We know how big of an investment private education is! We want to come alongside you and your family to educate, equip, and empower you to make the best decision for your family! Here are helpful tips and resources to help our high school parents along the way!
Your students' high school years should be joyful, exploratory, and full of learning. Your student is developing an academic foundation for college and managing their many activities.
What does your student enjoy? Leading in student government? Playing the trumpet in band? Writing projects in English? Wearing lab goggles in the chemistry lab? As a parent, you see your student’s strengths and aspiring passions. You can encourage your student’s exploration of interests.
Another tip we have is encouraging your student to get plugged in and commit to activities. Nothing looks better on a college application than leadership qualities and time invested into programs—whether it’s an athletic team and student counsel, or the National Honors Society and ceramics club.
High school is also a time for you to support your student and help to set the pace. Your student might want more independence, but remember, they still really need you. So, while your student is focusing on navigating the rigors of high school, take a moment to check out Northwestern, to see if we might be a future fit for your student.
General Action Items:
- Help your student narrow down a list of potential colleges to manageable groupings. For example, does your student know he wants to go to a small, private school? Or does she want to complete a 2-year technical degree? Large state school you watch on TV? Or is faith an important aspect?
- Visit campuses, generally. Consider this “test driving.” See what types of colleges feel like. Go visit events rather than personalized one on ones. Get a feel for different campuses to continue to narrow down the list.
- Crush high school. Help your student develop study skills, take college prep classes, participate in extracurricular activities. Get involved in leadership and volunteering. Remember the payoff is scholarships.
- If you live in Minnesota, PSEO is important to you. Find out what schools participate and when your student is eligible to start.
- Major Exploration. Dream and Discover. Imagine the tradeoff, long term, of pushing your student to dream and discover in lieu of finding a part time job. Could you student shadow a chiropractor, lawyer, mechanic, and plumber instead of being paid to work retail? Pushing discovery helps save money down the road because you’ll help your student find a school that’s right for them.
- Encourage your son or daughter to pursue academically rigorous high school classes.
- Attend a college fair to gather helpful information. Check with your high school counselor on which fairs are in your area.
Northwestern Action Items:
- Learn about Northwestern’s values. It’s important to know the mission behind each university.
- See how your family can afford a UNW education with our financial planning tools.
- Attend admissions events!
- Learn about online PSEO for juniors and seniors to save money before even stepping foot on campus! PSEO on Purpose is a great event to learn more.
Junior year is tough! Classes are demanding AND the ramp up for college admissions adds an element of stress. While you can’t make good grades for your student, you can talk with them about what they are looking for in a college. Close to home or far away? A place with thousands of internship opportunities? Committed faculty who care about students? A wide variety of academic majors? Free access to all athletic events? Christ-centered staff and faculty? Academic, career, and leadership counseling? A gorgeous campus? You just described Northwestern.
General Action Items:
- Visit Campuses—consider visiting a school or two on spring break and summer vacation—just because it’s fun and interesting. Help your student develop a criteria for what they’re looking for in a school.
- Understand admission requirements of the schools on your student's consideration list. Do they require a standardized test? Is volunteerism recognized? Does a person’s faith matter to the institution?
- Have a "money" talk with your student about how to pay for college. Explore scholarships. Some scholarships can be applied for in the junior year.
- Many students pursue College in the Schools (CIS) or PSEO. Find out what the potential schools have to offer.
Northwestern Action Items:
- Visit Northwestern! See our Top 20 Questions to Ask While Visiting.
- Meet with an admissions counselor.
- Attend admissions events!
- Explore the Twin Cities and get a feel for the area.
- Estimate your exact costs on our UNW Net Price Calculator and Merit Scholarship Estimator
- Enroll in our online PSEO program for juniors and seniors to save money before even stepping foot on campus!
A PSEO class worth taking is "Discovering Majors". This 1-credit class is recommended for students who are undecided about an academic major and who are motivated to explore options.
Whether you've been through the college admissions process with an older child, or this is your first time, we look forward to working with you and your student as your student makes the decision about whether to apply to Northwestern. We understand that this is an exciting but also stressful time for prospective students and parents, so we are here to help you with each step!
General Action Items:
- Enrollment Timeline Guide for Parents
- Be an advocate for applying. Students typically apply to three to six colleges.
- Paying for education is still top of mind. Find out about merit scholarships, grants, student employment, and continue making scholarship applications.
- Compare bottom line costs, not scholarship amounts, of the college now on your student's consideration list.
- Compare all aspects of living on campus on your student's consideration list—campus grounds, dorms, campus dining, clubs, activities, proximity to stores and recreational activities.
- Help your student plan their "What to Bring" list of items.
Northwestern Action Items:
- Apply for admission!
- Apply for financial aid. Learn about FAFSA and get the FASFA code.
- Be aware of UNW scholarship deadlines
- Explore private scholarships. We have a large archive!
- Encourage your student to attend Icebreaker, an exclusive event for high school seniors!