10 Jun Parents: Don’t Stress Out Your Students

Parents: don’t stress out your students during the college admissions process. It’s the best piece of advice we can give to you as your family sets off to send your student on the next step of their life. The college admissions process is stressful enough between applications, financial aid, and actually making the final decision. Along the way, you might be confronted with any of these scenarios:

• Family friends talking about their student heading to an Ivy League school
• Your student wanting (or not wanting) to attend a school because of a significant other
• After multiple disappointing SAT attempts your student decides college isn’t for them
• You and your spouse having to tell your student you cannot afford to send them to your dream school

All stressful situations for you and your student. It’s important to remain as calm as possible and to provide an environment for your student thrive throughout the college admissions process. Here are our five best ideas to help keep you and your students levelheaded:

Prepare in Advance

As the saying goes—proper prior planning prevents poor performance. In the case of college admissions, get started early, create a plan, and follow that plan along the way. There will be bumps in the road, but you’ll have a map to follow.

Ask for Help

You can’t know everything. The college admissions landscape is ever-changing. Work with a college counselor to help save for college and get the best application tips.

Remain Organized

Keep your finances in order. Create a folder for each college. Use calendars, to-do lists, and shared documents with your students to keep everything in one place.

Spend Time Every Day on College Prep

It doesn’t have to be an hour every day, but if your student spends even 15 minutes a day thinking about college applications that will help. Create a structured environment so the application process gets done little by little.

Don’t Procrastinate

By following a methodical process you, nor your student, will feel stressed when it comes time to apply and make a decision. You’ve been working all along and by not rushing at the end will avoid costly errors.

Parents: don’t stress out your students. Work with the team at Accolade Financial to create a plan and help save you money on college.