If you have a senior in high school who will be preparing to apply to college in the fall, there are 4 common mistakes you should try to avoid. A little bit of pre-planning (as described here) will make the college admissions season run smoothly.
> Falling in love with a school without knowing anything about it
This is a very common mistake that many high school seniors make. They become obsessed with brand names of colleges or universities without knowing anything about the schools.
In recent years, this has become so prevalent because parents and their kids have become too focused on the college rankings that come out each fall. I know it is difficult to avoid brand-name competition, but the college application process will be a lot less stressful if you can ignore the college rankings madness.
The ideal way to approach college applications is to have your child take stock of what their academic and career interests are and then systematically go through and examine which schools will be best for them.
> Overestimating their academic credentials
A second common problem is that many parents overestimate their child’s academic credentials. Social scientists refer to this as “the optimism bias.”
New social science research suggests that most people are more optimistic than they are realistic. In particular, recent research indicates that people underestimate their chances of getting divorced, being diagnosed with cancer, and overestimate their children’s academic capabilities.
These overly positive views can lead to miscalculations of risk. This is very common amongst students preparing to apply to college. They often overestimate their ability to get into the most competitive colleges.
So how do you get your child to accurately estimate their academic credentials?
Sit down with your child and a copy of their transcript and their test scores. Use the academic assessment worksheet available here to determine just how strong your child’s academic record is.
By doing this at the beginning of your child’s college search, you be able to determine which schools are most likely to accept them. With so many college applicants in recent years, it is best to start the odds in favor of your child’s acceptance. This will also make the entire college application process less stressful.
> Not discussing how much your family can afford
The other big problem that is very common when families are gearing up to apply to colleges that they fail to discuss finances for college prior to applying.
The financial aid experts will tell you that you should not limit your college search to the cheapest schools if you do not have much money for college. It is true that many universities and colleges give generous financial aid packages. But it is also true, however, that there is no guarantee that you will receive a substantial financial aid package to help cover your child’s college costs.
So my advice is to come up with a list of colleges that are likely to accept your child based on their academic credentials, and then determine how much money colleges will expect you to contribute for your child’s costs. You can do this quite easily using an online EFC calculator. This is the formula that is used by the FAFSA that you will fill out in January. It is imperative that you get a sense of your EFC prior to firming up your child’s application list.
For many parents the EFC is shockingly high that it is better to know that you’re expected to contribute such a high son before your child applies to college rather than after. My advice is to also apply to schools with a variety of costs, including cheaper local state universities as well as pricier private schools.
> Failing to talk about career plans before applying
The final common mistake that people make during college application season is to ignore any discussion of your child’s future career plans.
Granted, most college students would change their majors and, at age 17 or 18, no one has a definitive sense of their future career.
But having said that, it is important that your child understand that a college degree is ultimately a means to an end. And the end is a career that will give them a fulfilling and good-paying job.
About the Author
Dr. Jane E. Dabel is a college professor in Southern California. She also writes the Six Step College Application blog.
