Research and Organization

Researching colleges can be a big job.  I don’t see why parents shouldn’t help with it, as long as parents aren’t trying to influence the decision that their children are making by only presenting the information that supports the colleges they favor.  I do think that it shouldn’t be only the parents’ job to do this however.   The person who is going to go to the university should be involved in all aspects of the college search, application, and getting financial aid, and the only person involved in some aspects.

There can be a huge number of deadlines to keep track of,  if the student is applying to more than a few universities.  It can be particularly helpful if the parent makes a calendar of these deadlines to keep the student from missing one.  Other organizational tools like notebooks or folders could also benefit the student during this process.  Even making folders on the computer could be helpful.  Perhaps finding information that the student will need for their applications is another organizational task that a parent could do to assist in the process.

Here’s what Shawn Abbott, Director of Admissions of Stanford University, has to say about parent involvement in a YouTube video:

Financial Aid Process

I see no reason why a student shouldn’t be involved in the financial aid process, although some parents may want to keep their financial information private.  Because of that, filling out the FAFSA is probably something that more parents than students do.

The only part of the financial aid process that only the student should do is writing essays for scholarships that are independent of the colleges.  Even here I see no harm in parents reading those essays for grammar, spelling and to see whether the essays convey the points the student is trying to make.

I hope that gives you an idea of what you can do to support your student during the search and application process.

Blessings,

Bonnie

• how to help your child find the right college
• how to help your child get accepted to college
• how to find and maximize financial aid for your child
• how to prepare your child for college life and
• how to help your child deal with the issues at college

Along with experts in their fields, Christian College Parents is putting together packages that contain everything you need to know about every aspect of college…from a Christian perspective.

The first ebook we are offering is “A Parent’s Survival Guide to College.” It was written by Neil O’Donnell, an academic specialist and professor at a private college in western New York. This ebook is FREE to our members and membership is also FREE. You can join and request the FREE ebook by simply clicking this link.

We promise never to sell or give away your information and you can quit your membership at any time. However, I can’t imagine why you’d want to quit, since you’ll also get a FREE newsletter with tips and news about all things college from a Christian viewpoint.

We will continue to offer the information you need in a concise, easy-to-understand format. So you can save the time you’d spend researching and spend it doing something you’d actually enjoy. Or you could spend the time helping your child during the chaotic and stressful pre-college hurricane.

Yes, I did mean to say that you might not enjoy helping your child get ready for college. This can be a difficult time for the child-parent relationship. This may be because your child is trying to become more independent, but it may also be because they are anxious about leaving home for college. (Even if they don’t admit it.) As a result, they may not be the nicest people to have around. I have a friend who says that God planned it that way so we wouldn’t miss them so much when they leave. I’m not so sure about that, but they can be less than delightful during this period. (It’s possible that we might, from time to time, be less than darling during this period also.)

Anyway, the point of all this is that Christian College Parents will continue to provide you with essential information that is all in one place, easy to understand, with a dash of humor and a Christian perspective.

We hope you join and get our FREE ebook “A Parent’s Survival Guide to College” today. Get it now by clicking this link.

We also hope that you will become an active member of our Christian College Parents community. We want to hear from you, so we can give you exactly what you need. We’d also like to hear about your experiences — both positive and negative — of getting your children ready to fly the coop and stretch their wings at college.

Blessings,

Bonnie

Through this blog I plan to address the concerns and issues of Christian parents who are helping their children go through the arduous process of selecting, getting admitted to and finding funding for the special college that is just right for them.

When I was a high school student back in the late 60’s the process was nowhere near as difficult. I applied to one college — Vanderbilt University — early decision and got admitted. I hate to admit it, but it was easier to get accepted to the college of your choice back then, because fewer people went to college. Now a college degree has become what a high school degree was then — absolutely necessary to get a decent job. The cost of Vanderbilt has increased approximately 2000% since my freshman year. When I graduated I had a loan to repay, but the payments were only about $17/month. Now I read about students who graduate $100,000+ in debt. All of these factors makes the process a lot harder and a lot scarier to navigate.

That’s where Christian College Parents can help. Our goal is to make life easier for parents who are helping their students with the whole big selection, application, and funding college process. One of the ways I’ll be doing that is through information, but I also will be offering Christian support during this hair-yanking-out time.

And I’ll be going through the process for the third time. My daughter Kat is transferring next Fall so I’ll be reporting on our journey through the maze.

What are your biggest concerns and questions about the process? Let me know and I’ll address them in future blogs.

Blessings,
Bonnie