Wendie Lubic: Hi! I am Wendie Lubic from the Parent Encouragement Program. I am talking to you today about how to smooth the transition between high school and college for you and your teenager. Now I am going to discuss how you can educate yourself to help your teen make this transition and apply more successfully. The process has really changed since you applied to school. These days, there is Common App, the College Board and all sorts of other options that are available. The Common Application which is available on the web has really revolutionized the way that teens apply to college. When you applied you hand typed up maybe four, maybe five applications at the most to different colleges that you were interested in. The Common App allows students to apply to up to 25 or more colleges with just the click of a mouse. You are only limited by how many application fees you are willing to pay and it is actually making the application process a little bit more competitive. Also the testing has changed. It used to be -- you took the SAT or the SET exam and you were done. Now there are SAT 2, AP exams, IB exams and a variety of other testing that is available. It is important for parents to stay on top of the testing and understand what the timing is when these tests should happen. We use to have something called the Achievement Exam. Those are now SAT 2 exams and many of the most competitive schools are requiring one, two and sometimes three of these exams. So, stay on top of what testing needs to be done and when. Finally there are lot of non-college options available for teens these days. Not every teen is ready to go directly from high school to college. So you want to be sure to explore these options and see what is available to them. A lot of these programs combine work with educational experiences that help teens figure out who they are what they want to study further in life and also puts them in a better position to apply later on. Don't rely on your teen's high school to keep you ahead of the process. It is your job to stay one step ahead so that you know what is coming up. Also define the parameters that are important to you and your teen and communicate them to your teen. Next I am going to discuss how to take a realistic assessment of what your teen skills and abilities are and balance that with what aspects about the college experience are important to you and important to them.