We love our parents, but...

More than one senior has recently remarked that her parents are driving her crazy!  They, of course, are referring to how their parents are reacting to the crazy college application season.  Comments have ranged from "Everyone else has finished applying!" to "All of your friends have already been accepted. Why haven't you?" And of course, parents are (understandably) concerned about scholarships and financial aid.

So let's address these issues. Mom and Dad, everyone has not finished their applications.  In fact, as of today, only 40% of the senior class has completed at least one application, and many of those are apps to state universities.  Consequently, although several girls have received a college acceptance, most of them have not.  Yes, a few of them have also received some sort of merit scholarship, but that is a very, very small number (about three).

Your daughter is not behind in this process.  We have either met with or have scheduled a  meeting with the girls to review their deadlines and discuss what else they need to do. (If your daughter has not scheduled her meeting, she does need to do that soon!).  While your daughter may not be sharing her applications with you, they have written essays in English class and are also sharing those essays with their counselor for proofreading.  Additionally, on Wednesday, October 22, we will have our annual Milk & Cookies application workshop.  While the girls enjoy some homemade cookies and milk, Mrs. Goldbach and I will be available all day long to work with the girls on their applications, and we are available other times as well.  

If parents are looking for something to do, they might consider being in charge of the scholarship/financial aid search.  It takes time to research all of the possible college specific scholarships and to keep up with the deadlines.  Your daughter's college planner has some of that information, but this is a good piece of the puzzle for parents to manage.

Just remember that under no circumstances should parents fill out the application or write essays. As parents ourselves, we understand the importance of the application, but the application must be completed by your daughter.  This is your daughter's college application. Trust her; we do.

Have a happy and safe fall break everyone!