Four ways to support your child when choosing a college

When it comes to your child choosing a college, you may find yourself (as well as them!) feeling emotional, concerned and overwhelmed.

However, deep down, you know that this could well be a turning point for their adult life, the opportunity to move forward in the direction they are keen to go. Continue reading for four ways to support your child when they are choosing their future college.

Help them research

Whether it’s looking online and taking part in virtual tours or sending away for prospectuses to come through the mail, sitting down with your child and asking questions to help them get the most out of their research can be beneficial. It is also useful to remember that what your child wants from their college experience will differ from your thoughts on the matter, so do try to keep an open mind.

Attend open days

Virtual tours are great, but they are no substitute for an in-person tour. They give you a more rounded and genuine feel for the place, allowing you to see departments, facilities and accommodation with your own eyes rather than relying on what the colleges want you to see and therefore think.

Having you by their side will support them in asking questions that they may otherwise not have considered. As in many situations, we can be focused on something entirely different to others. It’s good to have another perspective.

Support their learning

It can be confusing knowing what different colleges expect in the way of entry requirements. However, in addition to the individual websites, there are also other places you can find out how to get into Yale, for example.

Once equipped with that knowledge, your child then knows what they need to work towards getting in terms of grades. Supporting your child with their learning is something you are likely to have always done anyway, but when there is a specific goal in mind, it is even more important.

If there are areas of weakness, you may consider employing the services of a private tutor. They ought to be able to fill in gaps in terms of their knowledge as well as boosting your child’s confidence or work on particular essay writing or exam skills.

Supporting them in this way will allow your child to have a much wider range of colleges from which to choose and boost their college admission chances.

Listen to them

When it comes to them narrowing down their choices, the colleges they will apply to, it is vital that you stop and listen to them. The decision between a college that is local and only an hour away from home compared to one that is over the other side of the country might be an easy one for you to make.

However, your child will certainly have different priorities. Of course, the further away from home, the more challenging it could be to return regularly, but this is their life.

The best way to support them is by listening to them and their reasons, rather than imposing your own specifications for choosing a college onto them.

As you’re applying, check out this step-by-step guide on writing beautiful personal statements for college and putting together an awesome college application: