College Admissions Kick-Off Strategy, How to Reduce Stress and Create an Atmosphere of Teamwork

The college admissions process is one of the most stressful periods – for both student and parent. When big projects are started by any organization, there is usually a kick-off session where all the players discuss action steps, objectives, and budgets. Well, here’s a suggested Kick-Off strategy for college admission for parent(s) and student.

1. Set aside some time for an uninterrupted conversation about finances. It will make the whole process less stressful to deal with money issues up front and set expectations in advance. Then, complete the FAFSA application together. It’s a great idea to do that as a group – four or six eyes are better than two!

2. Next, have a conversation about everything that needs to be done. The student might create a college admissions timeline with important deadlines and post it on the refrigerator. This way everyone is aware of the process and important dates. Much of the stress comes when an important deadline is overlooked, and essays must be written at the last minute.

3. Parents are often unsure how to help in the college admissions process and students have so much to do that they just plow forward on their own. A good idea is for the student to delegate tasks to a parent(s) such as researching prospective colleges. Begin with the colleges with the best programs for a particular major, and consider small (enrollment under 3000), medium (enrollment 3000-8000) or large (over 8000 enrollment) colleges, as well as colleges in the region(s) the student wants to consider. Perhaps this assignment will lead to others and the sense of everyone pulling on the oars together leads to increased momentum.

In four decades of admissions work, including ten years supporting three children getting into and through college, two things have been constant:

1. Every student has a unique pathway in this process; and 2. Early discussions about college admission help reduce stress and create a smoother process.