The FAFSA needs to be filled out in January of senior year, but it requires tax information. How can you fill out that form when you don’t even HAVE your tax information yet?The answer: estimate, then amend.

You fill out the forms with a close estimate of your tax information. Then, when you file your taxes for the year, go back and put in the corrected numbers, so your tax forms and the FAFSA forms match perfectly.

Let me give you just a few paragraphs to read. Since the FAFSA needs to be completed every year from senior year in high school for your oldest child, until senior year of college for your youngest child, you might as well start to understand it now, right? This information comes directly from the PDF booklet “Completing the FAFSA 1012-13″

http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/2012-13CTF.pdf

The booklet is actually written pretty well, by the way, and I was able to understand it myself! Very little jargon! Pages 19 and 35, and you’ll get a short explanation of the process.

On page 19, it says:

Q. I’ll be filing a tax return this year but I probably won’t get around to it until April. How should I answer the financial questions? Should I wait to fill out this form after I’ve filed my tax return?

A. Ideally, you should complete a FAFSA after you‘ve done your tax return, but don‘t wait until April. Many schools award aid on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, you may not be eligible for state aid if you wait until April to submit your FAFSA. Many state aid deadlines are early in the calendar year (calendar year 2012 for the 2012-13 award year). If you haven‘t completed your tax return, you should calculate your adjusted gross income (AGI) and taxes paid using the instructions for IRS Form 1040. You can get the instructions and the form at a public library or download them in Portable Document Format (PDF) from www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html.

Keep in mind that if you submit your application before you complete a tax return, you may need to make corrections later if your income or tax information isn‘t accurate. You will also need to return any federal student aid you received based upon incorrect information.

You might have to provide your school with a copy of your completed tax return (assuming you‘re required to file one) before you receive federal student aid.

On page 35, it says:

How to complete the income tax section

It is best to use a completed 2011 income tax return to fill out this application. However, if you do not have a completed tax return, you should calculate your adjusted gross income (AGI) and taxes paid using the applicable IRS instructions. You can get the instructions and the appropriate tax form at a public library or download them in Portable Document Format (PDF) from www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html.

When your application is compared with the tax return actually filed, the financial information must agree. If there are differences, you must correct the information using Corrections on the Web or by correcting your paper SAR and mailing it back to the U.S. Department of Education.

If you complete your FAFSA online, you may be eligible to electronically retrieve your tax information from the Internal Revenue Service and have it automatically transferred into your FAFSA. Retrieving your information from the IRS is an easy and efficient way to make sure that your most accurate tax information is included on your application.

Even if you (and your spouse) are not required to file a 2011 income tax return, you will need to calculate your earnings for the year. Use W-2 forms and other records to answer the questions in this section.

Parents with seniors, try to fill out your FAFSA paperwork now. College need the information to give you scholarship money. It’s really worth the trouble!

Seniors are usually starting to hear back from colleges. I hope you find out fantastic news regarding acceptances as well as scholarships.

Following the excitement from hearing about admission and scholarships, all of a sudden the reality of finances comes crashing down on parents. Even with a scholarship, just how can you pay for college?

It’s important to keep relaxed, even though you have been told an initial communication concerning scholarships. Since the truth is that scholarships come in waves. The first wave of scholarships was based on his SAT scores. The following wave of scholarships will be dependant on the FAFSA on January 1, associated with your financial “need. ” Sometimes there is also a third wave of scholarships. That wave will be dependant on additional factors other than scholastic achievement or financial need. It is often associated with a specific talent (football) or interest (engineering major) or skill (piano. )

You want to be perfectly situated to ride all three waves.

Learning a new language is work.  You can’t just plop kids in front of a video screen and let them enjoy the ambiance of French.  They really need to work at it.  Success with foreign language requires being consistent every day.  The problem with foreign language is the same problem I have with Weight Watchers.  It only works when you actually DO the program!  So sad… but so true.

Just because it’s work doesn’t mean it can’t be fun, though! Whatever you end up using for a foreign language curriculum, supplement with some fun activities.

Movies.  Did you know that almost all DVDs have alternate languages?  Most movies will have language options like French, Spanish, German, etc.  When you watch a children’s movie, the vocabulary will be simple, allowing children to enjoy language exposure while watching movies on TV. About once a week we would watch movies in a foreign language; Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, for example. Since these were movies my children almost had memorized, we could watch it in French, or turn on French subtitles, and really have fun. You don’t have to understand everything they say on the movie, just understand what’s happening and listen to the spoken words. My kids loved that! If you use Disney and Pixar films, you don’t even notice that the lips don’t match – and it’s a fun way to laugh and joke while getting your 15 minutes for the day.

Video games.   Set video games to another language. When John Nordlinger, senior research manager for Microsoft Research’s gaming efforts, wanted a refresher on his French, he started playing “Everquest” — the multiplayer online role-playing game — in that language.

