What mistakes should parents avoid while helping their children apply for a college?

Applying to a college

Are you a high school student and trying to complete your 12th board exam this year? If so, it is quite obvious that your parents want you to get into a good college like IIT or other reputed engineering institute. For this, you need to first of all prepare for the JEE Main and Advanced and take these exams. Get a good rank. With that situation the dream journey to your chosen career path will be fulfilled. If not, what next will be the question in your parents mind? The only answer is that you have to choose your entry into any normal science college.

You will be always discouraged and intimidated while applying to a college in the first instance. The reason is that nowadays, the rate of acceptance is low while there is high competition to acquire a seat. Parents will be wondering whether it will be hard for their child to stand out from the crowd and secure a seat in a good college. Parents consider it a hard work filling out applications of their child. However, they must know as to what are the common mistakes that they have to avoid in helping their child to apply for a college. Hence, applying becomes a smooth process allowing their child to exhibit his/her experiences, personalities and accomplishments and win coveted spot in his/ her career path.      

Avoiding mistakes

Every parent is concerned about his or her child’s future, which is quite apparent and acceptable today. But, the thing that goes wrong with their child’s future is when their parents start interfering at every step. As a parent, it will be good if you can do some research for the right type of college that fits into your child’s field of interest. The situation will be perfectly fine if you assist your child to go through this rough path. However, you need not involve yourself in things which your child has the capacity to manage on his /her own. It is always suggested for the parent’s to guide their children and not to make decisive approach towards the future. Here are some common mistakes that any parent normally commits while deciding the future of his/her child. These mistakes should be avoided by the parent while assisting his/ her child to apply for a college or a course. They are:  

• As a parent you should not force your child to select a study program in which he/she has no interest. By doing this, it is possible that you are limiting your child’s capacity to think and perform well.

• You should not fill out any portion of the application form of your child applying to a college. You might be concerned about it. Never mind! Tell your child that you are free to review it before he/she submits the application through online.

• You should not put any limitations on your kid. On the other hand, you can allow your child to look out and search for another college. Once he/she decides to join that college, you can allow him/her to go and look for it. There is no harm for your child to explore options. This task will increase his/her knowledge about other colleges offering courses and areas of study.

• You should not look for unrealistic expectations from your child. But, you may observe that there are some parents who either unconsciously or consciously apply pressure on their children to follow the career of their choice. A parent at some point or the other may have wanted to become a doctor, but owing to some reason they couldn’t do so. But, now, they may want their child to complete their incomplete ambition.

• Sometimes, it is possible that parents try to force their child to join a specific college because the career path of their child is profitable. However, this view of a parent is not correct. It is essential for your child to gain good results. This will happen only when your child is enjoying the course that he/she is pursuing.

• As a parent you should not enforce your own career goals on your own child. While you are showing your real interest towards your child’s plan of career, you must also permit him/her to find out and make their decisions on their own.

• Parents should ensure that they do not commit such mistakes and avoid pressurizing their child in any way during the time of admission to a college.

Hence, for you and your child, let the admission process go smoothly and wish your child a successful and bright future.