One of the hardest parts of being a parent is letting your child have more independence. When your teen is getting ready to apply to college, your natural instinct might be to worry and try to hold onto him a bit longer. It’s important not to do this, however. Try to be there for your teen and help him through the college admissions process while letting him make choices about his future.
Choosing a College
The first major choice your teen will have to make is which college to attend, and if he wants to attend college at all. There are jobs available that he could go straight into, rather than spending years earning a college degree that may not guarantee him a job. Also, technical schools or two-year degrees may be a good option to consider.
If he chooses the “traditional” college route, there’s rarely a guarantee that he will get into the first college of choice. Help him look at colleges across a wide geographic area if possible, and make a list of them.
Then, guide him through writing a list of priorities and sorting the colleges he’s looking at applying to according to these factors. If money is an important factor, look at the financial aid departments of the colleges and see whether your teen is eligible for scholarships. If the variety of extracurricular activities available at the college is more important, look up what clubs and sports the college has.
The Application Process
Once your teen has chosen which two to four colleges he is most interested in, get organized and find out the deadlines for applications, what he will need to send in with his application, and so on. Make a “to do” list and he can check off each item as it comes up — writing admissions essays, requesting reference letters, and so on.
Many colleges require essays with students’ applications. Make sure your teen does not underestimate the importance of these essays in determining whether or not he gets accepted to his college of choice!
Encourage him to write his essays on a separate sheet of paper and review or rewrite them several times as necessary, until he is sure he is submitting his very best work.
If there is an interview required, you can help him prepare by role-playing the interview until he is confident that he can handle any question they ask.
Throughout the process of choosing whether to attend college, which college to attend, and applying to the chosen colleges, it is important to let your teen make his own decisions to prepare him for the independence that awaits him. Make sure you remain respectful of his choices and support whatever he chooses to do.
Your role as a parent is now shifting to be a source of advice and support, rather than directing your teen’s life as you did when he was younger. You can help him prepare for surviving on his own by teaching him practical household skills and preparing him to meet the unique challenges college brings, but let him make his own decisions about his future.
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Tags: Teen College Admissions