Another college application season is heating up and one million high-school seniors are putting their best foot forward and competing for the same spots. After buying a house, paying for their children's education is the largest investment most parents make. It is critical to tap all the resources necessary to ensure their acceptance at the best school for them.
We strongly urge you to complete your applications well ahead of the deadlines, at least a week before the stated deadline. A great method to make that happen is to review the application materials as soon as you receive the applications from the various schools. Any forms to be completed by guidance counselors and teachers should be distributed well ahead of the stated deadline times. We know of several friends whose hopes of attending individual schools were scuttled by a disorganized, overwhelmed, or misdirected teacher. Check on the status of your recommendations before the last minute. Also, make additional copies of whatever portions you plan to submit so that you may quickly re-send your application forms should they be somehow mutilated or lost. Dogs are hungry for applications this year, we hear.
Even if you are almost certain that you will receive an offer of admission at your dream school, we encourage you to prepare your application forms for the other schools to which you might apply if rejected. We have heard some horror stories of overconfident seniors who had counted on an offer of admission from their top choice, only to learn that they had been rejected in mid-December. They were then hurried into applying to a number of other schools, making their winter break over packed and stressful. Please do not open yourself to this possibility.
To download your free copy of the INTOTHEBEST College Guide, please visit: http://www.intothebest.com.