind come senior year. A guidance counselor can help students make sure they are taking all the necessary classes as well as those that will look good to admissions officers.
Career guide. Some high schools have students complete career assesments, but others don't. While these assesments are not the end-all-be-all when it comes to your child's future, they can give him some insight into where he may want to focus his studies now as well as when he starts college, which should give him a head start when deciding on a major, which subsequently, will help him earn his degree in a shorter amount of time. So if your child isn't taking one in school, he can complete one independently on a number of websites, including yourfreecareertest.com, as well as the websites of different colleges, technical school and universities.
SAT/ACT Prep Guides. No matter which college your child chooses, she will need to take the SAT or ACT test in order to be admitted. The more competitive the school, the more important her scores. There are lots of resources for preparing for these standardized tests, but the Official SAT Study Guide and the Real ACT Prep Guide are the best places to start. Both tests also have online practice tests and guides with some free materials and others that must be purchased. Check them out at sat.collegeboard.org and actstudent.org. For even more intensive instruction, you can also look into a bricks-and-mortar tutoring agency where your child will be taught specific strategies for taking these tests. However, these courses will set you back several hundred dollars.
Mentors. Whether it's someone who studies or previously studied at your child's dream school or someone who works in your child's field of choice, mentors can be invaluable in helping a student prepare for college and their subsequent career. Have your student ask her guidance counselor if she has any connections or knows anyone she could job shadow. If not, she can always make some cold calls and see if someone will let her spend some time shadowing them. But the relationship shouldn't end there; encourage your child to keep in touch via email or coffee dates where she can ask questions and get advice as different concerns and issues come up. Plus, a mentor is the perfect person to ask for a recommendation later when the time comes.
Scholarship/grant websites. And of course, you will need to be financially prepared. Help your child figure out where to look for scholarships and grants. Fafsa.ed.gov is a great place to start, but sites like fastweb.com and bigfuture.collegeboard.com are where you'll find all those independent niche scholarships, grants and internships that really make ends meet.
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