<p>Hello,
Both of my parents were educated in a different country and they dont know much about the college application process. I'm currently a junior... I try to talk to them about my future but I feel that they don't pay as much attention as I would like - dont get me wrong I LOVE THEM and they love me.. they are amazing , but they just assume that I'll get into any college I apply to because I have good grades.. they dont even know what the SAT & ACT are..</p>
<p>How important are parents when it comes to choosing the right college and applying?</p>
<p>They’re very important when it come to the finances-- how much they are willing and able to pay for college and whether their generosity will come with any restrictions (such as requiring you to go to a certain type of college or to major in a certain field). If you’ll need financial aid, they also will have to be willing to provide tax statements and other financial info in a timely fashion. </p>
<p>Otherwise, students can do good jobs of selecting colleges by using the internet, guidebooks and their guidance office.</p>
<p>Yes, if you can get some idea of what they can afford that will be helpful. The fact that your parents don’t have any preconceived ideas about where you should go is actually a good thing as you’ll be able to put together a list of colleges or universities based on your needs. And I agree with Northstarmom, do internet searches, read guidebooks, use your guidance office and keep reading these forums and you’ll get a pretty good “education” in putting together a well crafted list of colleges to apply.</p>
<p>The parents are extremely important when it comes to paying for college.
Foreign-educated parents often do not realize how much colleges in the US cost, or assume that a good student will get a full ride anywhere.</p>
<p>Talk to your parents, and find out what they are able and willing to pay. Think about what do you want for your college environment, what are you likely to study, etc.</p>
<p>Schedule your standardized tests.</p>
<p>Then come back to this forum, and ask for advice - you’ll get plenty.</p>
<p>Also, be aware that CC is not like the real world. Most people in the U.S. are not applying to 20 top colleges from coast to coast. Most people in the U.S. end up going to average public schools within 250 miles of their home. Even most solidly middle class people don’t have the funds to be going to private schools a thousand miles from home nor do they have the funds to apply to 15 colleges. Most people probably apply to 5 or fewer colleges, and those colleges are in-state publics.</p>
<p>It depends. Mine weren’t. I did all the research and applying myself. I signed myself up for ACTs and such. You just need to be proactive.</p>
<p>As for finances, I know my parents aren’t contributing…make sure you have the “money” talk early so you know what to expect and there are no sad surprises down the road</p>
<p>Short of finances-- which are important, they don’t matter. When your parents dont know and wont/can’t learn, you do it yourself. My parents don’t even know what a bachelors degree is or what I am majoring in, and I am entering the professional school applications process now.</p>
<p>Hi there -
When your parents don’t know a lot out of carelessness [as is the case of my parents - mom has severe mental illness so that doesn’t help matters] or because they weren’t educated here, self-education is <em>the</em> best thing you can do. Go to you guidance counselors…find out all the information you can for yourself. Though I only applied to state schools, I applied to 4, and filled out the FAFSA independently [excepting asking my dad for our tax records and respective interpetation]. I signed up for both the SAT and ACT by myself [with the help of my dad’s credit card hehe], and drove myself to both testing centers. I also signed up for all of the APs I am taking independently [with the influence of one very good friend], and, thankfully, my school district pays for those tests. But, to give you an idea, my mom looked at me half-suspiciously and said, “What is that government book doing there?” and I had to say, “Mom…I’m taking AP Government…” and she said, “Oh.”
Last year I pulled the 5 on my AP Lang, which, even though it was only one “easy” AP, it really did feel like an accomplishment since I bought the prep book on my own and did practice tests by myself, etc. Came a long way from failing like my teacher said I would! [Home life isn’t great - so you flunk a couple batteries and it’s understandable she’d think that]
Though it requires a lot of independence, it really is doable. I will have gotten into 4/4 [I find out March 19th on the last one - but I’m 90% sure I made it].
And, with virtually no support, I’ve pulled myself up to a 29 on the ACT [with the help of a Barron’s book rented at my school library…still have to return that…heh] and I have 4 APs this year. Hopefully I’ll be able to pass with 4’s and 5’s [working on that now - I’ll let you know how it turns out!]
But, I get free tuition at University of Florida thanks to my ACT score and GPA so it’s a definite relief!
