Parents: What your child needs to apply for college

If you've ever applied for college, you know it's not a quick, or easy, task. Perhaps even more daunting is the challenge of getting your high school son or daughter to complete the application process - on time. 

If you're a part of this group, the USU Alumni Association and Admissions Office wish to congratulate you on sending a child off to college. We also wish you good luck as you champion the logistics, paperwork, and deadlines involved. 

Since we can't guarantee your son or daughter gets accepted by the college of their dreams, we'll at least do the best we can to help you guide them on their way. Starting with a checklist to get you, and your student, through the dreaded application process.

Straight from the professionals at My College Calendar, here is a list of the must-have's and must-do's before your child submits their college application. However, keep in mind that not all of these list items apply to every institution. For specific details, contact the college of interest. 

• Finalize your Student Resume
• Print copies of online admission applications (and other required forms) - begin filling them out by hand
• Letters of Recommendation - make request to teachers/counselors/employers to write letters
• Grade transcripts - order official sealed copies
• Grade transcripts - sent to colleges electronically by counselor or as official sealed copies obtained by student
• Letters of Recommendation - returned to student or submitted by teachers/counselors/employers directly to colleges
• Paper copies of application forms - complete by hand
• Admission application essays - complete required essays
• Online applications - complete and submit with essays
• All other admission forms and documents - complete
• All other admission forms and documents - photocopy
• All other admission forms and documents - mail using U.S. Post Office certified mail, Fed Ex, or UPS tracking system
• SAT or ACT scores - send to colleges
• College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE application - submit online
• College decision letters - received by student
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application - submit online
• Mid-Year grade reports - send to colleges
• FAFSA application corrections - complete online
• CSS PROFILE corrections - submit to colleges
• Financial aid award emails of letters - received from colleges
• Enrollment Confirmation Form - mail to college you WILL attend
• Non-acceptance letters - mail to colleges you will NOT attend
• Advanced Placement (AP) Test grades - send to college you WILL attend
• Final grade report - send to college you WILL attend

Get a printable version of the checklist here

If your teenager is set on becoming an Aggie, take a look at this USU specific checklist. However, if your student's aspirations plan to take them somewhere other than USU, this simple checklist can help make the application process a bit easier, for both of you. Print a copy and start using it today.

Affording Tuition: The low-down on legacy scholarships

Scholarships.  Everyone wants ‘em.  But sometimes, they seem unattainable and difficult to navigate. Luckily, the process of finding and applying for USU alumni scholarships is easier than one might expect.

There are two scholarships that all alumni should be aware of at Utah State:

           1)    The Alumni Scholarship is offered through the Alumni Association and

           2)    The Nonresident Legacy Waiver is offered through the USU Admissions office 

Here is a brief explanation of each. 

The Alumni Scholarship

This scholarship is available to new incoming students.  If a student has a parent or grandparent who attended USU, they are eligible to apply.  Any incoming student can apply (freshman, transfer, resident, and nonresident).  The deadline to apply for Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 is February 1, 2013.

The Alumni Scholarship is funded through the Alumni Association.  All funds awarded are raised through alumni events, private donations, and the Aggie License Plate program.  Applications are available online at www.usu.edu/alumni/scholarships.  On average, the Alumni Association receives between 500-600 applications a year and approximately 175-200 students are selected as recipients.  The average scholarship is a one year award, valued at $1,000.  This scholarship can be combined with any other scholarships and can be used at any USU campus.

The Nonresident Legacy  Waiver

This scholarship is available to new incoming students who are admitted to USU.  To qualify for this scholarship, a student’s parent/guardian must have graduated with a degree from Utah State University.  Once the graduates’ degree if verified, the student will be awarded a nonresident waiver and the student will be charged Utah resident tuition. 

This scholarship is awarded through the Admissions office.  USU is able to participate in this program because of Utah House Bill 364 (signed into law July 1, 2009).  This scholarship is available to all nonresident students who meet the requirements (including freshman, graduate, and international students).

Applications are available online at www.usu.edu/admissions/scholarships.  This scholarship can be combined with other scholarships at USU.  The deadline to apply for Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 is August 1, 2013.

Scholarship Advice

Scholarships can cause stress for parents and students.  Everyone experiences the uncertainty of the selection process, the concern over providing the ‘correct’ answers on the application, and the time involved in waiting for results.  Here are a few suggestions that may help reduce some of that stress:

• Read the application.  Yes – it seems simple.  And kind of silly to mention.  But most of the questions you have will be answered in the application.  Read all of the information and perhaps more importantly, visit the appropriate website for information.
• Contact the office who administers the scholarship.  Ask what the time frame is and if they have any suggestions in applying.
• You must approach the application as you would a job application.  Full, complete sentences and grammatically correct statements will only work to your advantage.  Leave text messaging and instant messaging lingo out of your application.  Don’t ramble and exceed the acceptable length of answers.  You must set yourself apart from all other applications.  For this reason, choose your words carefully and explain why you are the most qualified applicant for the scholarship.
• Be yourself.  Let your personality come through and try to connect with those who will be reading your application.  Often, scholarship committees will review many applications and you want them to remember your application.

We encourage you to read and review the applications for the scholarships listed above.  If you then have questions, call the appropriate office (Alumni Relations: 800-291-2586 or Admissions: 800-488-8108) and we’ll be happy to assist you.