What role should parents play in their child's college application process?

As I start the college application process, I'm wondering how involved my parents should be. What’s the right amount of help they can offer without taking over or adding to stress? Any tips would be appreciated!

Parents can provide great support during the college application process, but it's essential that they strike a balance between being helpful and overbearing. Here are a few ways that they can assist without overstepping:

1. Providing emotional support: Applying to college is often a stressful time, filled with uncertainty and pressure. Parents can help by being sympathetic listening ears when their child needs to vent or share their concerns.

2. Assisting with organization: Parents can remind their child about deadlines, help them keep track of different application components, and generally encourage them to stay on top of their responsibilities.

3. Providing feedback: When asked, parents can review essays, application responses, or college lists. They should provide gentle, constructive feedback, respecting their child's voice and vision.

4. Facilitating college visits: If feasible, parents can plan and accompany their child on campus tours or to college fairs, both virtually and physically.

5. Talking through financial matters: Parents need to be frank with their children about what they can afford so their children know what colleges are financially feasible before they start applying.

However, there are a few things that parents should avoid:

1. Doing the work for your child: Parents shouldn't be the ones filling out applications or writing essays. This is the student's journey, and college admissions officers want to hear from the applicant, not the parent.

2. No excessive editing of essays: While feedback can be helpful, students need to retain their voice in their application essays. Parents should avoid taking over the editing process.

3. Overloading them with advice: It's tempting to share every thought, but too much input can lead to stress. Sometimes, less is more.

Finally, it's important that parents encourage their child's independence during this time. It's a significant transition period, and being able to navigate the application process mostly alone can better prepare students for their university life.

So in summary, parents should follow and not lead the process, and should view their role as that of a support system rather than a decision-maker. They can provide resources, ask questions, lend an ear, and provide perspective. But ultimately, the college search and the final decision should belong to the student.