College Prep for Parents

Parent preparation for the ACT and SAT college-entrance exams doesn't have to involve re-learning trigonometry or studying vocabulary flashcards, but it's important for parents to take a role in their teens' college choice and admission efforts. After all, getting into a good college is the crowning achievement of your student's high school career. It's also your child's first step into adulthood and an important crossroads on the path to success.

It's easy to go to extremes with college prep and your kids. Some parents go overboard, even writing their student's entrance essays for them. You naturally want your child to do well, and don't want her mistakes in judgment to have long-term consequences. Other parents don't help their students prepare beyond driving them to the ACT or SAT test on a Saturday morning. They might be too busy to help, or they might want their kids to learn responsibility and strong decision-making skills. We recommend finding a balance between the extremes.

The Path Between Hovering and Neglect

• Communicate: Every child is different, so it follows that each one will have different needs and expectations when it comes to college help from parents. We recommend talking with your teen about basics such as grades and areas of academic interest. Furthermore, you should talk with your child about college expectations. With that information clarified, you can decide together what kind of support will be most helpful.
• Research Colleges and Scholarships: This one's all about the money. Whether you'll be footing the bill or not, you want higher education to be as inexpensive as possible. To get scholarships lined up, start early. Your student can take the PSAT to become eligible for the National Merit Scholarship, and a high GPA will almost ensure scholarship offers from a handful of universities. You can also visit the website of the College Board to find scholarship opportunities, or you can look locally for ones that may be particularly applicable to your teen. Researching institutions is next. Look at tuition rates for both in-state and out-of-state students. It's also wise to look at the academic courses available and the cost of living. You can do this with your student. Then, we recommend choosing a handful of colleges that would be ideal. Find the requirements for admission at those colleges and contact the schools for extra information. It's best to give your child a lot of latitude here: Act more like a coach than a manger.
• Decide Which Test is Best: Every four-year college in the United States accepts both the SAT and ACT tests, but you and your child should consider the differences between these exams during sophomore or junior year. The ACT has a strict time limit and a science-reasoning section, but the SAT has more test sections overall and a different penalty system for wrong answers. If your child wants to take both exams, we recommend focusing on one at a time. Then, your student can choose which score to hide and which to send to prospective colleges.
• ACT/SAT Prep: Your student's high school might offer classes specifically for college entrance exams. If not, you can find books, tutors, night classes, online help or ACT/SAT prep software. These options can be pricey, but the cost shrinks in comparison to the benefits your student can earn with a high score. We recommend studying about an hour a day and adding a comprehensive review just before the exam. Take as many full-length practice exams as possible.

Choosing a college is exciting and important. Nevertheless, the admissions process can be very stressful. After helping with the exam and research, take some college prep time to relax with your teen. Remember that while entrance examinations are important, scores aren't the only factor in future success. There will always be time to grow academically, but your child will only be a teenager once, and the time to build a strong relationship is now.

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