Preparing for College- How Can You Help Your Child Be Ready?

College preparation really begins long before your childís senior year in high school; in fact it should begin as early as grade school by encouraging good study habits in your child. Serious consideration should begin when your son or daughter starts 8th grade. This is when your child should develop habits that will be very helpful in high school, and absolutely essential for college.

Talk to your child about the importance of striving for top grades; at the same time visit different college websites with your son or daughter so that they can see for themselves what the entrance requirements will be.

No college is likely to ever see their grades for high school; nevertheless it is important for your child to learn early on to achieve the best grades possible. The subjects that important for your child to take early on include Algebra and at least one Foreign Language.

Once your child reaches high school the hard work will really begin. One of the first steps you should take is to schedule an appointment with your childís counselor. This way you and your childís counselor will be aware of your sonís or daughterís ambitions, providing that much more aid to help your child reach their goal. It will be necessary for the counselor to prepare a College Prep Track with select schools in mind. Quite often, the average high schoolís requirements for graduation are not enough to get into the top colleges and they may have to take extra classes in order to qualify. Begin this process right away to save the headache of trying to get it all in at once.

Some additional activities that can be a great help are getting your child involved in Extracurricular Activities. Study Groups, Special Interest Groups, and above all, reading. Encourage your child to read as much as they can in any area that holds a special interest to them. Reading well is an absolute must.

Begin to keep a file for your childís achievements, and it is never too early to start asking for recommendations for teachers or others that they are involved with in education or work related activities.

In your childís final year of high school it will be time to make a list of target colleges and request applications. At this same time ask your childís counselor to help identify any and all scholarships your son or daughter may be eligible for. At the beginning of their senior year they should register to take the ACT Test; this is essential.

At last it is time for the interview process at your son or daughterís prospective colleges; it is at this time that most of your work is over. Never go to the interview with your child. Itís time that they stand on their own feet and each college is going to want to know that they can handle school on their own as an adult.