Parents often work incredibly hard to get the student in the family to college. They attend college tours, pay for college entrance exams, make sure transcripts are sent and help with the completion of a host of forms for admission, housing, financial aid, scholarhsips and loans. It is a tragedy when, after all that loving, painstaking effort, the student drops out. There are 10 steps that parents can take thoughout a child's life to significantly decrease the odds of their student not completing their postsecondary program.
- Help children identify their strengths and nurture their development throughout childhood
- Teach children to request help and advocate for themselves when they run into roadblocks to success
- Nurture academic development from toddlerhood all the way through the senior year of high school
- Teach them interpersonal and social skills and provide opportunities for them to practice those skills
- Teach children how to study and take tests. Nurture their reading and writing skills and help them develop a love of math and science.
- Have frequent discussions with them and develop and maintain trust with your children and be approachable about any subject
- Keep children in the loop about the support that you can and cannot provide for them regarding college costs
- Share your college experiences and take your children to college as young children to athletic and artistic events so that college will not be a mystery to them later
- Help your children develop a sense of where they will be comfortable when they start college. How far from home will they be comfortable? Will they be at home at a large university? Help children relate their skills and likes to potential careers.
10. Educate them to be good education consumers.
