10 Things Parents (And Teens) Should Know About the College Application Process

The winter weather has been pounding down on Eastern Connecticut. That makes this the perfect time to make sure that your son or daughter is hammering out those important college applications.

No matter what stage of the process your child is in, there’s help on the way. A guidance counselor and University of Connecticut academic advisor have offered some advice to guide you through the application process with your son or daughter. By the end of this list, you will hopefully be ready to attack the admissions process with more confidence and success. 

Much of the following advice applies to both parents and students, so be sure to show these to your kids:

1. Guidance counselor Patricia Micari of Tolland High School suggests that you make sure the application is complete and that you have sent all information to the schools, including SAT or ACT scores.
2. “Make sure you research your schools for the best fit for you, including visits to the campus,” said Micari to applying students.
3. Micari said that students and parents should communicate on the big decision, most importantly about the costs that will be involved. “It’s a family decision,” said Micari.
4. Micari said that when it comes to the college essay, a parent should proofread it. If not a parent, a teacher or counselor should look it over.
5. Most importantly, when all is said and done, Micari says you should “relax—you did your research.”
6. Academic advisor Marcel Dufresne, of UConn, claimed that there are a lot of bad reasons that students pick schools, and prospective students should avoid those very reasons. “Like a school’s sports program,” said Dufresne. “It shouldn’t be a factor.”
7. “When we do open houses to get high school students coming in, the students come up with their parents,” said Dufresne. “The parents always ask questions, but a lot of students don’t have a lot of questions. If you want to learn about the field and get good advice for careers, you need to ask questions.”
8. Dufresne suggests that students should attend the university on a day where classes are in session and sitting in on those classes. “Most importantly, talk to the students,” said Dufresne. “College students are more than willing to talk to high school students.”
9. One important thing he mentioned was examining how well you actually know your advisor when you attend a school, and how available they are to you. Students need to find out exactly what the ratio of students per advisor is. “I have a niece who goes to a good private college, and her advisor has seven students, but she is paying 3 times the cost it would to go to UConn,” said Dufresne.
10.  “Treat [college] like an investment,” said Dufresne. “You would never buy a fancy car or house or make any kind of purchase without asking lots of questions.”

We also spoke with several college students and recent graduates to get a perspective from people who have gone through the admissions process.

1. “Approach the college admissions process with an open mind. Hear what all schools have to offer, weigh the pros and cons of each and don’t solely choose a school for one reason. Shoot for variety, assuming you change in one or more ways over the course of four years.” –Dan Grube, University of New Hampshire Alumnus
2. “Think about what you really want out of the college experience. If your goal is to get a job or internship experience for the future, looking at schools in a city would definitely be a good choice.” –Alex Gordon, American University
3. “For both parents and students, stay on top of deadlines. When a university posts a list of important deadlines, they are serious about them. This is not high school anymore, and learning the hard way is usually the lesson being taught.” –Mike Nelson, University of Connecticut Alumnus
4. “Don’t worry too much about picking a major right now. Go in with an open mind and explore different opportunities. Many college students change their mind about what to major in at least once or twice.” –Shreena Patel, University of Connecticut Alumnus
5. “Don’t compare the schools you’re applying to with the schools your friends apply to, because in the end it’s all about finding the best fit for you.” –Ali Segal, University of Connecticut Alumnus
6. “Hold on to all the materials your prospective universities send to you. That way you can read it all and make sure you are not missing anything when it comes to making the best choice for you.” –Kristen Glines, University of Connecticut
7. “Don’t stress about the whole process. Think about your stronger subjects and interests and choose a school that seems like it would highlight those factors.” –Drew Dawson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
8. “Allow yourself a wide range of options knowing that you will probably change your mind at some point. The person making the decisions at 18 is a different person that the one graduating at 22.” –Abby Smith, University of Connecticut