If you think about it, getting your child into the right college is essentially the final step of parenting. Don’t get the wrong idea here; we’re not saying that your job is over once your child attends college. For one thing, you’ll almost certainly still need to pay for their tuition. However, rather than leading their life, you are sidelined to offer advice and guidance only when it is needed. Your child transforms into an adult and makes the decisions to shape their destiny. Of course, it can be argued this happens long before they reach college. But while they are still in school, you can help, you can guide, and you can instruct. Ultimately, this will lead to them getting into a great college and setting them towards a fantastic future. So, what steps do you need to take as a parent, eager to get your child that ever increasingly important college degree and assure your child gets into their dream college?

Encourage Extra Curricular Activities

This has become of such great importance for children hoping to get into some of the best colleges across the country and around the world. You would be amiss in thinking that great grades will get your child into their dream college. On the contrary, great grades are only a small fraction of what they will need. Typically, they will have to show that they have extra activities and have excelled in areas that are not purely academic.

This could mean being a member of the school sports team, or perhaps the chess club. Maybe they helped write the school newspaper or organized events. All of these things can demonstrate your child has skills that colleges look for. It may even lead them to get a scholarship, and this will lessen the load of the costs of college for you.

It’s true that many children won’t want to participate in extracurricular activities. You should be encouraging your child to do something like learn to play a musical instrument. Or perhaps even learn a second language. These extra activities will give your child a unique selling point when applying for college. You have no idea how important this can be. It can be the difference between getting a college interview and being immediately dismissed.

Aiding Them With Their College Essay

The essay is an important part of the college application. A reflection essay, for instance, is where the writer discusses experiences and thoughts or feeling that they have had. It’s difficult to know exactly what makes a great reflective essay. But some advice would be to ensure your child writes about something that means a lot to them. Encourage them to share their true feelings. A mistake many college applicants make is to fake the essay. They imagine an experience because they can’t think of something meaningful enough. This hardly ever works. Even the best writers find it difficult to convince someone that something has actually happened to them when it hasn’t. That’s why writers of fiction will often visit the places they are writing about. Or, participate in the activities and experiences of the character. Thus for a reflective essay, you must make sure your child writes about something that as real.

When you inevitably read their college essay, make sure it is confident. It’s important not to use words such as I think, I might or I could. Instead, the application needs to be more assertive. I know, I will, and I am are the keywords to use. Think of it like writing a cover letter for a job application and you will be on the right track.

Preparing For The Interview

You should also help your child prepare for the college interview. The college interview is again, quite similar to a job interview. The interviewer knows what they are looking for, and you have to understand what that is. Again, confidence is key here. You must make sure that your child is confident before attending the interview. You should practice with them, taking the role of the interviewer. Remember, there are questions that are always asked. For instance, why do you want to go here, what made you apply for this college and what can you give us? Colleges are always looking for applicants that can provide something for their school. You can help your child show that they have that potential.

Getting The Grades

Don’t forget we said that the grades weren’t the only thing you need. However, you can’t get into college if you don’t have serviceable grades. Again, it will be up to you to ensure that your children study because they may not do it on their own. When they are younger, you can set study periods at home. Encourage your children to study for at least one hour each day and maybe more during exam seasons. It is not enough to expect them to study without guidance or to study during school hours. Bare in mind that a lot of parents hire tutors for their children.

A tutor can give your child the extra hours they need to push an A up to a B. If you hire a tutor, make sure you use someone who is trained and qualified. It is not always a good idea to use a student trying to make some money. They may be intelligent, but they probably have no skills at teaching.

A good diet is also important for getting good grades. If you want your child to do well in school, you must make sure they are eating healthily. This has been shown to boost cognitive performance. At many times, what your child eats will be out of your hands. Just make sure they are getting at least one good meal every day.

If you take this advice, your child will be on the right path to being accepted to their dream college.