For Parents and Guardians

Parents’ and Guardians’ Role

You are an intricate part of your child(ren)’s path to college. Following are some tips on how to successfully navigate this process:
-It is vital that parents meet their child(ren)’s teachers and guidance counselor at the beginning of each school year and whenever necessary throughout.

-Speak with the counselor about your child’s college aspirations and how you will be there to support your child.

-Attend Back to School nights and Parent-Teacher conferences.

-Encourage your child to take Honors, AP, and Dual Enrollment classes.

-Encourage your child to attend summer programs.

-Incorporate college visits into family vacations:

*if you’re driving, instead of eating at the highway rest stops, plan to tour and eat at a college of interest that is on the way.

*plan vacations near schools of interest so you can take time to tour the schools.

-Help your child organize to complete the college and scholarship applications.

Recommended books to read:
“What Colleges don’t tell you (and other parents don’t want you to know)” and “What High Schools don’t tell you (and other parents don’t want you to know)” By Elizabeth Wissner-Gross

Guidance Counselor

It is imperative for parents to speak with the counselor about your child’s college aspirations and how you will be there to support your child.  The first meeting should be when you first start high school.

Guidance Counselor’s Role

He or she will help you pick your classes each year and is also involved in helping pick the schools and/or finalize the list of schools to which you should apply.

How often should I meet with my counselor? You should meet him or her at the beginning of each school year and periodically throughout the year. During Senior year, the meetings should be more frequent to ensure that you are on track with the application process.

What if I’m not happy with my counselor? Speak to your counselor and then speak with the head of guidance to see what can be done to ensure that you get the maximum amount of help during high school in order to get into college.

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