(BPT) - College admissions season is here. Parents of high school seniors, are you and your student ready? There are a lot of to-dos and deadlines to keep track of during this important and exciting time like application deadlines, essays, and letters of recommendation. It's about making sure your senior has what he or she needs in place to make the college application process go smoothly, with the goal of attending the school of their choice next year.
Don't stress! Here's a college checklist for parents and students to stay on track this fall, from the experts at College Ave.
Create a budget, and don't forget pre-college expenses. When planning to pay for college, parents typically look at tuition, books, housing and other expenses their child will incur during each school year. It's vital to know those numbers and understand what your own family budget can handle. But many parents forget about pre-college expenses like application fees, cost of exams, college visits and more. According to a recent College Ave survey, pre-college spend averages $2,891. Building that into your budget now helps prevent unexpected costs later.
Narrow down a list of colleges. On average, students apply to five schools. But, almost 40% apply to more than that, according to the same survey. Work with your senior to create a list of schools they're interested in attending. That means researching specialties and offerings, campus life, size, cost, GPA and test score requirements and other factors. Be practical about the list, but include a couple of wishes, too.
Write essays. Sometimes called "personal statements," college essays are a way for students to show admissions officers who they are and why they're a perfect fit for the school. Have your child research successful college essays to get the style and tone they should use, and then write a personal, heartfelt essay about themselves, their goals and dreams, their circumstances and what they hope to achieve.
Enter the College Ave Monthly Scholarship Sweepstakes. At College Ave, they understand how important scholarships are to help pay for college. That's why they award a $1,000 scholarship award each month. Simply fill out the College Ave scholarship form (it's just a quick name, address, and phone) and you're entered. A new winner is selected every month, so come back and enter each month. Bonus: both the student and parent can enter.
Get up close and personal with the FAFSA. You must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to qualify for most forms of federal financial aid. The U.S. Department of Education, states, and many schools will use the FAFSA to determine your student's eligibility for grants, scholarships, and federal student loans. Get ready for when it launches in December for the 2025-2026 school year. Gather information and documentation, including your tax filing status, income, IRA distributions, assets and other figures from your tax return. Remember, it's not a one-and-done. You'll need to submit this form every year your child attends college.
Investigate state and local grants and scholarships. The FAFSA is your bedrock starting point, but it isn't the only way you can get help paying for your child's education. States also offer grants, scholarships and tuition assistance programs. To find out about yours, start by searching: "State of (your state name) college financial aid support."
Research unique scholarships. You'd be surprised by the sheer number of scholarships that exist out there. Many are specific to the school you're applying to, but many are general scholarships. Are you or your spouse a firefighter? There's a scholarship for kids of firefighters. Is your student left-handed? Yes, there's one for that, too. Does your child play the bagpipes? You guessed it, there's a scholarship for that. Have your child brainstorm and research available scholarships. And about that ...
Get organized about deadlines. This couldn't be more important. If applying to multiple schools, you'll have multiple application deadlines to juggle. But those aren't the only ones. You'll need to be on top of deadlines for scholarships, grants, loans and much more. Make a deadline calendar on a whiteboard and put it in the kitchen, front and center.
College Ave offers flexible private student loan options tailored to your budget and goals. For more information on everything you need to know when your child is ready to start the college application process, and options to pay for your child's education, visit College Ave.
