5 Tips for Parents: How To Help Your Children Prepare For Success.

A recent study by ACT concluded that many middle and high school students are not effectively planning for the future; they aren’t thinking about their post-high school plans early enough, and they may not be taking the right classes to meet their goals.

ACT offers five tips on what parents can do to help their children effectively prepare for success after high school.

1. Start early—Encourage your children to start thinking about their college and career goals early on, at the middle school level, and help them devise a plan to meet those goals (with guidance from school officials).

2. Insist on challenging courses—Don’t let your children take the easy road; make sure they are taking the most challenging courses possible. Rigorous coursework helps prepare students for success in college and the workforce.

3. Talk to school officials—Stay in close communication with school counselors, administrators, and teachers. Monitor your children’s academic progress and find out what specific classes they should be taking to meet their post-high school goals.

4. Provide encouragement—Be receptive and listen to your children when they want to talk about college and career plans, and encourage them to explore many different possibilities. Be supportive of their ideas, and help them collect as much information as possible.

5. Develop a financial plan now—Don’t wait until your child is in high school to think about how you’re going to pay for college; start learning about college costs and financial aid now, and develop a financial plan as soon as you can.

For more information at http://www.act.org