Further Tips & Suggestions

There are plenty of actions, both large and small, that you can take to help prepare your child to attend a selective college or university.

Students should be in contact with college admissions offices during the application process, but it’s okay and even appropriate for families and guardians to have their own questions, too. Don’t hesitate to contact college offices if you have questions about financial aid or merit scholarships, campus safety and support, or job placement rates and internship opportunities.

I’ve wanted to go to UChicago since I was very young.”

—Christian Palacios, Class of ’17, Public Policy and Philosophy

Your support, encouragement, and involvement during this process are invaluable to both yourself and your child.

Suggested Readings

• Letting Go: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the College Years (fourth edition) by Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger
• You’re On Your Own (But I’m Here If You Need Me): Mentoring Your Child during the College Years by Marjorie Savage
• How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research by Ernest T. Pascarella and Patrick T. Terenzini
• When Your Kid Goes to College: A Parent’s Survival Guide by Carol Barkin
• I’ll Miss You Too: An Off-to-College Guide for Parents and Students by Margo E. Woodacre Bane and Steffany Bane