When is the best time to start thinking about college? The answer, as far as finances go, is soon after a baby is born. The cost of tuition has risen dramatically in the past few decades, so it helps to have a college fund. South Carolina’s Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan is one place to start, and financial advisors can help set up educational IRAs.
During high school, students should start making a list of potential colleges as early as 10th grade. The list might include application deadlines and any other pertinent information available on college websites. If one university is highly favored, students might consider applying for early admission, with the understanding that often a binding commitment is expected with application.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES.Ed.Gov) is a good place to compare college programs and admissions requirements. It is also wise to take advantage of guidance counselors, who can help students focus on their academic goals. Decisions cannot be made solely on the basis of statistics but should include factors like location, ambiance, and culture. Virtual visits online are great, though it is ideal to visit campuses during the junior year of high school.
In the book Admission Matters, authors Sally P. Springer, Jon Reider, and Joyce Vining Morgan caution parents to let their children make the choices and do the work required: “Overinvolvement sends a clear signal to both children and colleges that the applicants can’t make it on their own.” For many parents, this is the most difficult aspect of the college admissions process. Sending children to college requires parents to transition into an advisory role.
Starting in ninth grade, college-bound students should take the most rigorous courses they can handle (again, they should decide for themselves with advice from parents). From the first day of freshman year, grades count toward college admission. Grades, being subjective, are not the only measure of college readiness. College admissions officers pay attention to whether students take advantage of challenging classes. If a student is able to excel in Advanced Placement classes, they are likely to do well in college. The goal is a score of 4 or 5 on each final AP test, though standards differ among colleges.
Many colleges are making the Scholastic Aptitude Test and American College Test optional for applicants in 2022, though high scores still work in a student’s favor. Results are often super-scored, meaning colleges consider only the highest scores in each section of the tests. The bottom line: it does not hurt to take standardized assessments and to do so multiple times. If only one section of a test needs work, a tutor can help bolster knowledge in that subject.
Each October, the College Board offers the PSAT, which students usually take at school in their sophomore year. This test not only serves as practice for the SAT but also screens students for the National Merit Scholarship program. Even students who fall just short of winning a scholarship will be recruited by colleges. Athletes who are being recruited also have an advantage.
Demonstrating interest in favorite colleges is essential. Encourage your child to attend college fairs. During campus visits, take the tours and make appointments to meet with admissions representatives. Your student might ask to sit in on a class or spend the night in the dormitory with a friend. Even if a child is a legacy student with a parent or other family member who has attended a particular college, the academic aspect of the college still needs to be a good fit.
During middle school and the early years of high school, students can attend camps at colleges and universities. They live in dormitories and pursue various interests: sports, music, engineering, zoology, or whatever they wish. They can learn to find their way around campus and get to know like-minded students and faculty, which helps not only in the admissions process but also in those first days of freshman year. Professors do call admissions officers to advocate for prospective students.
Another way to stand out in the college admissions process is to highlight achievements outside the classroom. Extracurricular activities matter, as do community service and leadership roles. Almost all college applications require an essay component. This is the perfect way for students to describe what makes them unique among their peers. Essays need to be well written and well edited. English teachers, guidance counselors, and parents can help, but admissions counselors can spot ghostwriting. Students need to write in their own voices, avoiding extremes of arrogance or self-deprecation. They also should avoid topics that might make others uncomfortable.
Students will also need letters of recommendation. Talk about who is best suited to provide recommendations; the better a teacher or counselor knows an applicant, the easier it is to write an effective letter. Also, encourage your child to plan ahead. It is stressful for everyone if students wait until the last minute to ask for help. Timeliness is also important when it comes to requesting transcripts of high school grades. Teachers and guidance counselors deserve courtesy and patience.
The best news of all for today’s college applicants is that more than 900 schools accept the Common Application, and an increasing number accept the newer Coalition Application. This means that students may apply to several institutions having completed just one form. Bear in mind, though, that most colleges charge an application fee, usually less than $75. Parents should offer to check electronic applications for errors and to complete financial aid forms. The FAFSA form (studentaid.gov) is required for loans, work-study programs, and some scholarships.
One final piece of advice about scholarships: Merit-based scholarships might be negotiable. If your child wants to attend an expensive music conservatory, for example, it might be worth scheduling a second audition to ask for more funding. Cost should not be the sole factor in determining where to pursue higher education. A bit of planning and negotiation can limit or avoid student-loan debt.
Parents, support your children in their pursuit of higher education, but let them drive the decisions and do the work. You can do it, and so can they.
Where is the Class of 2021?
Cheers to the graduating class of 2021 on their first semester of college! Here is a sample of each public school district and independent school’s top 15 colleges attended by this year’s freshmen from the Midlands.
Ben Lippen School
Anderson University
Auburn University
Clemson University
Clemson University Honors College
College of Charleston
Columbia International University
Furman
Presbyterian College
Samford
The Citadel
University of Wisconsin
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Rochester
University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina Honors College
Western Carolina University, Brinson
Honors College
Wofford College
Cardinal Newman
Baylor University
Catholic University
Clemson University Honors College
Duke University
Furman University
Ohio State University
Sewanee, the University of the South
University of Florida
University of Michigan
University of Notre Dame
University of South Carolina Honors College
Virginia Tech
Washington and Lee University
William & Mary
Wofford College
Hammond School
Amsterdam University College
Clemson University
Duke University
Emory University
George Washington University
Northeastern University
Rhodes College
Tulane
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Georgia
University of Michigan
University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill
University of Richmond
University of South Carolina
Washington and Lee University
Wofford College
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School
Clemson University
Davidson College
Elon University
Furman University
Morehouse College
Sewanee, the University of the South
The Citadel
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of Miami
University of South Carolina
Honors College
Vassar College
Virginia Tech
Wofford College
Yale University
Lexington School District Two
Clemson University
College of Charleston
Columbia College
Francis Marion University
Greenville Technical College
Lander University
Midlands Technical College
Newberry College
University of South Carolina
Winthrop University
Lexington School District Five
Anderson University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
Furman University
Lander University
Midlands Technical College
North Greenville University
Presbyterian College
The Citadel
University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina, Aiken
University of South Carolina, Beaufort
Winthrop University
Wofford College
Northside Christian Academy
Charleston Southern University
Clemson University
College of Charleston
Long Island University
Midlands Technical College
North Greenville University
Toccoa Falls College
University of Florida
University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina, Upstate
Richland School District One
Benedict College
Charleston Southern University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
Columbia College
Lander University
Midlands Technical College
Newberry College
North Carolina A&T State University
South Carolina State University
University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina, Aiken
University of South Carolina, Upstate
Winthrop University
Richland School District Two
Charleston Southern University
Claflin University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
Columbia College
Francis Marion University
Lander University
Midlands Technical College
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical
State University
South Carolina State University
University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina, Beaufort
University of South Carolina, Upstate
Wofford College
