<p>I've got a D16 and we're now figuring out the cost of prepping & applying to colleges. So far, I've learned that we need to plan for:</p>
<ul>
<li>SAT & ACT test prep (books, maybe a cheap online "course"), </li>
<li>the testing, college visit trips for one parent and the D16 prior to application (three main trips Boston, Minneapolis, LA/SF in Calif) from the Midwest, </li>
<li>maybe admitted student day visits (who knows where!), </li>
<li>application fees (maybe 10 or so) with SAT & ACT score-sending fees...</li>
</ul>
<p>Is there anything else? Am I missing something? </p>
<p>BTW, we won't be hiring a college admissions consultant, but I'm am sinking about $300 into work with a college funding financial planner (beyond our usual fin planner) because I'm nervous about making some fatal financial mistake. </p>
<p>Lots of people take college trips but many do not. Those costs can really add up.</p>
<p>DD did not visit a number of schools until she had acceptances and financial aid offers in hand. She attended one of them and had an excellent education and overall experience.</p>
<p>Thanks, all. I had forgotten about SAT IIs. No AP. — We recently visited a college that was en route for a day trip we were making to attend a family event. That visit DRAMATICALLY changed our view of that school, even though we had been researching it online. It moved from a “meh, maybe last-choice” to the group of schools at the top of the list. It seems like my kid will now have sooo much more to put into her application to the school, now that she visited (she also plans to try an overnight prior to applying). As a result, I’m going to figure out if there might be a good way to swing three college tour trips. Maybe check to see if any of my professional conferences might be landing in one of the cities so I could have my kid tag along. We’ll see. (Visits would be the first to go, if we can’t find a way to afford them. The other college prep/app costs are relatively minimal.)</p>
<p>Son1 said he didn’t need to look at schools. He applied to well known schools.</p>
<p>Son2 was taken to see 4 schools in one trip: 1 large private, 1 small private, 1 large public, 1 small public. We go an idea form that where to apply: size, rural, suburban, etc… He applied to and got in to all 15 schools. Other than the 4 he saw (3 of which he applied to) he saw 2 more schools at their accepted student open houses. No reason to see them all. Once you know where you get in and finances, the list can be parred down into just a few.</p>
<p>There is really a HUGE amount of variability. Our S opted to buy one SAT prep book (the REAL SAT Book, with real SAT old tests). He refused to take any prep course. He studied for AP exams and SATII exams in his classes and if he needed it, at the library; never purchased any prep books for them. That was all for him. He also had us pay for him to take 15 or so AP exams, the ACT, the SATII, and then retake the SAT (he wasn’t happy with his 1st score, tho it was perfectly fine). You also have to pay to send the scores out. His app fees for the 7 or so colleges he applied to ranged from $50-75.</p>
<p>We did attend an orientation–S & me, so he could register for classes. It was held in HI, so no travel was required. He refused to visit any campuses and we had visited some while on family vacations.</p>
<p>Fast forward to D (2 years younger). She took the SAT only once. She did pay for a summer SAT prep course that she took with her friends at her private HS (helped her a lot with math, which was her weakness). She only applied to one college, as a transfer from CC, so only had one app fee. She had no APs, but had to pay for transcripts to be sent from CC to college. She only applied to S’s college, which she had visited when we moved him in and then visited again with us for Parent’s weekend after she had been accepted and was going to be a spring admit a few months later.</p>
<p>I have no experience with planners and college fund planners, so no idea as to how worthwhile they are and what value they add. I’d ask them ahead of time what value I could expect from them before I’d be willing to pay for one. So far, we’ve been good at figuring out our finances on our own.</p>
<p>Two things that really helped us was significant renewable merit aid that S received as well as being able to pay for college and fees on the payment plan offered by the U our kids attended. You paid a fee (about $40-50/semester) and they spread the payments over 5 equal monthly amounts instead of a HUGE amount each semester–no interest or other fees accrued over that time period. That helped us in paying more of the tuition and fees and other expenses from current income and less from savings. Many Us may offer this option if you ask.</p>
<p>Would it be possible to try to figure out if she should take the SAT or ACT so you don’t have to prep and buy test guides for both tests? My S just took a SAT/ACT pre-test today which will help determine which exam he is better suited for. Once we get the results, he will prep for either the SAT or ACT, but not both. This “pre-test” was offered at a test prep center for a fee. But, it will help determine the path to take with test prep.</p>
<p>At our kids’ HS, they just recommend all kids take both tests, just in case kids do significantly better on one test or the other. For S, the scores were the same % on both, so the testing just reinforced the high scores. As I recall, there was pretty much no prep at their HS for the ACT and I know I didn’t buy either kid anything for prep and neither studied for it. D didn’t take the ACT (tho she had registered/paid) because she was ill on the test date and didn’t even try to reschedule.</p>
<p>The prep books are probably the cheapest things on your list but see if you can borrow them used from a kid a year older. Also, see if you can borrow them from your local library. I gave away my daughter’s prep books to these two places (and she didn’t write in them or highlight them so they were like new).</p>
<ul>
<li>SAT & ACT test prep (used/new books, maybe a cheap online “course” + free books/websites/apps)</li>
<li>free online “SAT v. ACT: Which Test Should you Take” (might make it obvious which to cut out)</li>
<li>the testing (hoping for ACT and SAT once, each, + two SAT IIs, + maybe two CLEPs)</li>
<li>college visit trips for one parent and the D16 prior to application (three main trips Boston, Minneapolis, LA/SF in Calif) from the Midwest (if the cost is not too dear)</li>
<li>maybe admitted student day visit/s (if she hadn’t already visited the school)</li>
<li>application fees (maybe 10 or so)</li>
<li>SAT, SAT II, ACT, & CLEP score-sending fees</li>
<li>HS transcript-sending fees</li>
<li>on-campus orientation & registration trip, if required over summer 2016</li>
</ul>
<p>About campus visits: We were fascinated that two of the nearby colleges she visited, which look very similar on paper, were obviously worlds away from each other once we visited. One remained on the list and moved toward the top and the other was flicked off the list entirely. What a difference a visit makes. A surprise to me, given I was in the camp of those who think visits are not critical. Now, I waiver. </p>