Parents, take note: Admission officers can tell when you pretend to be your child on the phone.
And butting in to answer questions directed at your son or daughter during a campus visit does more harm than good, a recent survey of more than 350 US admission officers shows.
Overall, 75 percent of survey respondents said that parents should only be “somewhat involved” in the college admission process.
“Parents can play a constructive role in their child’s college admission process, whether accompanying on-campus visits, making sure they meet application deadlines, or helping them fill out financial aid paperwork,” according to an analysis by Kaplan Test Prep, which conducted the survey. “In other areas, it’s most beneficial for parents to let their child take the lead, including deciding where to apply, letting them speak for themselves when talking with admissions officers, writing their own admissions essays, and the most important decision of all—choosing where to enroll.”
Learn more about the Kaplan survey, and find more data about the admission process in NACAC’s State of College Admission report.
Admitted writer/editor Mary Stegmeir welcomes additional comments and story ideas at mstegmeir@nacacnet.org.
Mary,
I could not agree more with your view! In fact, I had one family where the mom created a fake email account to pose as her son to admissions reps. I know she’s not the only one. Here are my tips for alternative ways that parents can support the application process! https://www.vivedconsulting.com/blog/4-ways-parents-can-support-college-applications