<p>My dad spearheaded the FAFSA/CSS brigade but other than that he didn't really pay attention to where I applied until the acceptances started coming in. My mom took my on visits but doesn't really pay attention to which school is which. I don't think they even knew I was taking the ACT until the night before.</p>
<p>The only loose rule I had was to apply to some that meet full need, some where I could potentially get merit, and one public financial safety. But it's not like they checked.</p>
<p>I'm interested to see how the standard student CCer falls with the parent-college situation. Especially since we see the hyper-involved parents on here...</p>
<p>My mom took me on all if my college tours and asked a few questions. They paid for me taking the SAT/ACT and an ACT prep class. And my mom helped me fill out the FAFSA. </p>
<p>Other than those, I was pretty much on my own.</p>
<p>I took the bus and subways and traveled around Boston all alone with a friend. We set up the dates for the college visits ourselves. All I did was tell my parents I’m going and they just said okay. I selected all the colleges I applied to without the input of my parents. I received no help on my applications or any other college forms. I’m an only child, so I didn’t have any older siblings to help me through the process either. This isn’t college process related, but the same goes to my HS class selections. My parents never told me to take such-and-so classes. I just decided to take whatever I wanted. I have a lot of freedom when it comes to my parents. They’re too busy working to get involved, which I really don’t mind. Plus, they weren’t born in America so they couldn’t really do much at all.</p>
<p>Even the FAFSA and CSS Profile I had to do half myself. Ugh, what a pain!</p>
<p>My mom signed me up for ACT & SAT prep classes, payed for my standardized tests , college app. fees.</p>
<p>I had to fill out the FAFSA all by myself. At least my mom was nice enough to do me the favor of filing her taxes early so i could could file my FAFSA on time…other than that my mom didn’t really help me i had to do a lot of the work myself…</p>
<p>I did everything, and my parents went along with it; if I told them I wanted to visit so and so school, they took me. I did all the research, application stuff (minus finaid forms which I gave to my dad) and selection process. </p>
<p>It’s actually really annoying considering my parents are both very computer-savvy yet have never once done any research on their own. My mom admitted to me yesterday that she doesn’t know “anything” about School X- I only applied to seven, and one was my parents’ school, so it’s not as if I had a list of 32 colleges for them to look into. Also, I’m toying around with the idea of going into teaching and my mom has asked me about six times if the school I’m likely going to has an education major (they don’t). You have a computer, just check it yourself! Argh.</p>
<p>My parents aren’t very involved. They’re from Vietnam and they don’t know the ins and outs about the American college system. They’re really supportive, though, but it’s been me taking the initiative. I’m currently in the process of picking colleges to visit. They’re very willing to dole out as much money as needed, although we don’t really have a lot, to help me get into my dream colleges though, which I’m very thankful about I’ll probably be filling out financial aid forms and all the like by myself, though :/</p>
<p>I did all selection and paperwork by myself, inclulding the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Even the IDOCS; I had to be on top of my parents to get their stuff done. >.<
My mother only insisted on one thing, which was that I apply to our local private college, U Miami, just in case I decided that I didn’t want to leave the state after all.</p>
<p>I did everything myself and a parent accompanied me on visits and answered FAFSA/CSS questions. Other than that they took a step back and let me do my thing.</p>
<p>Well I’m kind of the opposite of you guys in the way that my parents have been heavily involved. They forced to apply to a couple of in-state schools, wouldn’t allow me to apply to a couple of private schools, but I will say outside of those restrictions I was pretty much on my own. I did all the research (which they then confirmed) and we did a lot of stuff together. I’m very happy with the way things worked out though.</p>
<p>I wish my parents were a little more involved! Not helicopters, but come on! They paid the fees for important tests, books, etc., but I’m the one who’s picked all of my own high school classes, registered for the tests, filled out scholarships, joined mailing lists, researched colleges, and on and on. Even though I’m a good student, they don’t seem to value college very highly or expect me to even go to a very good one. <em>Sigh</em> Bummer… :(</p>
<p>Parents did the fin aid stuff for the most part–though I had to tell them if there were special school-only forms to fill out.</p>
<p>I was in charge of selection and keeping on top of deadlines and getting teacher recs and stuff, but I did give my essays to my dad to edit. (And I mean legitimately EDIT, not re-write. This is for like grammar and to make sure it flowed well and sounded like me–that sort of stuff. If I got bad feedback on an essay I made the decision to scrap and re-write it.) My dad also went with me on my college tour. He made a few slightly disparaging comments about schools I was visiting–“do you really want to go THERE?” but on the whole was supportive. My parents did make me apply to Harvard tho haha.</p>
<p>My dad took me to colleges, did the financial aid forms, and paid all the associated fees fees. That was about all I let my parents do, though I do wish they hadn’t let me quit hockey back in elementary school. ;)</p>
<p>The’re more on me now to apply for a bunch of scholarships than they were to apply to schools lol. I only ended up applying to four so the process wasn’t so bad. I just hate all these scholarship forms though because they all have an essay and a big long form to fill out and, unlike applying for colleges, I have really no idea what they are looking for or if I have any chance at all. But it will all be worth it in the end to be able to go to my OOS school.</p>
<p>They offered me a new car if I got a full-ride. </p>
<p>I think that motivation is helping me more than any help they could have given.</p>
<p>They pay for all my tests, and my dad helps me out with math/physics stuff. But they do almost nothing in terms of visiting colleges, telling me to which schools I should apply to, etc.</p>
<p>I’m really fortunate that my dad did the FA stuff - he owns his own business so it would have been very complicated. All you who had to do it yourselves make me realize how lucky I am there…</p>
<p>Most of my guidance came from my ToK teacher (also trained as a college counselor) and my former college-professor uncle. I was lucky I had those two resources to go to, because my parents only really knew what I told them.</p>
<p>Basically the only thing my parents helped me on was the money. My parents were my bank. They paid for all the things that needed to be paid, but nothing else.</p>
<p>Guidance came from CC, too. My English teacher helped edit my essays though.</p>
<p>my parents were awesome.
neither did undergrad in the US, so that meant it was a learning process for them too.
They took me on tours over the summer, my dad did my CSS and my FAFSA and my mom proofread all my essays. Having your parents as support is reallyyyy beneficial. But you don’t want your parents to be co-pilot parents either.</p>
<p>They paid for everything. I basically did everything else and just showed them where to sign. I told my dad which financial aid information I needed, and he got back to me with the information/documentation. Oh, and they were on the receiving end of my college venting and frustrations unfortunately.</p>
I’ll probably be filling out financial aid forms and all the like by myself, though :/</p>
My English teacher helped edit my essays though.</p>