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[quote=Anonymous]My DS is now a freshman in college.

My advice mostly relates to money, so is only applicable to people with concerns about paying for college. First and foremost, to figure out what your estimated EFC is as soon as possible. Use the net price calculators that colleges have on their websites. And once you know how much private colleges are likely to expect you to pay, be honest with yourself about whether you can afford to pay that much. If you can't afford it, then be honest with your child about the situation. Do not encourage your child to apply to her dream school without being clear about your ability to pay.

And then, back those statements up with ACTION. If you tell your child that you might not be able to afford these wonderful schools, but then spend all your time touring them and discussing pros and cons of them, you are sending the message that your words are not meaningful; you are allowing them to imagine the money thing isn't real. Show that you mean what you say, so that you are managing expectations: Spend as much time finding a good safety as you do looking at dream schools.

And even if you have no concerns about ability to pay, I would say it is still important to spend time finding a good safety. Your should encourage your kid to build the list from the bottom up--find some good safeties, then focus on matches, and then dream some dreams.[/quote]

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