Tips for Preparing Your Teen to Apply to University
While my daughter just started high school this year I think it’s important for all parents to have some ideas on how they can help their teen apply to university/college. As someone who worked in post-secondary for several years with recruitment and international education one thing I saw time and time again were both parents and their teens trying to get into a program where the application deadline was long past due.
It never ceased to amaze me how people didn’t have a clue about the deadlines to apply and thinking that if they were loud enough, pushy enough, begged etc.. that they could somehow bypass the rules and still be considered. Of course not everyone was like that but a surprising number would be. The best thing you could do in preparation for your teen applying to post-secondary is plan ahead and think it’s never too early to find out information.
Being able to understand what all goes along with getting college grants and scholarships is also an important part of getting your teen ready to apply to university. However, there are many other things that must be considered.
I have worked for universities for over fifteen years, and can tell you everything that I have seen and haven’t seen. Making sure that you and your student are fully prepared will help you both, and it will make life easier for you and your teenage college student.
#1 Tip Knowing Deadlines
Yes I’ve already said this but it’s worth repeating. Deadlines may have been a big deal in high school, but in college admission, they are even a bigger deal. Turning in that paper or clicking on the submit button for the online application is of the utmost importance, there’s no getting around it. Institutions have these deadlines because they are dealing with hundreds sometimes thousands of students and they need to assess each application. Does the person meet the entry requirements which includes grades, prerequisites and so much more.
This is a picture of my convocation when I got my Master’s Degree at Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC. The “castle” in the picture has been used in movies like X-Men (Xavier’s School for the Gifted) and many more.
University admission also plays a huge role in deadlines. Applying quickly and early is the key to getting into the school that you and your child want. I have seen cases time and time again, where students wait until the end of the summer of their senior year to look into colleges and apply, and they usually don’t get into the colleges that they want. Apply early for college grants and scholarships as well to make sure that you get the scholarships that you want.
#2 Double check that the application is complete
So many times applications are submitted without all of the proper documentation. If your teen is applying to s specific program there are most likely prerequisites. Depending on the program they may ask for any of the following (or more):
- Reference letter (type depends on program being applied to)
- Sample of work or portfolio
- Letter about the applicant, why the want to do the program
Yep that’s me at my Master’s Degree Graduation, many, many years after high school, my daughter was eight at the time 🙂
Each program is unique and so are there entrance requirements so make sure you’ve gone over everything and submit all of the required documentation.
#3 Ask for Help
All universities and colleges have people there to help you and your teen through the admission process. Again start early, book an appointment with an Admissions Officer, Counsellor, or Recruitment Officer (title depends on the university and country). If you’re confused about the process they can clarify for you, help you figure out if you qualify and if not what you need to do. It’s there job so book early (well before any admissions deadline) as they booked up the closer you get to an application deadline.
You can also meet with Scholarships and Bursary staff to find out more about what might be available and how to apply for them to get help in paying for tuition.
There are so many tips I could give you but that would require a book, the three above are the most important. Just think it’s never too early to find out information and deadlines and you can never ask too many questions.
What tips do you have to share? Feel free to comment.
Laurie P says
September 13, 2015 at 8:32 AMGreat post!!! We are right in the middle of this…..planning, organizing, it’s all so new! My boy just started his last year of high school….so this was very informative!
Haley Cook says
September 2, 2015 at 9:10 AMThese are some great tips ! I’ll have to remember when my sons start college.
Jeffrey says
August 29, 2015 at 7:52 AMYou offered many practical suggestions. Thank you.
Savannah says
August 10, 2015 at 1:34 AM“Ask for help” is such a simple but GREAT tip. Oftentimes, you feel nervous to ask questions because you feel like at that stage you should “be an adult.” Silly us, being an adult doesn’t mean knowing it all!
But seriously, i wish I would’ve had this list when I was applying to colleges. But, good thing I’ll be applying to law schools next year – this will seriously come in handy!
Rana Durham says
July 9, 2015 at 9:39 PMthanks so much i will be sharing this with my friends and family
Bailey Dexter says
June 21, 2015 at 2:23 PMI wish I had read this when my daughter went away, great advice & tips!
Ronald G says
May 18, 2015 at 8:01 AMMy best friend is a single parent of a grade 11 honors student who already has a letter of commitment to the U of A..she has done more than your great ideas by entering her daughter for every available grant or bursary and has her working 3 hours 4 days a week as a vet’s assistant
Sherry Keef says
May 17, 2015 at 12:41 AMMy kids are grown but it is good to know for the grandkids.
Thanks for sharing.
lisa says
May 14, 2015 at 8:37 AMI had to chuckle when I read the part about being loud and pushy, thinking if they were loud enough that the rules would be bent for them. I see this all the time. Such arrogance.
Deborah Caudill says
May 11, 2015 at 4:37 PMThanks for providing your readers some essential information about how to prepare to get into college. There are so many deadlines that must be followed to the letter. You have helped a great deal of parents to know what to do, when to do it and how to make sure your child isn’t disappointed.
Tiffanie Hope says
May 11, 2015 at 4:28 PMIt’s so good to prepare your kids EARLY for college. Even if it’s just with small things, like developing good study habits and money management skills!
Michele P says
May 11, 2015 at 8:36 AMvery helpful post! My 13 yr old is already thinking about college, and while she will only be in 8th grade next year it is never too early to begin planning. Thanks for your very informative post!
