Start with the Budget: Why Every Application Strategy Should Begin With the Bottom Line

This is the first post in a six-part summer series designed to help parents of the Class of 2026 feel calm, clear, and in control as we head toward the opening of the Common App on August 1. Each week, we’ll tackle one crucial step, from building a smart college list to making sense of Early Decision, with one goal in mind: giving you the tools to lead this process with confidence (and maybe even less stress).

Here’s what’s coming up:

• Next week: Fit Is Not a Vibe — Learn how to build a college list that actually fits your teen, using criteria most families overlook.

• Week 3: Campus Tours on Your Timeline — Why it’s not too late to visit, and how to use your time wisely.

• Week 4: Your Application Tells a Story — How to think about essays, activities, and recommendations as one coherent narrative.

• Week 5: The Truth About “Cliché” Essay Topics — Why originality is overrated and what colleges actually care about.

• Week 6 (Aug. 1): Common App Opens Today — What prepared families do this week, and what can wait.

Let’s start at the beginning—with the one step most families skip, and few admissions experts talk about.

If you’re parenting a rising senior in the Class of 2026, the next few months might feel like stepping onto a treadmill that someone else controls. Deadlines are looming, advice is coming at you from every direction, and the Common App opens August 1—ready or not.

So where do you start?

Not with the college list. Not with test scores. Not even with the personal essay.You start with the budget.

Most families skip this step—and regret it later.

It’s not because they don’t care. It’s because somewhere along the way, we were taught that talking about money cheapens the process. That if your kid is “good enough,” the money will somehow work itself out. Or worse—that the right college is a dream, and you don’t put a price tag on dreams.

That’s nonsense.

You are not the villain for asking what this will cost. You are the adult in the room.

And if your teen is going to walk confidently into this process, they need you to be clear-eyed about the financial side—not vague, stressed, or silent.

Why Budget First? Because Every Other Decision Depends on It.

Every part of the application process is easier, and smarter, once you understand what you're working with. A clear budget lets you:

• Build a college list that balances affordability with aspiration

• Know when merit aid is essential and when need-based aid might cover more

• Decide if Early Decision is even on the table (Hint: it shouldn’t be if you need to compare offers)

• Avoid wasting time on schools that won’t be financially viable

This is not about limiting options. It’s about prioritizing real ones.

But It’s Not Just “What Can We Afford?”

A realistic college budget includes more than just tuition and room and board. It should account for:

• Travel costs (especially if flights are involved)

• Health insurance, course fees, and textbook costs

• Dorm furnishings, personal expenses, and food beyond the meal plan

• Hidden senior year expenses like test fees and application costs

And if you don’t know the net price of a college—the actual amount most families like yours pay, after aid—you’re guessing.

Spoiler: the “sticker price” is usually wrong in both directions. Some expensive-looking schools offer huge merit awards. Some public options aren’t as affordable as they seem.

Want to Reduce Stress? Put This on Paper.

You don’t need to know every number today. But you do need to start.

Talk with your student about what you’re willing and able to contribute. Use online calculators to estimate net price. Look at what students actually graduate with in debt. (It’s not the number on the website—it’s the number in the Common Data Set.)

This is how confident parents get ahead of the chaos. Not with a spreadsheet obsession—but with clarity.

One Last Thing…

When you lead with the budget, you show your student that dreams and responsibility can live in the same room. You teach them to plan, to ask good questions, and to own the financial reality of the choices ahead.

And best of all? You save your family from heartbreak later—when that “dream school” turns out to be a debt trap.