Is Sophomore year too early to do all this planning??

[Anonymous]

My DD is 10th grade in HS and I'm just wondering if it is really too early for us to go to Financial Aid and college application workshops. She took the PSATs last year (as practice) so now we also get college stuff in the mail. Initially, I had her start a file for all this info, but really it just seems like too much too soon. She has been going on college tours for quite some time and whenever we travel somewhere and are in the area of large/well-known college I always stop and we look around or tour. She has a good idea of the college experience she wants (big/small. urban/rural, open campus/closed, etc). I'm basically just wondering if it is OK to not do any of these workshops, and maybe start next year. I just don't want to miss out on something if it really is important that we start going now. Thoughts?? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

The college search process starts earlier all the time and is exhausting. Speaking as someone who's gone through the process twice now, I'd say you can safely ignore this until junior year or at least the summer before junior year. Believe me, you'll be getting more emails and mailings from these colleges. I'd definitely start looking into the financial aid aspects sooner rather than later, but junior is soon enough.

[Anonymous]

My guess ~ she will be interested and engaged in spurts. This will be true even through senior year. There will be times you will pull your hair out when her level of engagement doesn't coincide with yours (if you're like every other parent!)

I would say the very best thing you can do and do it now: really know your budget for college. Without knowing you at all, I will say there may be colleges that you just can't afford. You need to know this so you can set some parameters for your daughter's search. There are financial aid calculators online which you should do now. They aren't perfect, and they will vary.

I would say do not spend too much time trying to find the ideal school (unless you are going to be full pay). Rather than fixate on finding "the best" "one school" try hard along the way to have your daughter fill her wish list with many possibles. We asked our daughter to apply to 10 schools. She received merit aid at 3, denied at 3, had never visited 5. Turned out -probably- the last school she added to the list (which we never gave much thought to) gave her a merit award worth 1/2 tuition for 4 years. She visited for the first time after acceptance, loved the school, and well, life is good.

More information that you wanted, I'm sure. Important: enjoy the journey. I read a lot of books, made a lot of files undercover. I learned a lot. You can do a lot of research to be prepared ~ she doesn't have to (and probably won't be) involved in everything.

[Anonymous]

You are starting way too early. You've been going on college tours for some time? All this does is increase the stress of the process. Plus it leads kids to think of high school as a means to an end and therefore not to enjoy the time they have.

When the time comes your DC should take the lead.