MJ Dee says
May 11, 2015 at 8:30 AMWhat a great write-up! So many useful tips! We started early for our daughter and actually visited colleges when she was a sophomore in High School. We learned so much about the process, what they look for, financial aid, scholarships and so on. The one thing I found that was important is volunteer work. Universities love students with the “Global Citizen” mindset. The more they volunteer, the better. And, yes, good grades too!
natalie nichols says
May 10, 2015 at 8:06 PMI don’t even want to think about this yet but this is great advice.
Judy Thomas says
May 10, 2015 at 2:23 AMThank you for the great tips and advice.
Melissa Crisp says
May 9, 2015 at 9:37 PMThis is great advice and sounds simple enough. It really is never too early too prepare.
Wanda Tracey says
May 9, 2015 at 4:21 PMI am going to share this with my granddaughter who is going to graduate from high school this year! These are great tips and a wealth of information.Thank you so much or posting.
Meghan Castillo says
May 9, 2015 at 4:18 PMThanks for all the tips, My daughter is getting ready to go to college in a year.
amy guillaume linderman says
May 9, 2015 at 4:11 PMgoing to share with my sister whose kids are at this age
Freya says
May 8, 2015 at 10:17 AMGreat article! I just went thru this process with my oldest son. He was accepted to his 1st choice university & received an athletic scholarship for wrestling. He’d been scouted by college wrestling coaches since his junior year. He’ll be going to Oswego University in the fall. It’s only 4 hours away up north off tge shores of Lake Erie.
Kimberly says
May 8, 2015 at 6:25 AMMy kids are only 3 and 1, but I’m already stressing about this! We started their college funds as soon as they were born and I’m so worried about not saving enough.
laura rubenstein says
May 8, 2015 at 5:25 AMThank you for these great tips! I have 5 more years to prepare! Time goes soo fast! Congrats Class of 2015
Tamra Phelps says
May 7, 2015 at 7:54 PMOh, boy, I remember the panic of some kids in high school as deadlines neared & paperwork/applications got longer! Those were the days, lol.
Baylee Williams says
May 7, 2015 at 10:52 AMThis is great advice. I say from experience that I wish that I was more prepared…
Kristy Franks says
May 5, 2015 at 9:18 PMThank you for such a great review it will really help me
Barb H. says
May 5, 2015 at 8:16 PMthank you for this review! It was very informative. My twins are graduating High School May 28th and I feel like I am just lost but this really gave me great information. Thank you so much.
Cheryll Shubert says
May 5, 2015 at 7:21 PMThanks so much! My niece is going through this now. I forwarded to my sister-in-law!! Great article!!
janet aycock says
May 5, 2015 at 6:36 PMthis great information every one with kids need it
Sue E says
May 5, 2015 at 3:37 PMI remember my oldest daughter wanting to go to college. She was an A honor student and got a lot of small grants. One of your tips I totally know about & is a GREAT one: Applying quickly and early is the key to getting into the school that you and your child want!! My daughter started the process with her counselor when she was still in high school. She did a lot on her own, but of course, we had to find all of our financial statements, etc. She needed her papers, like birth certificate, drivers license, Social Security Card, etc. One thing we/she did not plan for was that she changed her major after 1 year!! And she met her future husband there. Warn them about the partying & relationships! I have heard & seen the consequences of both!! Stay true to your goals & to yourself.
SaSara says
May 5, 2015 at 3:20 PMtheses pics. Are real nice
Cathy Jarolin says
May 5, 2015 at 2:07 PMThankyou so much for sharing this Great Advice to Your Readers. For all the college bond students you should take the time to read this post and follow her advice. She is even willing to give you more advice if you contact her. Nothing like being all prepared and ready When that Exciting Day Comes. Best of Luck to all of you! :0)~~~~
Kim Hampton says
May 5, 2015 at 9:28 AMGreat tips! By doing my research, I was able to qualify for scholarships and grants that covered all my tuition, books and gave me a little extra spending money for gas.
Apryl Potter says
May 5, 2015 at 7:34 AMI have 1 in his 2nd year of college , 1 that will be in college in 2 yrs., 1 that will be in college in 10 yrs. and last but not least 1 that will be in college in about 17 yrs., lol, so I know all about paying for college & saving for it. Any time parents can get tips or help of any kind its a plus. Thanks for the information.
Linda Manns Linneman says
May 5, 2015 at 6:41 AMThese are such great tips. I had a hard time when I was young because my parents were not interested in helping me with this. There was to many other things going on with my father being sickly and we were quite poor. Thank you so much for sharing
Emily Endrizzi says
May 5, 2015 at 6:22 AMMy son will graduate next year so this post comes in handy! Thanks for the information and tips.
william gossage says
May 4, 2015 at 9:29 PMThis is a good review. wish i had it before my kids went off to college
Michele Ash says
May 4, 2015 at 9:29 PMThanks for the Fantastic Review on Tips for Preparing Your Teen to Apply to University! To be honest, I have no advice or tips to give. I did not go to college after high school. I went right into the Business World! My daughter, however, wanted to go to college and my husband and I knew nothing about how to go about anything! She went to her guidance department for help. They helped her out and she started to commute to Penn State in Berks County! I knew she wouldn’t stick it out because from the day she started Pre-School, she always said “I Hate School”. Well, she dropped out and now has a huge loan to be paid back. She eventually went to Beauty School and is doing wonderfully as a hair dresser! I still don’t quite know what the other kids want to do yet. I guess we’ll see when they get into the high school! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review, the pictures, and your personal and very professional information on Tips for Preparing Your Teen to Apply to University with all of us! I honestly do appreciate it! Thanks again! Michele 🙂
Cindy S. says
May 4, 2015 at 8:56 PMCan’t believe my kids are getting old enough that I need to consider this info! Where does the time go?! Thank you for the good advice.