As the new school year comes around, a lot of parents are going to have children who are going to start thinking about university. They are going to be thinking about what they want to study, where they want to study, and what their future plans are going to be. Don’t let your child fall behind. Here is what they need to prepare for their university applications.

Acquire all transcripts

If you can’t do it yourself, have your child go to their school’s office for their transcript. This comprehensive document will show all the marks your child received while in secondary school. This document is a great way to determine what kind of university your child is suited for.

Once you have these papers, your child can start to make a list of the schools they want to attend. Rank these schools from “reach” schools that may be harder to get acceptance from to “safety” schools, which are schools that your child will definitely get an acceptance from. This is a good way to plan your next steps.

Get the applications

Once you know what schools are on the lists, get your applications and start filling them out. You will need to know all the important education information as well as any extra documents. Each university application comes with its own checklist, so as you go down the list, check everything off to ensure that nothing is missing.

Write a Personal statement

Every university is going to want a personal statement to determine who your child is and how they stand out. This is going to be the most difficult piece of the puzzle for most. If your child is having a hard time, you can hire a personal statement service to write the statement for your child based on the information they are provided.

A lot of people go this route because although your child is a great student, writing may not be their strong suit.

Get recommendation letters

Once the applications are filled out, you will learn how many university recommendations your child needs. As soon as you know, have them go to school and ask their teachers, administrators, or coaches to get to work and write letters. Many kids think they are burdening adults with this task, but in reality, adults will be more flattered than anything.

Pay the application fee

Many university applications are made online these days, so you can pay the application fee immediately. Long gone are the days when you had to mail a cheque to the university directly. Paying the fee is typically the last thing on the list before you click send and start sending good vibes into the universe that your child will go to the school of their choice.

Take a breath

Start early and take your time. You are going to be more nervous than your child, so just be supportive, stay with a positive mindset, and cheer your child on no matter the outcome.