If you are a parent of a teenager that is about to go off to college then there is a good chance that you are feeling a little confused and maybe even a little apprehensive. Indeed, not only are you sending your child off to live on his or her own – you may also be worried about how you will feel once the nest is empty. You may not realize it, but empty nest syndrome is a real disorder that you will have to work through.
One way to combat this issue is to be involved in your son or daughter’s college application process. From looking at colleges to meeting with admissions officers to writing essays, you want to be prepared for it all. Once your child really appreciates you for all your involvement, you may feel a little better when your child has to pack the car and push off. Here is how to help your teen get into college.
Come Up With a Financial Plan to Make College a Reality
A lot of parents don’t start saving for their child’s education until later in life, which is fine. A lot of parents don’t even factor college into a budget, especially so early in life. If you want to help your child pay for college then you may want to think about either saving or finding a low interest loan program. If there is still a gap then you can research scholarships or grants together to pull together a realistic budget. Not only will this be a good bonding experience, but it will also give your child a first hand look into the realities of entering adulthood – budgeting!
Join on College Campus Tour
Of course, you also want to take your teenager to various colleges so that your son or daughter can get an idea of what college they want to attend. There are a lot of great schools out there. Of course, your teen could also take Pepperdine’s top online MBA program if your child doesn’t want the added pressures of attending an on-campus program.
Conduct Research Together
On top of visiting colleges, you also want to pick up brochures and look at them with your teenager. If you have any questions, you could probably find the answer in one of these books. The truth is that while brochures are an advertising tool, you can actually glean a lot of information from them.
Be a Second Set of Eyes on Application Essays
For most teenagers, the essay part of a college application is often the hardest. This is because you have to worry about making sure you are following the right guidelines and write a narrative strong enough to impress admissions officers. If you aren’t following the right guidelines, the essay could be dismissed, which could hurt your teen’s chances of getting into his or her college of choice.
Discuss the Realities of College Life
On top of everything, you want to be sure that your teen knows what to prepare for when it comes to college. Not only will your teen need to know how to pack, but also you want to make sure your son or daughter knows how to act responsibly. In the end, part of sending your child off into the world is knowing that he or she will be safe, no matter what.
Rashed Ahmed regularly contributes to online news magazines and living ideas to various blogs around the web. When he’s not busy working with the work, you will find him undertaking many of her own lifestyle-related topics and living ideas! He has a lot of dreams. He works hard to fulfill his dreams. He loves to share his ideas, tricks, tips, and information by blogging. He also works at craziest business ideas, a business marketing company that committed to helping businesses with online marketing.