7 Tips For Helping Your Kids Make Smart Decisions About College

Choosing what college to go to and what to major in is a life-changing process. As a parent, you want the best for your kids. So, here are seven tips for helping your kids make smart decisions about college.

1. Help Them Decide If They Need To Go

College isn't necessary for every career path; help your child determine if what they'd like to do requires a degree. Some common fields that rarely require a degree include:

• The Visual Arts: painting, drawing, photography, videography, or crafts.

• The Music Industry: playing, recording, producing, or managing. 

• Sales and Customer Service.

It's important for your child to consider how much a degree will affect their end goal, and whether the cost is worth it. 

2. Encourage Them To Pick A "Safe" Major Or Minor

Choosing a major or minor that will allow them to work in a reliable field will set your child up for success when they enter the job market. Encourage them to explore some "safe" options such as:

Science 

• A science major can easily go on to medical school when they've gotten their degree.

• The healthcare industry grows every year. 

• Sites like Practice Match have over 500 job listings for cardiology alone. 

Business

• Having a major or minor in business will stand out to future employers. 

• It lets them know the applicant has leadership and communication skills.

• It also increases the chances of advancement in a company. 

Majoring or minoring in a field that stays in high-demand will increase the chances of getting a job right out of school. 

3. Help Them Research Good Schools 

If your child has their major picked out, help them research schools that are known for producing high-achievers in that field. If they don't know what they want to major in, help them find schools that have multiple strong programs. 

4. Discuss The Financial Side

It can be hard for a student to grasp just how expensive college is when they're first starting out. As an adult, it will fall to you to help them make decisions that won't end with them, or you, going into debt.

• Encourage them to fill out the FAFSA as early as possible to see if they're eligible for financial aid.

• Help them find scholarships or grants they can apply for.

• If student loans are necessary, look for ways to cut down on the cost. For example, they could begin their studies at a community college. 

The financial decisions made during the college admissions process can have lifelong effects. Make sure your child fully understands what they're taking on.

5. Encourage Them To Choose A Location That's Right For Them

Before your child begins applying to schools, they should decide what location will be right for them. Here are some important location questions to ask.

• Is the career they're aiming for thriving in certain areas?

• Do they want to go to school in-state or out-of-state?

• Do they want to live at home, on campus, or in a private living space?

Answering these questions ahead of time will help speed up the process of choosing schools to apply to.

6. Discuss Their Overall Plan

Ok, so the overall plan will probably change once or twice before their college graduation comes. Even so, having a plan at the beginning can help lay a solid foundation for them to build on as they grow and change. 

7. Give Advice, But Don't Push

You only want what's best for them. That's natural, but there comes a point where you can't make all their decisions for them. Give them advice about college, but don't push, as this can lead to anxiety... let them make their own final decisions. 

Revisit these seven tips as you talk to your child about college. Discuss the points listed, and work together to make sure the decisions being made are smart ones.