All of the advice in this New York Times article, Advice College Admissions Officers Give Their Own Kids, is worth a read. But there were two that I think are particularly useful, one for parents nearing the end of the college admissions cycle, the other for those who are still progressing through it.

“When a rejection letter arrives, I see parents who can’t even move on because they are so mad at the school. But that is not letting the child move on. Then it is almost like the next school they get admitted to and may attend is a disappointment. Instead, tell your child: ‘It didn’t work, it is their loss, you’re wonderful, now what do we need to do to go forward?’”

Doug Christiansen, vice provost for university enrollment affairs, dean of admissions and financial aid, Vanderbilt University

“My wife and I have tried to give our kids some air and room to breathe growing up. We never checked their homework or felt like their schooling was a family project. It was their life and their work — we provided guidance. In the end, our kids need our love more than they need our direction about college. If that direction gets in the way of the love, it’s not helpful and it’s not worth it.”

Stephen Farmer, vice provost for enrollment and undergraduate admissions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill