I never made my own appointments with the dentist while I was in high school. I knew when I had soccer practice, meetings for the school newspaper, and big plans for Saturday night. But unless it was extra-curricular or social, my mother arranged and booked it…until I applied to college.
The college admissions process can be an awkward handoff of responsibility in some families, even those with the most independent students. A student who has relied on his parents to handle life’s administrative tasks might reasonably assume that when it comes to booking college tours, accessing applications and managing deadlines, ol’ Mom and Dad have it covered.
So talk about the handoff. I don’t care who brings it up first. Whether it’s the parents making it clear they’ll be stepping back or the student asserting that he’ll be stepping up, discuss the handoff now. Be clear about who will be in charge of which parts of the process.
My suggested roles for parents include supporter, sounding board, cheerleader and maybe completing the financial aid forms. My suggested roles for students include everything else.