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The DesRoches family is in the thick of the college application process, and for DesRoches, 40, of Frederick, that means piles of material to review, checklists to make, and endless calls and e-mails to the guidance office at Tuscarora High.

"It's overwhelming how much needs to be done in advance," DesRoches said. "I am emailing [the guidance office] constantly to make sure we're on track. It's almost like learning a foreign language."

Rhonda Biser is a guidance counselor at Tuscarora High and has been working with the DesRoches family since Renee was in middle school. She says the most stressful thing for families who are doing the college hunt is the amount of information that they need to think about all at one time.

"It's overwhelming, especially if it's the first time," Biser said.

For the DesRoches family, they started the process during Renee's freshmen year, keeping track of her attendance, course load, and extracurricular activities, as well as attending evening programs at school about the college admissions process.

Cathy Campbell is a college counselor at Saint John's Catholic Prep in Frederick. She encourages parents and students to begin thinking about the college admissions process early on in high school but to not think of it as "adding on" another task.

"At this point in the stage, look at this as incorporating into what you're already doing," Campbell said, suggesting that parents continually encourage their children to maintain high grades, take on rigorous classes and leadership roles, and participate in extracurricular activities all through high school.

Michael Post, dean of admissions at Mount Saint Mary's University in Emmitsburg, says that being a "well-rounded student" is key.

"The majority of colleges in the country are not just looking at one factor, they're looking at a number of factors. Not just grade point average, not just involvement, not just service. It's all of that," he said.

Post says fall of a student's junior year is often when parents start thinking about visits to campuses, saying that many colleges have welcome events and tours available.

"In the fall of their junior year is a great time to hone in on the schools that you really want to visit, the schools that the student is most interested in," Post said. Additionally, he says the junior year is often marked by the taking of standardized tests, such at the SAT or ACT, the most widely taken college entrance exams, and that it is also "a good time for parents to learn about the financial aid process and the true costs of college."

"A lot of resources are out there to learn about the costs of a college education," Post said. He recommends the Web site FinAid! (www.finaid.org) for being "very, very good at just overviewing everything."

Post says it is important for parents to be upfront with their children early on about the family's financial situation.

"It's good advice to be honest with them about the cost of college, the realities of what the family can support," he said, adding that students should be aware that the consequences of taking out loans to pay for college could affect them into their adulthood.

Campbell says for families, how to finance college is the biggest unknown, which in turn is a "real big source of stress."

"Families want to do right by their child, but not at the expense of going completely in debt. Planning and education is the biggest source of relief for this," she said.

The DesRocheses have had the hard discussion about finances, especially after Renee had to have back surgery her sophomore year which dashed original hopes of receiving dance scholarships for college. Now their game plan has changed, and Renee is focused on schools closer to home because she already has leads on part-time jobs to help with costs, and the family won't have to pay room and board fees.

"Luckily, Renee and I do communicate well. She knows our financial situation, and I know her dreams," DesRoches said, adding that she does not want finances to keep her daughter, who's currently holding straight A's, from getting into the schools she wants.

In a recent meeting with Biser at Tuscarora High, DesRoches came prepared with a list of questions. Biser reviewed everything from how to request official transcripts, the best way to go about getting letters of recommendation, and how Renee was doing academically, to a review of Renee's service learning hours, and recommendations for scholarships. DesRoches asked questions, made notes, and checked off her list.

"It seems that between now and the beginning of November, there is so much," she said. Biser stressed organization is the key.

"The more organized you are, the less stress you'll have. You'll be able to meet deadlines," she said.

Post says by the fall of their senior year, students should be narrowing their list of colleges so they can be mindful of specific application deadlines. Campbell says a way to do this is through a little "self reflection."

"It is important to be thinking about ‘Where am I most comfortable, [for example] a small class with discussion versus a lecture hall?' and ‘Who I am and how do I learn best?'" she said.

Biser's number one recommendation to parents is to meet with their child's high school guidance counselor and to frequently check the guidance office's Web site for informational meetings, deadlines, scholarship opportunities, and other resources.

Her final advice to parents is to not do too much, but rather let the student take responsibility and "have the ownership."

"Make it more of a collaborative effort," she said, "because at college, they will have to do it alone."

-College Board

A not-for-profit association that provides information about college admissions, standardized tests,and financial aid

www.collegeboard.com

-FinAid!

Online guide to financial aid

www.finaid.org

-Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

www.fafsa.ed.gov

-The Community Foundation

of Frederick County

An organization that uses donations to provide educational scholarships

www.cffredco.org

-Parent/Teacher Associations, civic groups, booster clubs, and churches for scholarship opportunities