Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. School and Learning
  3. College
  4. Nailing The College Application: Tips For Your Teen

Nailing the College Application: Tips for Your Teen

Find tips on how to help your teen create a winning college application.
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

Nailing the College Application: Tips for Your Teen

Competition to get into many schools is tough, and for that reason, you should insist that your teen apply to an intelligent range of schools.

A good guidance counselor can do you and your teen a favor by helping your teen select one school where he is guaranteed to get in. You don't want your teen to find out in May that he has nowhere to go.

Try to keep your teen from setting her heart on one school. Remind her that there are many schools where she could be happy—then help her find them. College is one of those experiences where a positive person can create a great opportunity almost anywhere. Let her know that you believe that it will all work out so that she'll get a great education wherever she goes.

Once your teen has decided which colleges he'd like to apply to, he should write to each one and request an application. The application is actually a package of documents. There will be a basic form asking for personal information and possibly some short-answer questions. The application will also ask for your teen's academic record, test scores, and letters of recommendation. An essay is required by most schools as well.

Many schools now accept a standard “Common Application”—lucky for today's teen. It can even be filled out electronically. Some schools request an additional essay along with the Common Application, but anything is better than filling out several separate applications.

Acing the Essay

Of all the sections of the application, the essay section causes the most angst for students. In general, essay topics are some form of one of the following:

  • Tell us about yourself.
  • Discuss an idea or special interest.
  • Why do you want to come here or what do you hope to accomplish?
  • A “what if” question where the student is expected to use some imagination.

Your teen should use the essay to explore some aspect of herself that has not been revealed in the rest of the application. ( You should not write it!)

Have your teen read the essay question shortly after the application arrives so she has time to mull over her answer. Then she should write it (leaving plenty of time to polish it). Once she has a draft, she should ask you, another family member, or a favorite English teacher to read it through to make certain the essay is the best it can be.

Who Says She's Good? Letters of Recommendation

Recommendation letters are an important part of many applications. The application will specify, but generally the required letters must be from at least one teacher and your child's counselor. (If your teen had a piano teacher or employer who is dying to extol his virtues, that letter can go along as an added element of the application package.) It's vital that your teen ask for a letter early in the year; popular teachers are usually swamped by requests once application season hits its peak.

Your teen should pick someone who knows him well; just because he got an A in history doesn't mean the teacher really knows what makes him tick. If he can, he should hold out for someone who does. Your teen should tell the letter-writer what he hopes to study, what schools he's applying to, and when the letter has to be mailed.

What's hot

  • MoneyinHands School and LearningTop 10 Graduation Gifts
  • 8 Printable Thank-You Cards for Teacher Appreciation Week School and Learning8 Printable Thank-You Cards…
  • 5-Year-Old Write Backward School and LearningI Need Help! My Five-Year-Old…
  • "Thanks, Teacher!" Card Kids Can Color School and Learning"Thanks, Teacher!"…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.