You want the best future possible for your children, and a solid future begins with a solid education. Yet college seems like a big, expensive dream. How can you make it a reality? Is it that important to go to college anyway? At College Knowledge, we can help you with your questions and concerns, and help make college a reality for your children.
Why Send Them to College?
People who go to college really do benefit from the experience. Research shows that college graduates make more money over the course of their lifetimes, have better career options, and tend to feel better about themselves—whether they get 2- or 4-year degrees.
- Men with college degrees earn nearly 96% more than men with high school diplomas.
- Women with college degrees earn nearly 82% more than women with high school diplomas.
How College Knowledge Can Help
We help students by getting them ready for college in every respect. Our highly trained staff of college students works directly with high school students to give them the tools they need to get better grades and be ready for college. These pre-college advisors provide help with career exploration, choosing a college, applying for and paying for higher education, and improving study skills. They also act as tutors and role models, making college a fun, realistic goal.
We help parents by providing information along the way to prepare for college. We’re available to answer questions and point out appropriate resources. College Knowledge is committed to giving everyone the benefits of a college education—higher wages, marketable skills, and more career choices.
Does College Knowledge Work?
In the graduating class of 2000, 94% of all College Knowledge seniors went on to college. Enough said. If you’re not already in College Knowledge, all you have to do to join is have your parent or guardian fill out an application form and fax or mail it in.
But College is Too Expensive for Our Family
Don’t let the cost of college scare you. There are lots of ways that families pay for their children to pursue a higher education, and there are many affordable colleges out there. For more information about paying for college, please explore our “Paying for College” topics.
We Have Scholarships With one year of participation in the program, you will be eligible for College Knowledge Scholarships to Humboldt State University or College of the Redwoods. Scholarships are renewable for four years. Along with the completed application (available in PDF), please attach your one page essay, a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR), and a transcript. Deadline for senior scholarship applications is in April. Check back here for updates.
Scholarships are made available through the generous funding from the College Access Foundation of California.
How to Help Your Children Get to College
Your support is the most important resource your children have. It doesn’t matter if you went to college or not—by encouraging your kids and assuring them that college is important and that they can do it, you can help them far more than anyone else.
Emotional Support
Research has shown that students who do well in school have parents who: - Offer praise and encouragement when they do well in school.
- Talk to their kids about school.
- Encourage their kids to ask questions and think for themselves.
- Establish rules about how their kids should behave.
- Show their kids the importance of hard work and responsibility.
Practical Support - Help your kids choose their classes wisely—this is important from middle school through high school. They need to do this to get into college.
- Reward your kids for good attendance at school.
- Get to know their guidance counselors—they’ll be very important resources in helping you plan for college, pay for college, etc.
- Provide your kids with homework time and a quiet place to study.
- Ask about their homework, school projects, and offer help with spelling.
- Use our Study Skills suggestions as a tool to help them succeed.
Requirements for Getting into College
Though getting top grades always helps, they’re not necessary to go to college–there are all sorts of colleges for all sorts of different students. Use our "College Prep" section to help figure out what your child needs to do to get into the college of his or her choice.
Required Tests for College Admission
Most 4-year schools require students to take either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT). These tests are not required for community college admission. Find out when the tests are given by going online or having your student get a registration booklet in the high school counseling office.
Which Careers are Best for My Student?
All parents want their children to be happy and successful. Because adolescence is a time of change, teens will be interested in a wide variety of careers and change their minds frequently. Parents can help students define their interests by encouraging them to get work experience, and explore a variety of jobs.
Parents’ Resources
Links
CollegeBoard.com
This site helps you find the right college and has lots of info on getting in and paying for college, and taking the SATs. Embark
This site is chock full of college info, with just about everything you need to know, including online college applications, financial aid, SATs, and ACTs. CampusTours.com
This is a great place to research colleges, and it even lets you take virtual tours of campuses! CSU Mentor
This site tells you how to apply and get into any of the 23 California State University campuses and makes the whole process easier. Start early with this site if you’re interested in the CSU system. University of California
This site has links to all the University of California websites and fills you in on how to apply to a UC school. California Community College Websites
This site links to all the California Community College websites and is a great resource if you’re interested in a 2-year college. Educaid
This mega-site has everything from college planning calendars, college searches, tools to choose the right college, and info on financial aid and scholarships. You can sign up here for a free email newsletter that’ll keep you in the know about upcoming deadlines, college info, financial aid, and more. ACT Site
This is the site for any questions you have about taking the ACTs. US News.edu
This site is a great place to research schools. It ranks every kind of college imaginable, from liberal arts schools to community colleges. It also lets you search for community colleges by location, academic programs, and student services. The site also has an alphabetical list of all colleges and their national rank. The California College Explorer
This site lets you search for information about any kind of college that’s located in California. SuperCollege.com
This site has a college matchmaker, SAT prep resources, a scholarship search, and much more for students interested in finding the right college. U.S. News Scholarships
Use this handy scholarship search form to find scholarships you qualify for and information about applying. CollegeNet
This site has lots of information about different types of aid available and how to apply for each. You can also search for scholarships and apply for them online. FastWeb.com
The ultimate in scholarship searches. Students can enter personal information (hobbies, sports, clubs, etc.) and Fastweb will email them relevant, up-to-the-minute scholarship information. California Student Aid Commission
This site is THE source for information on California financial aid. It lists all the programs in California that could help you pay for college. Ed Fund
This site helps students plan for college and figure out how to manage their money once they get there. It helps keep track of student loans, and is an excellent resource if they’ll be using loans to pay for school. FinAid
This great site has calculators that help you figure out how much college will cost, as well as financial aid and scholarship information. It’s very useful and helpful—a “must visit.”
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