Typically, the average college-bound high school student starts thinking about college late in their junior year. The process begins around the time the student is reminded by the school guidance counselor or teachers to schedule their first SAT test in spring of their junior year. The interest peaks about the time they receive their test scores but then gets pushed aside and overshadowed by spring formals, sports, end of school year activities, and summer vacations. Before the student and their family realize, it is fall of their senior year! For most colleges, the deadline for receiving applications is in December. Since most advisors advocate getting applications in as early as possible, this leaves the student with only two or three months to complete applications, visit schools, line up references, write essays, and for many students, pick a major!

At the same time, the parents are getting hit with the reality of college expenses and are thrown into a panic over how they will ever afford college. With little time to spare, decisions are made in haste and often without understanding or considering the different types of financial aid that public and private colleges offer.

Obviously, it is better to start preparing for college earlier in the student's high school years. This involves both the academic preparation on the student's part, and the financial preparation on the parents part. The better and earlier understanding a student and parents have of what is expected for college can ultimately result in higher test scores, higher GPA, and more organized finances; all factors in reducing the cost of college.

There are many things that the students and their families can do to make the college preparation less stressful and more financially manageable. We help guide the students and the families through this process and the many deadlines making it less stressful on the student's well-being and the family's financal resources.

Click here for a suggested timeline.