The Alternative Press

The best college advice my children received when applying to college was "Love Your List!"  I can analogize it to making a grocery list.  You wouldn't put items on it you don't want to buy, so why have a college list of schools you are not wholly interested in attending.  That includes the schools that have highly competitive application pools and those which are considered "safety schools."  Whenever one of our kids was making an application, we made sure it was to a school they'd defnitely attend if accepted. 

Let's face it.  College application season is a busy, tense time. Your mailbox is stuffed with college brochures, there are college counseling meetings, college visits, and information sessions for you and your teen to squeeze into your schedules.  Your senior has interviews, essays to write, grades to maintain, and applications to complete.  Then, factor in a 12th grader's homework, sports, the school newspaper, music lessons, social commitments, and checking facebook.  Where's the relief??

Receiving a  "Rolling Admission" or "Early Action" acceptance is  a great confidence booster and your senior can relax a bit with very good news.  Why not apply with one of these plans to a school which is attainable.  A college's Early Action plan gives students an admission decision sometime in December but your senior does not have to commit to the college until the regular May 1st deadline.  The May 1st commitment deadline is also true of schools that have Rolling Admissions.  A few of my children actually received a rolling admissions decision as early as November.  Application deadlines are still important with these plans and your student has to keep them in mind when filing their paperwork.  Early Action is typically filed November 1st (or possibly earlier).  Rolling admissions can open very early in the fall and if the application is filed early, the decision may even be expedited.  I kept a real distance from my children's application paperwork.  However, I did keep a list of deadlines for their respective applications to make sure they didn't miss any important filing dates.

Imagine the power of a positive letter or e-mail coming to your senior before the holiday season.  Getting accepted early to a college is an affirmation of hard work and endeavor.  There's nothing more gratifying than having your teenager see the word, "Congratulations" in a personal correspondence. "Love Your List" really works here too.  Your senior can be accepted to a college they truly desire.  This strategy makes waiting for any remaining acceptance letters less stressful for a busy student.

My husband and I told our kids that applying to college was all about knowing what's available to them and making good choices. It's alot like grocery shopping after all.

In Marina's next column she will discuss some of the finer points of  family college visits. Can they really be the most fun thing you ever do with your teens?!?!?