Yeah, I’m no superstar, but I did it on my own and I think you can too. [:
PM me if you’d like any advice/tips! :D</p>
<p>It would help if you could arrange for your GC to talk to them. </p>
<p>Give the GC a “heads up” about what they don’t know and how they don’t understand that good students sometimes are rejected. Tell the GC that they don’t know about SAT/ACT and maybe they don’t even know about costs. Or maybe they don’t understand that “good grades” doesn’t necessarily translate into scholarships. The GC could go over the costs of some schools - private and public.</p>
<p>By telling the GC their limitations (write them down for the GC ), the GC can be sure to go over those areas with them.</p>
<p>Right now, your parents think of you as a kid. They will likely believe the info if it comes from a professional.</p>
<p>If you can get your GC to talk to them, that’s great. Or better yet if your school has some sort of “preparing for college” infonight make sure they go to that. </p>
<p>Otherwise, have a frank discussion with them about what they can afford. It might not hurt to try one of the online EFC (expected family contribution) calculators to see what colleges might expect them to pay, just to get an idea. </p>
<p>But my parents didn’t really contribute to my college search (they took me to tour some of the colleges I had pre-selected, but otherwise were mostly out of it). I knew sort of what I wanted, I had been getting college viewbooks for a while and reading profiles in the Fiske Guide and other Mega-Guides (your counselor should have these, but I also would go to Barnes and Noble and peruse them) to get more info on colleges I was looking for. I already had the grades and I did a wide variety of ECs that I liked so I wasn’t that worried about that part. If you’re motivated, you can do a lot of things on your own, but don’t be afraid to rely on other resources like friends, friends’ parents, and guidance counselors. You just have to be on top of things like registering for your SATs and getting recommendation letters.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>It doesn’t matter whether or not your parent were educated in US. If some one is willing to know (s)he will figure it out.</p></li>
<li><p>Whether or not your parent know the process don’t make your job researching for colleges any less tedious. You are the one going to college so you will have to research/tour the college to find the best fit.</p></li>
<li><p>Where parent does make a difference is finances. This is something you will have to do along with the what all other applicants have to do anyway.</p>
<ul>
<li>Find the information about your parent tax return, bank savings, stock investmenst, home equity, as you will need all this information to accurately find your EFC. It doesn’t matter whether or not your parent will be contrbuting that much.</li>
<li>Find from your parent how much they can contribute.</li>
</ul></li>
</ol>
<p>So first find all colleges that are of interest to you. After taking into account your family EFC, find the actual cost of attending the college by subtracting the money your parent willing to pay and the EFC college thinks. If your parent are willing to pay the amount of EFC you are find with that college being on your list.</p>
<p>As others have said, your parents’ ability to pay for your college education is a crucial factor in deciding where to apply. Applying to college in itself is an expense, so you will also need to discuss application fees with your parents.
You should ask your parents to discuss with you how much they can afford to pay toward your college education over the course of four years, whether outright or taking loans. I am not an expert on this, but other posters can guide you toward the College Board site that provides an easy estimate of what colleges call EFC or Estimated Financial Contribution. This is what colleges consider a family should contribute toward the cost (tuition, room and board and assorted fees) of their student. Then your family will need to decide whether you should apply to need-based aid, i.e. financial aid based on your financial situation. If you need to apply, your parents will need to fill out a FAFSA for which they will need tax returns and other documentation. Some private colleges also require filling out another financial aid form. Your parents should be aware that many (not all) colleges consider the family home as an asset.
Depending on your academic profile, you may qualify for merit aid at some colleges, that is aid that is based on your academic achievements rather than on your financial need. These are worth looking into.</p>
<p>You should also make a list of the types of colleges you like best: large? urban? suburban? small? research institution? Liberal Arts College? With a large sports scene or not? fraternities and sororities a big part of the social scene or not? and so on. Many juniors take advantage of the spring vacation to do college tours, so you may want to discuss the possibility of looking at some colleges with your parents as soon as possible (though many students apply without seeing campuses and only do the tours when they’ve been accepted).
Make sure you take the appropriate tests: SAT or ACT, and depending on where you want to apply two or three SAT Subject tests (which are best taken just after your have completed the relevant course and the materials are still fresh in your mind. May or June would thus be a good time to take the tests, to give you time for re-taking some of the tests if you are not satisfied with your scores. To prepare, check out the Xiggi method on the SAT/ACT board of CC.
Do you have a good GC? If you do, make sure that you discuss your college options with him/her. Toward the end of your junior year, approach teachers for recommendations.
Put together a resume that lists your GPA, board scores and extra-curricular activities to give the teachers so that they can refer to it as they write their letters (which probably will be next fall).
Is your flagship state university good? A good fit? If so, it may be your safety. Some universities have rolling admissions, whereby students apply early in the fall and are notified soon afterward. The earlier one applies, the higher the chance of admission. This is why you want to have your board scores and recommendations ready to go by September/October.
I hope this gives you and your parents a good basis for a great discussion of your college options. Good luck and come back for more advice from parents!</p>