How to be supportive when your child fills out college applications

'Tis the season for college applications.

The process isn't the same as when we were kids. It's estimated this year's crop of college applicants will be the largest in U.S. history, and that means more competition.

Tim Desch, assistant dean for undergraduate admissions at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University gives helpful advice for parents for their child's college application.

He says spending countless hours thinking of where your child will be attending college while he is a freshman in high school is unnecessary. Even if your child is a senior in high school, no worries. They still have time to figure out where they want to attend.

Make sure that you are helping your child rather then sending them to the school that best benefits your needs.

He or she needs to be able to fill out his own application, learn how to apply and send his or her applications to different colleges.

As a parent, your child will need your guidance, but this doesn't mean you need to do everything for him or her.

This is a huge step in the process of becoming independent.