| Tips for Starting College | | | | observe deadlines for sending in all required |
| | | | fees and paperwork and of course continue |
| You are a senior in high school and you will | | | | looking for scholarship opportunities. |
| be starting college soon. There will be some | | | | |
| concerns you and your parents will need to | | | | College is an exciting time and as a freshman |
| look at before starting your first semester? | | | | you may be wondering what it is you will need |
| | | | for your dorm. |
| For parents, you can begin working on helping | | | | |
| your student as early as August through | | | | To start, remember that dorm rooms are very |
| December, before your child even graduates | | | | small so take only the essentials. Freshmen |
| from high school. The first thing you want to | | | | typically get the worst rooms in the dorm as |
| begin focusing on is pulling together as much | | | | the upper classmen get to pick the best rooms |
| information for FASFA or the United States | | | | before the year is over. Make sure you find |
| Department of Education Free Application for | | | | out everything there is to know about your |
| Federal Aid, as possible. You can begin by | | | | dorm and what it has and does not have. For |
| collecting documentation you will need to | | | | instance, if the dorm does not have |
| complete the FASFA application and you can | | | | carpeting, you may need to take a rug. If the |
| even attend a financial aid presentation. Be | | | | room isn't air conditioned, taking a fan |
| sure to save your last pay stub for the year | | | | might be an option. |
| in December as well so that completing the | | | | |
| FASFA paperwork will be easier. By January | | | | Find out what is allowed and not allowed in |
| you will want to have the application | | | | the dorms as well. Some schools do not allow |
| completed and filed, the sooner the better as | | | | microwaves, hot plates, candles and more. |
| financial aid can run out. | | | | Most schools provide beds, some provide |
| | | | mattresses, and of course most require you to |
| As parents you also may want to prepare and | | | | buy your own sheets. Types of items that you |
| file your federal income taxes as early as | | | | might consider taking include: TV, pillows, |
| possible so that you can verify income for | | | | radio, rug, water filter, hangers, tape, |
| financial aid. | | | | tools and posters. |
| | | | |
| For seniors in high school, your | | | | Freshmen are typically assigned roommates, so |
| responsibility starts with signing up for | | | | try contacting your roommate before the first |
| your SAT and ACT tests as early as August. | | | | semester. Moving in can be stressful and |
| Between August and December you will want to | | | | annoying so by talking to your roommate ahead |
| visit with your school counselor to make sure | | | | of time you can find out what kind of person |
| you are on track to graduate and fulfill | | | | they are, what you have in common and what |
| college admission requirements. Start | | | | you each can bring or leave home. |
| collecting personal references from teachers, | | | | |
| school counselors or employers early in the | | | | Last, remember to save your money so that you |
| year, or at least two weeks before | | | | have some spending cash. You will want to |
| application deadlines. Attend a college fair | | | | live frugally but there will be an occasion |
| and begin applying for admission at the | | | | when you need your own money for those extra |
| colleges you have chosen. Find out if you | | | | things. |
| qualify for scholarships at each college you | | | | |
| have applied to and start the financial aid | | | | By addressing all of your concerns before you |
| application process. Between January and May | | | | arrive your first day of college, you won't |
| you will want to visit the colleges that have | | | | find this large life transition so difficult. |
| invited you to enroll. Keep track of and | | | | |