Staying calm during the college application process sometimes presents the biggest challenge of all for parents. Try to remember that the experience is a brand-new one for your student, and progress may be uneven as your student comes to terms with the important decisions and changes that lie ahead. Stay positive, be encouraging, and be prepared to help if asked.

Develop a plan for your involvement that works for both you and your student.

Here are some important ways you can help!

Purchase College Guides

Your student should have one or two college guides. Click to see what print resources are available.

Arrange Campus Visits

Campus visits are a great way to get a feel for the range of college choices out there. Send or accompany your student to 3-4 schools ranging in size, emphasis, and selectivity. Starting with the many excellent choices within driving distance of Seattle, click the links below for more information.

Gonzaga University
Lewis and Clark College
Linfield College
Reed College
University of British Columbia
University of Oregon
University of Portland
University of Puget Sound
University of Washington
Western Washington University
Whitman College
Willamette University

Establish a College Work Space

Help find a work space in your home that can be devoted to college application work.

Help Your Student Make Good Decisions

Good choices during the high school years translate into more choices for college. Help your student think through decisions about selecting courses for high school, staying on top of homework, controlling the extracurricular load (including jobs), getting sleep before tests, and so on. But don't be too heavy-handed!

Support Your Student's Test Preparation

Help your student develop a testing plan.

Post registration and testing dates for AP, ACT, and SAT on the family calendar right away and register for testing as soon as you know when it will occur.

Purchase test preparation guides right away.

Test preparation courses or individual tutoring are also an option for families who can afford them.

Help With Applications

Send application fees to colleges. In the fall of senior year, students will finalize their list of colleges and begin the application process. Parents will need to write checks to individual colleges to initiate the application.

Pay for test score reporting. Parents can use a credit card to make online arrangements for score reporting.

Familiarize yourself with the Common Application.

Help your student remember activities and honors to list on the application and on a resume.

Help your student brainstorm essay ideas and approaches.

Proofread applications and essays. After a few drafts, essays can be very hard for writers to proofread carefully. A new set of eyes is always a help!

Provide paper, envelopes, and stamps. Good quality supplies don’t hurt.

Help with copying and mailing. If your student is not using the Common Application to apply to a particular school, make a copy of the school’s application forms for drafting. Once the application is completed, keep a copy of the completed application for safekeeping. Unless the college specifies a method for mailing your application, consider using first class or priority mail with delivery confirmation (but do not request a signature).

Apply For Financial Aid

Parents typically take a lead role in the financial aid portion of the application process. The FAFSA (the federal aid form) and the College Board’s PROFILE (a mostly private-college form) can be submitted on line. Some colleges also require families to fill out college-specific forms. All of these applications require family financial information that parents can most readily provide.