Important Dates for Your College Admission

Many a student has missed out on college admission because all of the steps were not taken to get into college. Getting into college, takes a number of steps during a student's senior year.

1) The summer before senior year, contact your student's guidance counselor and make sure your student has taken all of the necessary courses needed for college admission. This sometimes differs by state or schools. Check to make sure no classes are missing. If they are, the student may be able to add them his senior year.

2) Start making a list in early fall of all colleges that your student may want to attend. Check to see if the school offers a recruitment day. Plan a trip to the schools she wants to go to in order to see if it is right for her.

3) Make sure all standardized tests have been taken or are planned on being taken. Some scholarships require a student has taken a state standardized test. Almost all schools require the SAT or ACT before a student can be admitted. Sign your student up for these tests through the school's guidance counselor.

4) Although this should have been an ongoing project, makes sure your child has documented all volunteer work. Some schools have an official volunteer form, as many scholarships require volunteering as a requirement. The Florida Bright Future's Scholarship requires volunteerism of all students applying for a 3. 5 grade point average full tuition scholarship. Check to see if a specific number of volunteer hours are needed. Try to get this in by December.

5) Check with your child's preferred schools to see when admission deadlines are. Some schools have early admission deadlines, as early as the end of November. Do not miss these deadlines. Check to see what paperwork is required with each admission package. These could include immunization records, reference letters, essays, social security numbers, standardized test reports, copy of report cards or proof of volunteer hours.

6) Start searching for scholarships as early as October. Some scholarships have an early deadlines. Your student wants to make sure they admit an application for their scholarships as early as possible.

7) Apply for financial aid as soon as possible. Most schools require the FSAS or Federal Student Aid Form. This should be done as soon after filing taxes as possible, hopefully in late January. The FSAS application requires tax information for the previous year.

8) Start purchasing college supplies. These could include microwaves, dorm refrigerators, comforters, lab tops and whatever else your student needs.

9) Go through your child's wardrobe. What they wore for high school may not be appropriate. In addition, they may be moving to a cooler or hotter climate and need different types of clothing.

10 ) Finish any applications and scholarship information that your school is requiring. Contact the school when admission i offered to let them know your student will be attending. Some schools require registration on line, some a phone calls, and most a letter of acceptance from your student.

These ten tips for preparing for your child's first year of college will help you both. By following the steps , mistakes can be avoided, and admittance to college can be a bit less stressful.