<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to talk about childhood grief, but it\u2019s actually more prevalent that many of us think,\u201d said Appleton, who hopes the brochure will help foster more awareness and support for students. \u201cIn a high school of 1,000, 70 students could be carrying such a loss. And those children, as they enter the college admission process, are really an invisible population.\u201d<\/p>\n Most standard college application forms don\u2019t include an easy way, such as a box to check, for an applicant to identify themselves as a grieving student. But many teens who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling will feel the loss acutely at some point in the admission process, even if it\u2019s been several years since their loved one passed away.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of times, big life events make you realize that the person isn\u2019t there in a way you don\u2019t experience on the day-to-day,\u201d explained Ella Claire Walsh, an Exeter grad whose father died unexpectedly when she was 13. \u201cI personally didn\u2019t feel like it was going to be a problem\u2014until it was.\u201d<\/p>\n Even though Walsh got an early start on her applications, she often ended up scrambling to meet deadlines.<\/p>\n \u201cI would find myself really struggling filling out the background information and putting it off until the last minute,\u201d recalls Walsh, now a senior studying psychological science at the University of Vermont. \u201cThen there are all the essays that ask you to write about the hardest point in your life and how you overcame it. Sometimes I would write something, but I wasn\u2019t able to make myself go back over it again (to edit it).\u201d<\/p>\n Appleton hopes the brochure will help foster more awareness and support for students like Walsh. The death of a parent or sibling frequently results in additional financial, emotional, and familial burdens\u2014all of which can impact a student\u2019s college search and selection process.<\/p>\n Additionally, although a teen may struggle to articulate how a loss has shaped them, that information is often crucial for colleges looking to gain a complete picture of an applicant. Appleton\u2019s brochure offers tips to help admission professionals broach sensitive subjects with grieving students.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have all the answers, but we are really hoping this campaign can help prompt some conversations on both the high school side and the college side,\u201d said Appleton. \u201cGrief can make high school challenging\u2026but the kids themselves are strong,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Counselors and admission professionals are encouraged to download and share the Admission Awareness for Grieving Children<\/em> brochure. Appleton and Breen also plan to create a website with more tips, resources, and student testimonials.<\/p>\n \u201cThis all started with an Imagine Grant, which shows that a small grant can lead to big returns,\u201d said Appleton, who has since received additional grant funding from other sources to support her awareness campaign. \u201cReceiving the Imagine Grant was validation that, yes, this is a topic that\u2019s worth a bit more explanation and exploration\u2026If it makes just one student feel supported or feel heard, then it\u2019s totally been worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n Download the Admission Awareness for Grieving Children<\/em> brochure<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Donate to NACAC’s Imagine Fund<\/a><\/strong>:\u00a0 Donations to NACAC’s Imagine Fund are used to provide grants to individuals or NACAC affiliates. The grants support professional development as well as innovative programs serving students and\/or the profession.<\/strong><\/p>\n Admitted writer\/editor Mary Stegmeir welcomes additional comments and story ideas at\u00a0<\/em>mstegmeir@nacacnet.org<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An estimated one out of every 14 children under age 18 has experienced the death of a parent or sibling, but the unique needs of grieving students are often overlooked in the college admission process. Pamela Roth Appleton, associate director of college counseling at Phillips Exeter Academy (NH), is working to change that. Using funds … Continue reading Imagine Grant Funds Awareness Campaign<\/span> ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/nacacadmitted.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Appleton_725_1-e1572874013319-289x300.jpg\")
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