One consultant urged parents to “offer support and encouragement, but don’t push them to do things they hate.”
Another consultant advised parents not to get in the way of their children and take over the process, becoming a “helicopter parent”.
“Remember this is your child’s time to be in the spotlight, and your student needs to drive the college application process.” The message is clear: parents can be a resource but need to let their children rule the college search.
Another consultant described the parent’s role as “a coach, as in sports, who offers encouragement and expresses belief in the child, but never plays the game for the child.”
Finally, one consultant said that some future college students are naturally organized and independent and others “might need a fire lit under them.” Playing the appropriate role “based on your child’s temperament and character” was sound advice.
Hispanic Outlook asked Jeanette Morales, executive director for Students & PK-12 Services at the Hispanic Association of College & Universities (HACU), based in San Antonio, Texas, and Pam Proctor, author of The College Hook: Packaging Yourself to Win the College Admission Game, for tips and best practices for parents to help their child choose the right college.
Morales says that the key role parents play in the college selection process is to “support their child, not just financially, but also emotionally.” Let them know that you whole-heartedly support them and are committed to their success.
Most colleges have open houses, where prospective students can tour the campus, find out what the campus offers, what majors the college specializes in, and logistics issues such as where the dorms are and what the library offers. Morales says ideally, parents will accompany their offspring on these tours, “and ask the questions that the students are often embarrassed to ask, such as where is the medical center if the student gets sick?”
Sure, most colleges do a first-rate job of taking care of their students and doing everything they can to ensure that undergraduates earn their degrees. But some colleges do better than others, some have graduation rates of 75% in six years or fewer and some have rates below 50%. The higher the graduation rate, the more the college is likely to be proactively helping students attain their degrees.
Latino parents are known for preferring that their children stay close to home, but Morales cautions that the local junior college works for many students but not everyone. If the student is a valedictorian or in the top 10% of their class, a four-year college is likely preferable, while a community college will likely impede their pathway to success.
If the student is outgoing and confident, then large campuses such as Arizona State University, New York University or the University of Texas-Austin may offer the best option. But if the offspring is shy and reticent, then a much smaller campus with better faculty to students ratios may work better.
Most colleges these days are trying to appeal to a diverse, multicultural audience, and many have bilingual admissions staff and counselors. So, Spanish-speaking parents should have no problems reaching out to bilingual staff and getting assistance.
Proctor urges parents not to assume they can’t afford to pay for college. Instead, research financial aid packages at specific colleges. Harvard’s website, for example, says “For families that earn $75,000 to $150,000, the expected contribution is between zero and 10% of annual income.” It also provides an online calculator of how much you will pay.
“If your family earns less than $65,000, consider having your student apply to college through Questbridge,” Proctor says. It’s a national non-profit organization that connects low-income and first-generation students with 50 top colleges and universities that offer “full rides,” including tuition, room and board to eligible students. Based on grades, scores, essays, and financial data, Questbridge selects a limited number of students as “finalists” who then apply to its partner institutions without a fee.
If the parent has not graduated college and feels uneasy about helping their child, there are resources to tap. Morales recommends that the parent confer with the child’s high school counselor for assistance, and/or go to the admissions office at a local community college or four-year college to ask pertinent questions.
The HACU website provides links to the 599 Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) that attract Latino students. They’re named HSIs because “additional funding goes toward programs that support student’s success, whether it’s specific financial aid, student services, or a campus that better understands the culture of the student,” Morales notes.
Morales says some parents “get too excited and become too narrow-focused” in what they want for their child and forget what’s best for them. Morales suggests that if the parent only looks at price, and steers them to a community college, that’s not always in the child’s best interest.
These days helping a child fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) has gotten remarkably easy and simple, Morales says. Post your income taxes online and then connect it to the FAFSA form, and it’s done.
Many Latino parents want their children to stay as close to home as possible but that’s not always the best fit. Some colleges may be located where extended family is situated. Morales says that one definition of the ideal college’s location is that it’s far enough so they have to call before they visit, but close enough to go home on weekends and do their laundry.
Insiders recommend that parents help their child organize three different categories: safe school, where the students know their grades and SAT scores make them a likely fit; medium-level colleges, where admittance is not guaranteed; and reach colleges, where the student is less likely to be admitted but still has a chance.
Reach out to your student’s high school guidance counselor, Proctor recommends. She cites that Sonia Sotomayor graduated from a local parochial school in the Bronx. But her debate coach thought highly of her and encouraged her to apply to Princeton University, which she got into, and then went on to graduate from Yale Law School.
Proctor urges students to not overlook state schools because in-state residents pay less for college tuition. In her home state of Florida, she encourages students to apply to the University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of Miami.
Proctor says that some colleges offer early action decision, which means that if students apply by November 1st of their senior year, they’re told by December if they’re admitted, though that decision is binding. Rolling admissions also enables students to hear early if they’re accepted, though they can wait until spring to decide.
The personal essay that colleges want to see is a narrative, not a list, Proctor notes. Telling the story of your Hispanic heritage - moving from Cuba to Florida, for example- can offer specific details that resonate with college admissions staff. •
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