For our family the most important factor in our kids’ successful college application cycles was my self-education on the entire process. Understanding finances, scholarships (merit), roll of test scores, coursework, and ECs enabled us to match our kids to schools that fit their profile and goals vs trying to get our kids to fit a profile.
In hindsight, I would not have wasted a second on regretting not being able to afford elite schools. They were never an option bc we can’t come close to affording our EFC, but I did occasionally wonder if their very avg Us where they earned top dollar scholarships would limit their future options (as repeatedly professed by plenty of people). My kids have been able to pursue the paths that they have wanted with no limitations. Great careers. Top grad schools.
We have one of those otherwise excellent students who had a breakdown freshman year and basically tanked it. It forced me to come to grips with the fact that her being healthy and happy is more important than getting A’s.
^Agree. And make sure you don’t just take the school’s word they’re
going to keep an eye on your kid and help. I found that our school didn’t do as much as they promised.
That she had ADHD. We didn’t find out until the end of her sophomore year (her elementary/middle school was very hands on and project-based, so the curriculum model fit well for an ADHD kid). Had I known, I would have had her take different classes, get a learning plan, and get some medication to help her focus during the long lecture classes that didn’t interest her.
