The cost of applying to college
By Lucy Lazarony • Bankrate.com

Between private tutoring, multiple college applications and several cross-country campus visits, the cost of applying to college could easily reach the $10,000 mark.

Can't swing $5,000, let alone $10,000, in pre-college costs per teen? Don't worry.

There are plenty of ways to succeed at the college application game without putting a serious dent in your children's college funds.

Low-cost high scores
The key is to be organized and start early. Let's start with those dreaded standardized tests, which seems to consume so much of a student's junior year.

Practice may not make perfect, but it can take a whole lot of stress out of the big testing day for your teen. A student who approaches the test feeling relaxed and prepared is more likely to do well.

And you won't need to shell out big bucks to transform your teen into a test-taking whiz. There are plenty of low-cost ways to prepare.

"If you stay at it, you can do a lot of things without spending a lot of money," says Marybeth Kravets, a counselor at a public high school in Deerfield, Ill., a suburb of Chicago.

A free online course demo for the SAT including a free, full-length practice test is available from The Princeton Review. A free mini-SAT is available on the College Board Web site. Number2.com offers free, online test prep for the SAT and ACT.

Test prep books for both the SAT and the ACT are available from The Princeton Review and Kaplan Inc. for $30 or $40. The book 10 Real SATs from the College Board, the official sponsor of the SAT, costs just $19.95.

It's a good idea to check out what's available at your school or local library before buying any of these prep guides.

"A lot of people go and buy their own copies of books and software that are available at a school or community library for free," says Frank Burtnett, president of Education Now, a private consulting firm that works with schools and colleges. "Go to the library first and a bookstore second."

Don't forget to check for test-prep programs that may be available from teachers in your high school for free.

Preparing high school students for standardized tests has become a big business. Both Kaplan and The Princeton Review offer well-known test prep courses, as well as one-on-one tutoring. A number of companies offer pricier private tutoring. A private tutor may charge as much as $200 an hour. These options can add hundreds if not thousands of dollars to your pre-college bill.

With all the hoopla over these tests, you'd think a student's entire academic future was hinging on the outcome. It's not. A student's scores on the SAT or ACT may determine eligibility for merit scholarships, but they play a relatively small factor in college admissions decisions.

Study habits rule
The biggest factor? A student's academic record in high school. Performing well in core college prep classes such as English, history, science and math is the most important thing. Excelling in an honors class or an advanced placement class in these subjects is even better.

"It's just doing good work and showing good work on your transcript," Burtnett says.

Good grades are awfully hard to come by without good study habits. Want your 8-year-old to excel in high school and beyond? Establish good study habits ASAP.

"Make sure a student has a good place to study and makes time to study," says Jack Joyce, Director of College Planning Services for the College Board.

By the time high school and those tough college prep classes roll around, they'll know what to do. Ditto for those standardized tests.

"By the time demand increases, they'll be ready," Joyce says.

Less industrious students are going to have a tougher time.

"You can't substitute 12 years of schooling in 12 mornings of test prep courses," Burtnett says.

Narrowing down a teen's college choices can be an expensive process. Crisscrossing the country and visiting a dozen college campuses with a teen in tow isn't going to be cheap. And it's not a good way to begin a college search.

Choosing your school
The first step is boiling down what your teen is looking for in a college. Here are some key things for your teen to think about:

• Personal goals. Why do you want to go to college? What academic subjects interest you the most? Do you know what subject you'd like to major in? Is graduate, law or medical school in your future? What are your career goals?
• Location of school. Do you want to attend a school near home or one that's 3,000 miles away? Is that faraway school near an airport? How often would you be able to visit home during the school year?
• Size of school. Some students prefer learning in smaller classes and may be more comfortable at a smaller school. For other students, class size doesn't matter. Not sure what size you prefer? Try visiting a large university and a small college in your local area and see what you like.
• Diversity of student body. Would you like to attend a school with people from similar social backgrounds as your own? Or would you rather attend classes with students from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds? Would you feel more comfortable on a liberal or a conservative campus?
• Small town vs. big city. When you think of college, do you think of red brick buildings and rolling hills or skyscrapers? Would you be happy living in a college town, or do you prefer the lights of the big city?
• The cost. How much is tuition? How much is room-and-board? How much financial aid is available? Don't forget to factor in travel expenses for faraway schools. Many schools list education costs and typical aid packages on their Web sites.

Be sure to discuss cost issues with your parents. A generous financial aid package may make a pricey private school just as affordable as a state university, or it might not. How much can your parents afford to pay and how much are you willing to borrow for four years of college? Do you really want to begin your professional career with $40,000 in student loan debt?

Once you've sorted out what you're looking for in a college, make a list and keep it with you as you peruse guidebooks and course catalogs. Be sure to check out books and other free college resources available at your school and local library before buying books on your own.

You're looking for schools that match as many of your priorities as possible. Take notes and keep score.

Don't forget to hop online and check out a university's Web site. You'll find detailed information on everything from courses and curriculum to admission standards to financial aid packages. Some college Web sites offer a virtual tour of campus and online chats with prospective students. You can also use the Web to research the school's location. Is it located in a town or city where you'd like to live?

Getting to know them
Be sure to visit local college fairs and talk to university representatives. It's a great way to find out more about a school. It's also a good way to let a school know you're interested.

Once you've narrowed your school choices, stop by your high school guidance counselor and talk things over. If you know anyone who graduated from a school or college on your list, be sure to talk to them. Ask them about their college experiences -- the good and the bad.

Narrowing your school choices will save you a bundle on application fees. It costs anywhere from $40 to $65 to apply to most colleges.

Apply to 20 schools, and you could pay as much as $1,300 in fees. Apply to 10 schools, and your fee costs drop to $650 or less. Narrow your college list to five, you'll only have to shell out $325 or less in application fees.

Lots of students end up applying to a mix of safety schools, reality schools and reach schools:

• A reach school is a dream college where you'll have a hard time getting accepted.
• A reality school is a college where you have a pretty good chance of getting accepted.
• A safety school is a college where you have a very good chance of getting accepted.

The number of schools you apply to is up to you. But there's little point in applying to a school you wouldn't be happy to attend.

"Apply to places you have a real interest in attending," Kravets says. "It's not a safety school if you have no interest in going there."

A final tip for cutting application costs: Hop online. Many colleges and universities will waive application fees for students who apply online.

If you've got the time and the money to visit every college on your college list, do it. Otherwise, visit as many schools as you can reasonably afford.

While on campus ask some students what they really think of the school. Sit in on a couple of classes. Stay overnight. You're trying to get as much of a feel for the place as you possibly can.

"Read what's posted on the trees and bulletin boards," Kravets says. "Taste the food. Listen to the music."

--Updated: Sept.17, 2004