Helping your child through the college application process can be challenging. You must balance being too hands-off and hovering like a helicopter parent.
As a parent, it's your role to offer support, act as a sounding board, and have some knowledge (or a lot) about the process. At this point, you are well-versed in providing encouragement and a listening ear. Still, even if you've been through the college process, you'll find yourself in foreign territory these days.
College admissions have undergone significant changes, even in the last two years. Fortunately, you can reacquaint yourself with the process, beginning with your child's junior year in high school.
September Checklist – Have "the talk" with your child. Discuss who is paying for college and how. At this point, your child should have a list of top-choice colleges, allowing you to compare college costs and affordability.
October Checklist – Encourage your child to start their scholarship search if they haven't already. Pro tip: Create a Parent profile on Fastweb. You can see scholarship matches for your child and forward them so they can apply.
November Checklist – Have your child meet with their guidance counselor to discuss their transcript, college list, and standardized testing plan.
December Checklist – Volunteer throughout the holidays as a family. Your college-bound student can put it on their Brag Sheet.
January Checklist – Tell your child to update their Fastweb profile with GPA or club/organization changes from last semester. It's also time to schedule spring SAT or ACT dates.
February Checklist – Talk with your teen about their senior year schedule. Now is the time to consider which classes will challenge them and look good on their college applications.
March Checklist – Give your child the goal of finding teachers, coaches, and mentors to write letters of recommendation before the month's end. It's also time to schedule spring and summer college visits!
April Checklist – Nail down summer plans. Here are a few options: a part-time job, summer camp, or volunteering. Summer experiences will look great on their college applications and provide them with valuable real-world experience to reference in essays or during admissions interviews.
May Checklist – Start finalizing the college list. A helpful strategy is to narrow down schools into three categories: reach, target, and safety schools.
June & July Checklists – Continue applying to colleges, check out virtual campus tours, and start organizing the college search by drafting college essays and asking for letters of recommendation. The latter is essential if your child plans to apply for Early Decision or Early Admission deadlines.
Parent Guide for College Admission: Month-by-Month Timeline
Between standardized tests and early and regular decision deadlines, there is so much to keep track of for college applications. Help your child meet deadlines.

Help your child navigate the college application process.