CCO Hosts Events for Upper Parents

This past weekend, the College Counseling Office hosted the annual College Admissions Weekend. Parents of current uppers were invited to participate in various activities including a mock admissions decision report.The keynote speaker this year was Barbara Hofer, the author of The iConnected Parent, who spoke about developmental parts of the college admissions process and how it has been affected by the current available technology. Though the keynote speech provided useful information to the parents that attended, many parents missed it due to issues with getting to the Academy on time, with all of the time that the parents have to give up.Director of the College Counseling Office Betsy Dolan noted how difficult it was for parents to fit this event into their already tight schedules. “We have parents coming on to campus at all different points, which can be challenging. For the most part, the Saturday program is attended by most parents.”One key message was expressed overall by members of the College Counseling Office. They welcomed the great care and love of parents for their children, but for the process the Office emphasized that parents should strive to turn away from being the stereotypical helicopter parent or “Tiger Parent.”Upper Jane Eun said, “The officers basically explain what the process is like and emphasize that it is the student’s life, so the parents should step aside from taking full control of the process.”After hearing their parents’ reactions to the workshops that they attended, students reflected on the advice they heard. “My mother came back and really emphasized to me how important it was to do well on my SATs and other standardized testing,” upper Alex Cantave said.With real college admission officers attending, some parents were mixed in their feelings about colleges. For those who didn’t know too much of the process, it helped gain an insight to the overall process in their lenses.“My parents found it useful,” Cantave said. “They said that the officers gave a good look into what the college admission officers go through to determine acceptances and whatnot.”Upper Janet Chen agreed. “My parents told me that it was helpful to get to meet my college counselor and attend the workshops that were offered.”Some parents viewed colleges and their admission process in another perspective. “My mom was slightly shocked by how business-like the colleges seemed to be,” Eun said. “Because colleges need money as well, they favor children who are able to pay on their own.”Dolan noted that the mock admissions workshop has consistently been one that parents have enjoyed, as it provides valuable information on what students can expect from colleges when they are applying themselves.“The mock admissions always has the most positive feedback. This year, we had 13 different directors and deans coming from various types of colleges and universities. Parents were able to see and hear from a diverse group of readers speak about the admissions process.”In contrast to the more informative sessions that parents attended, some students look forward to actually meeting the real colleges that they are interested in attending. “I would rather attend the college fairs because you could engage with various colleges and find out what they’re interested in, what you’re interested in and which colleges have this,” Cantave said.This year, Dolan found the upper parents very pleasant to work with and passionate about the workshops and activities that they were invited to attend. “We loved the parents of the class of 2015. Very positive, upbeat, engaged and thoughtful. And fun—they enjoyed themselves, they enjoyed the experience and I think they learned that we are a team. The counselors and the parents are a team supporting the students.”