I received an email yesterday from
the mother of a Collegewise kid. She'd read her daughter's college
essay and made "some changes," changes she said were "not drastic." Her
daughter, however, was not happy about Mom's involvement. Now they
were both upset and Mom wanted my advice about how to handle the
situation.
I told her she was a great parent and that she should be applauded for her good intentions, but that she
should run as fast as she possibly could in the opposite direction away
from her kid's college essays. Right away.
Parents and college essays don't mix. If you'd like to know why, I've shared a piece I wrote for our Collegewise parents here. If you're a parent, I hope you'll give it a read (and if you're a student, pass it along to your folks).