Volunteer. Many social services have a high percentage of foreign speaking people.  You can locate a food bank, clothing bank, or other resource that serves people. Spanish is nice because there are always people and things to help with pronunciation.

Facebook. If your teen loves Facebook and is able to write a short sentence, have them try Facebook in another language.  What a wonderful opportunity to try working their foreign language skills in a fun way!  It sounds like it would be a great fit for a highly social child! To set Facebook in French, go to Settings, Account Settings, and then Languages.  Watch out they don’t set it for “Pirate” or “Pig Latin” however.  Those are languages that colleges don’t seem to value as much <smile!>

iPad.  You can watch foreign language channels on your iPad or iPod and practice your foreign language skills! Find the iPod app called “TVU.”  You can’t get your local channels, but you can get channels from across the country and the globe!  The app is much cheaper than cable, and you can get channels that broadcast in the language you want your children to learn. There are dozens of foreign language channels, including some in French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, and some lesser-known African and East Asian languages.

Livemocha.  Livemocha allows people around the world to help each other with language learning, and provides our community with opportunities to learn and practice new languages together.  It’s quite a time commitment, but many of my clients really enjoy it. http://www.livemocha.com/

Travel. Traveling in other countries can help children learn different languages while experiencing the art and culture of other countries.  If these were done during high school, then you can give high school credit for the whole experience.  It was never in my budget, but what a wonderful opportunity for a supplement.

These can make foreign language studies more fun AND more successful!   I would love to hear YOUR ideas on making foreign language more fun!

Once you get the PSAT scores, what happens next?  Have your children take the SAT or ACT in the spring of junior year.

It’s cheaper to have scores sent directly. For that reason, if she scored good on the PSAT then I would send scores directly. If she scored poorly on the PSAT (below 50 in something) then I would pay the extra money and send them one at a time to colleges if possible. For estimating scores, add a zero to each PSAT score. 500 is average, 600 is good, 700 is great, and 800 is perfect. Anything over 500 is better than the average public school child.

Dear Dana,

I have a section on recommendation letters that will help.  Remember that even though the concept makes you feel anxious, at least you know your child!  Lots of teachers have to give letters of recommendation for students they don’t even know!  That’s why they even have this information on a college board – for those teachers that don’t feel comfortable writing recommendations.

Many college specify that they do not want a parent to write the recommendation, so be sure they want that.  Instead, it might be best to ask someone else to do the letter of recommendation.  It doesn’t have to be a teacher, just someone who knows your child is smart

If they ASK you for a letter of recommendation from a parent, then give it to them.  It’s preferable, however, to have that recommendation be from someone else.

If you do request a letter of recommendation from someone else, then give them the transcript and activity list or resume, so they know something about your child – that is accepted practice.  You can also give them the links below, so they will know how a letter of recommendation looks – they may not know any more than you do.

Tips on Letters of Recommendation

“What to include” from the College Board

5-paragraph Letter of Recommendation outline

Since you mention the Applications, I wanted to make sure you have seen this helpful video.

Understand College Admission Essays

Inside an College Admissions Screening Session

Every homeschool parent tends to answer the homeschool supplement differently, so there is no set answer.  I will say, however, that don’t stress about it too much. The transcript is much more important.  Some things that you may want to include:

1. Why did you begin to homeschool

2. What benefits have you see from homeschooling

3. What is your homeschool style:  unschooling, classical, literature-based, lifestyle of education, etc.  I would avoid the word “eclectic” because I think that word is only common in homeschool circles.

4. I think I would mention that you teach for mastery – that can explain a high GPA

5. It may be helpful to directly address myths of homeschooling.  ”His socialization has improved since homeschooling” or “She regularly interacts with large groups of friends at swim team.”

6. That may be the time to address anything really unusual: debilitating car accident that might explain poor math scores, that sort of thing.

The supplement may be very short, just a short paragraph, telling information about homeschooling that you might give an interested stranger.  Other parents choose to make it a page-long essay.  Either way seems to work!

What do they do for fun?

When I’m helping parents with a transcript, that one question can open the floodgates! How does your child spend unstructured time? When they are supposed to be working on school, or emptying the dishwasher, what are they doing instead? That can be a great indication of their Fun Factor.

If they enjoy their fun for more than one hour a day, you may be able to translate that into high school credits. Anything involving music, band, handcrafts, or theater can be a fine art credit. Children who love starting or working with a small business, from yard work to online marketing, may earn a credit of occupational education. Children who love creating or fixing computer hardware or software can get credit for computer technology. If children love something that makes them sweat, give them PE credits – whether it’s dance, gym membership, team sports, or individual athletics. Kids who love speech and debate may get a credit each year. Some children will love a specific THING, like mushrooms, birds, or horses. Others will love a specific IDEA, like economics or politics.

Whatever they love, put it on the transcript!   If you aren’t sure how to get that fun stuff on paper, I do have a free webinar called “Grades and Credits and Transcripts, Oh My!”

What do they do for fun? I don’t know – but YOU do!  And you can often put that on their high school transcript!