My eldest daughter is currently in the back-half of her senior year of high school.  It’s been an interesting four years, trying to pick the right mix of classes that are both challenging and tracking towards what colleges are looking for in prospective future students.

Then there is the process of trying to get into a college itself. 

Now, I went to college (go UMBC Retrievers!), and I don’t want to sound ancient, but back when I applied (this is 1985 – mind you), the process was quite simple and straight forward.  I filled out an application, sent UMBC my high school transcripts, and in the spring of my senior year, UMBC sent me a letter of acceptance – end of story.

Goodness, how times have changed.

The process now starts in a student’s junior or sophomore year.  They are told to come up with a list of potential schools they might be interested in attending – three “safe” schools (ones they are almost guaranteed to get in – like a local community college), three “target” schools (schools they would really like to shoot for), and three “reach” schools (think Ivy League or some other prestigious institution like Stanford or MIT).

Then there is the financial aid process.

It starts with the FAFSA, which stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid”.  This is now a requirement for most (if not all) colleges, and determines how much federal aid a child may be eligible for.  It requires the submission of the parents’ (and student’s) tax forms, and is basically a litmus test on a family’s ability to pay the tuition at any college they apply for.

But that’s just the beginning.

In my state, there’s also the MSFAA (Maryland State Financial Aid Application) form, which determines if a student qualifies for assistance at the state level.

Some colleges require still more financial aid forms, like a CSS (College Scholarship Service) profile, which determines a student’s eligibility for additional grant or scholarship money outside of a federal or state program.  These forms require copies of almost every financial document I’ve ever received, including tax forms, W-2s, and even projections on future earnings.

I’ve filled out ALL of these and let me tell you something, these organizations now know more about my financial situation than the IRS does.  Seriously, I filled out less paperwork to buy my own house.

Then there is the college application itself.  Is it on the “Common App” (one application used by multiple colleges) or does it require its own application?  Does it have an essay question (or multiple ones)?  Do they want a “personal profile” (where a prospective student lists all of their outside interests and organizational involvement)?  Is a face-to-face interview required?  Is there an audition process or portfolio review (for creative art students)?

Then there are the deadlines.  Early action, early decision, regular decision, rolling enrollment.  These are all terms that one must quickly understand and navigate in order to make the proper decision – after all of the application requirements have been met.  All of these dates roll up to the big deadline (usually May 1^st), when incoming classes for the fall semester are finalized and the on-campus housing process begins.

It’s a stressful time for all of those involved, trying to successfully navigate the maze of required paperwork.

Luckily, we’ve sailed the perilous waters pretty well thus far.  We filled out all of our forms, submitted all of our applications, paid all of our fees (yes, most colleges require you to pay to even apply), and acceptance letters are starting to come in, which is always exciting.  We’ll soon have to sit down with our eldest as she makes her final decision on where she wants to go to school and continue her education at the collegiate level this fall.

Then we get to figure out how to pay for all of it.

Don’t even get me started on that.