Mandatory Reading

My latest "must read" for parents of college-bound high schoolers.

Jennifer Wallace has the data and research that helps us better understand how our kids are feeling about heading to college, where we as parents may be inadvertently contributing to "performance culture", and ultimately offers actionable plans and dialogue to help us better support this generation of stressed out students.

Among her best advice for college-bound students and families:

"Schedule stressful conversations. We make a conscious effort to confine stressful conversations about college to Saturday mornings. It allows us to enjoy the rest of the week and focus on other important things in my son's life.

Think "how" not "where." Many of our college conversations center around "how" my son wants to go to college, not just "where." How does he want to engage on campus? Which extracurricular activities look exciting? Is there a course that excites him or a professor that stands out?

Make home a haven from the pressure. To accomplish this, my husband and I try to manage any stress we have around the process away from our senior by leaning on friends who have gone through it already. As best we can, we try to make our home a place my senior can recover from college admissions stress."

Need more help? An independent college admissions counselor can help focus those discussions in exactly this way - allowing students to gain admissions to their "best it" colleges - where they will THRIVE academically, socially, and affordably.

Reach out if I can help. www.reimaginedadmissions.com