Parents- 5 Ways You Can Help!

At Collegewise, we’ve seen over 2500 families go through the college admissions process, and we’ve learned that parents are genuinely interested in their kids’ success.  But it can be easy for parents to feel overwhelmed with what the neighbors, cousins, and other parents at the dinner party are doing, and sometimes, those worries can interfere in their own family’s college admissions process.

Below are some Collegewise tips on how parents can really help their child without hurting them during the college admissions process:

1. Decision 2008. Decisions from colleges are starting to arrive, and remember, your reaction to what’s in the mailbox will impact how your student feels. If an acceptance letter comes, that’s reason to celebrate, even if it’s a safety school. And if the dream school sends a rejection, your student won’t think it’s the end of the world unless you do.

2. Have the “College Chat” Now. We hope that you and your student are always on the same page, but we know that’s not always the case, especially when it comes to choosing colleges. A lot of students and parents wait to compare college preferences until the fall of the senior year, but you should start now. Disagreements about college are normal, and we can help. In fact, our student and parent College Search Questionnaires are perfect to help facilitate this discussion, so if you haven’t seen these, please ask your Collegewise counselor.

3. Summer Planning. This summer, encourage your student to really follow her interests.  Kids don’t necessarily have go to an expensive summer program or travel half way around the world to impress colleges. If your student loves foreign languages and wants to learn Russian, have him look into taking a community college course in Russian over the summer. The guitar player can impress colleges by playing gigs with her band this summer. Got a future chef in the house?  Encourage him to take a cooking class. Kids who follow their interests, especially when faced with free time over the summer, are always appealing to colleges.   

4. Honesty is the Best Policy. When it comes to classes and grades, consider making the following deal with your kids: If your student is struggling in a class and tells you about it right away, you won’t get angry. A lot of kids are afraid to admit when they’re performing poorly, and that leaves you open to unwelcome surprises, like progress reports with low grades. Instead of the more pressuring question, “How are you doing in school?” consider the less threatening version of, “Do you need help in any of your classes?” You’ll definitely see a difference in your conversations about school if you develop an academic-related “honesty rule” with your student. 

5. Paying College Visits. Lots of families will use the upcoming spring break vacation as a college getaway week. Notice I said it’s coming up? Parents—since you probably have the credit cards and can make decisions regarding dates and specifics, why not take the reigns and plan your student’s college visits? This is truly a perfect parent project. But if your kid is the family travel agent, by all means, get them involved in the planning. Setting foot on a college campus is a crucial part of the college search process, and whether your kid is excited about visiting schools or not, college visits should definitely be in the cards during high school.