· Be familiar with the graduation requirements at your child’s high school

· Schedule a meeting with your child’s counselor

· Make sure your child is taking college prep classes to stay on track for attending college.

· Be familiar with the entrance requirements of all the colleges your child may be interested in attending.

· Have your child take the PSAT in 10th grade or early 11th grade (this is an opportunity for 11th graders to receive Merit Scholarships depending on the scoring index).

· Have your child take SAT; subject Test and ACT in the 11th and 12th grades. To try and get the best scores, they can take the tests more than once but preparation is key. Don’t just have them take test without studying or without learning proper test taking techniques a head of time.

· They can use their best scores to get into college. To register for these tests visit www.collegeboard.com and www.act.org

· Prior to, or early in your child’s senior year, get a copy of the Free Application for Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This will give you time to become familiar with the information required and help you through the complicated process of applying for financial aid.

· Make sure your child is involved in at least two extracurricular activities and at least one involved in at least two or more extracurricular activities and at least one involving a leadership role. In this competitive age, colleges look for “well-rounded” students.