Question: What part should my parents play in my college application?

Parental involvement in the college admissions process varies from family to family, and is sometimes a point of conflict. At the very least, your parents will have to fill out financial aid forms so that your application process can be completed. Parents can perform other valuable tasks for your application that might not be so obvious.

Some colleges allow for a so-called optional recommendation. This provides parents with an opportunity to tell why their son or daughter is so special. You may wonder why a college admissions officer would want to read an obviously biased letter from a parent. The reason lies the letter's anecdotal information.

Anecdotal information is merely stories about the candidate drawn from real life. If a parent is capable of writing in simple, clear terms, the optional reference is a splendid opportunity to bring little-known information to the attention of the admission staff. Few items in the application will make an impression like a sincere statement from a mother or father. Obviously, if the student's grades and other qualifications don't make the cut, a parental good word will not by itself turn the tide of admission.

Another function parents can perform is application management. Most high school seniors have a lot going on at any given point in the school year. If a parent is good at meeting deadlines and can follow up on details, application management can be a worthwhile contribution to the process. This amounts to becoming familiar with what is required by the school for a completed application.

This information is usually provided at the front of the application package. All deadlines for the various forms are noted. Parents can then make certain that the applicant is working on the proper form at the proper time. This is a very important task and can help avoid embarrassing oversights and late submissions.

One final word. Include your parents in your application process. Don't exclude them. The more you can work together as a team now, the better things will be whenever you head off in the Fall for your first year of college.