For Parents

The college search can be a new and exciting experience for parents and daughters. But, in addition to identifying prospective schools, the admissions process can sometimes be demanding and overwhelming. The good news is that parents can lay the groundwork for a smooth college application process with a little preparation.

If you’re interested in learning more about not only the college admission process, but the stage of adolescence in which teenagers are applying to college, and adolescent health and wellness, please take a look at some of the recommended books, articles, and recordings below--many of which have been instrumental in shaping the philosophy of Stuart’s College Counseling program.

12 Signs You’re Losing it Over the College Admissions Process by Beth Teitell and Ben Mandl (published in Boston Globe Magazine)
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
View Dr. Duckworth’s TED Talk on Grit here
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid For Success by Julie Lythcott-Haims
View Lythcott-Haims’ TED Talk on this topic here
The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids by Madeline Levine
Listen to several podcasts with Dr. Levine on this and related topics here
The Right Way to Choose a College by Denise Pope (published in the Wall Street Journal)
Pope is a co-founder of Challenge Success, a program at Stanford Graduate School of
Education. Please read their related white paper, “A Fit over Rankings: Why College Engagement
Matters More Than Selectivity”
The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults by Frances Jensen and Amy Ellis Nutt
View Jensen speaking about the book here
Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good Through College Admissions https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/reports/turning-the-tide-college-admissions
Turning the Tide II: How Parents and High Schools Can Cultivate Ethical Character and Reduce Distress in The College Admissions Process https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/reports/turning-the-tide-2-parents-high-schools-college-admissions
What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen by Kate Fagan
Listen to Fagan’s interview on NPR here
Where You Go is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania by Frank Bruni
Read Bruni’s New York Times article that is an adaptation of the book here