"This is the year I'm going to do it."
We've all got conviction in the New Year. So parents, why not capitalize on the annually-renewed sense of self-improvement that comes with the New Year and make some resolutions that will help you not just survive, but actually enjoy your student's ride to college?
Here are my top five college admissions-related resolution suggestions for parents.
1. Put college admissions in perspective. Your student's college future deserves to be taken seriously. But if you're panicked because your son scored 1900 on the SAT and "that's just not good enough for Princeton," you've lost sight of the big picture. Going to college is important. Going to a famous college is not. Don't make the acceptance into one particular school the end-goal. Instead, celebrate your student's opportunity to attend college–any college. Recognize it as just one step in what will be a lifetime process of education, growth and life experience. And while you're at it, pat yourself on the back for raising a good kid who's college bound.
2. Spend more time celebrating your student's strengths than you do trying to fix weaknesses. The pressure surrounding college admissions often breeds far too much focus on kids' weaknesses. "Her test scores are low." "Her GPA isn't high enough." "She doesn't have enough leadership." Focusing too much on weaknesses just hurts kids' self-confidence. Don't forget to celebrate strengths, victories and other achievements that are worthy of parental pride. Is she great at her job at the daycare? Is he well-respected by his peers at the church youth group? When she didn't get the lead in the school play, did she cheerfully offer to run the lights instead? You know your kid is a good kid–so take the time to acknowledge the reasons why. And remember that a GPA, test score or decision from a particular college do not measure your student's worth (or your worth as a parent).
3. Don't run with the wrong crowd. Some parents seem intent on turning the college admissions process into a status competition. These are not the parents you want at your next dinner party. They talk about how many hours of community service their kid has done and how expensive the SAT tutor is that they're housing in the guest room this summer. They ruin the ride to college for everybody and, sadly, they don't ever seem to find any joy in this process, even when the most desirable schools say "yes." So don't join in. Associate with other parents who care more that their kids end up happy in college than they do about whether or not those schools are Ivy League schools. They're more fun to be around at dinner parties anyway.
4. Encourage your student to take responsibility for her own college process. Being a supportive parent is something you should be proud of. But you should resist the urge to do things for your student that she can do herself. College-bound kids need to develop their own initiative and independence if they want to get in and be successful at college. Let your kids approach teachers when they're struggling in class. Let your kids talk to college representatives at college fairs. Let your kids fill out their own college applications and write their college essays. Parents can be supportive partners, but you shouldn't take over the process.
5. Enjoy this time as much as possible. The worst part of the frenzy surrounding the college admissions process
is that it ruins what should be an exciting time for both parents and
students. You're only going to go through this process once with each kid. So enjoy it. Resolve to find the joy in it. A positive attitude won't make things like the SAT go away, but it will help you revel in the parts that should be fun, like visiting colleges, discovering new schools that fit your student well, and watching kids make the transition from home room to dorm room.
Happy New Year…