Reply to Parental Involvement in College Decision Process

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Parental Involvement in College Decision Process "

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP again and agree with a couple of the most recent posts about the excitement of the process. I absolutely loved the whole college search process and can't wait to share in it with my kids by visiting schools, discussing options with them ect...I just want them to be fully invested and ultimately feel like it is their decision, like I was able to when I went through it myself.[/quote]

To OP - I know others have said this but it's worth repeating.  The college application process has changed dramatically since you and I applied.  I did all my own testing, applications and law school applications.  I can't even tell you what my essays were on because I didn't consider them important.  I don't even remember my SAT or LSAT scores.  I got a $35.00 check from mom and mailed four apps and got into all four colleges.  That world is long gone.  While you want your children to make the decision, you need to realize that picking a college that might cost $72K a year (and might take five or six years to complete) is the cost of buying a home.  That wasn't the case when we went.  Also we didn't have competition from the favored groups, especially the international students.  You really need to read up on this.  There are some great books on the process now.  We can all recommend some.  But, in short, if you wait until senior year and then Larla suddenly decides she wants to go to Stanford but has achieved nothing spectacular for her ECs and has ho hum grades or scores, she doesn't have a chance.  Most of us couldn't get into our own colleges and law schools today.  You can achieve a balance between being encouraging and helpful while not being a tiger mom, but it is a critical decision in a young child's life and often shouldn't be left to a 17 year old.  If you don't believe me, just go look at the recent thread about what EA, ED and SCEA mean.  Someone needs to unravel that.  Someone needs to guide your child to the ACT or the SAT (some children do better on one than the other).  Does your child have special needs?  They can get extra time but you must start that process years in advance.  Can they achieve Eagle Scout or something similar?  Any activity or honor that demonstrates leadership and determination is looked upon favorably by the admissions office.  Do they have a unique talent or instrument you can foster? Athletic prowess?[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics