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College Planning... Already? 5 Things to Do to Plant the Seed of College
By Laura Jeanne Hammond

The thought of starting to plan for college when your kids are in diapers, or learning to color within the lines, or even when they’re in grade school can be overwhelming.

But planning for college when your kids are young doesn’t have to mean you start collecting college view books at birth or look into possible employers for a combination nurse/firefighter/ horseback rider.

Here are five things you can do to help your children become curious about college at any stage of their lives—without pushing the topic too much.

1. Talk about college. If your family places a high value on postsecondary education, don’t miss out on chances to talk about college. When you have a chance, share your own memories of college with your children. Tell them what your major was. Talk about who in their lives you met while in college. This will help them to see college as a part of their future, too—and something to look forward to.

2. Start saving. Use the benefit of time to grow an educational savings account for your children. Consider your state’s 529 plan, which allows grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. to contribute, too.

3. Encourage your children to get bumps. Not “bumps” as in bruises, but “bumps” as in interesting hobbies, passions and activities that will help them stand out in a crowd of well-rounded kids. You don’t have to find a cure for cancer or spend a year volunteering in Cambodia to get into college, but pursuing an interest throughout high school and before can help prepare children for college admissions—and help them discover their world.

4. Manage expectations. Telling your 8 year old that he’s so smart he’s bound to get a full ride to Harvard may seem flattering, but if repeated often enough, it may be setting him up for unrealistic expectations.

When your child talks about possible plans for the future, encourage him and flatter him and stretch his imagination. But remember to manage your expectations—until he’s ready to actually apply to college, those dreams and plans are his way of exploring, not guaranteeing that he’ll definitely become a doctor. Don’t be disappointed when he changes his mind.

5. Get help when they get to high school. When it comes to college and career planning, most high schools offer dedicated counselors to help you and your teen figure out what’s best for your family.

Seek out your child’s guidance counselor when he reaches high school for help. It helps if teens are in contact with their counselors all four years of high school, especially when it comes to letters of recommendation, course selection, and scholarship and college searches. Encourage your teen to build the relationship now, and to benefit from its strength later.

Laura Jeanne Hammond is vice president/editor in chief of The Next Step Magazine www.nextSTEPmag.com , a national college, career and life-planning publication for high school students. She is also mom to daughter Audrey, who celebrates her first birthday this month.