College Decisions in the Midst of COVID-19

May 26, 2020 by Vicki Nelson

Making the decision about where to attend college is never easy. There’s a lot riding on that choice. And sometimes, making the decision about whether to head to school right away or to take a gap year can be a tough choice as well. But this year, as we struggle our way through a pandemic, these decisions are harder than ever for many students.

If you and your student are grappling with these important decisions, it may feel as though you are working your way through a fog. You can’t see very far ahead. You may not be sure where you are at the moment. And you aren’t sure what others are doing. You feel alone and not a little lost as you try to find the right path.

What do people think?

As you try to think through your student’s options for fall semester, you may wonder what other parents and students are thinking. What are your options? What way are others leaning?

#018 – Spiritual Health and College Students – An Interview with Rev. Terry Hofmann

December 3, 2021May 20, 2020 by Vicki Nelson

We talk a lot about college student intellectual, social and emotional development, but there are fewer conversations around college students’ spiritual development. In this guest interview, Lynn and Vicki talk with Rev. Terry Hofmann who has served as a Director of Spiritual Life at a small liberal arts college for ten years. Terry brings to this conversation her wealth of knowledge and experience with college students as they explore their spiritual and religious identities. Terry shares ideas for supporting students in the various aspects of spiritual health and wellness.

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8 Reasons Why a Summer Class May Make Sense for Your Student This Year

May 11, 2020 by Vicki Nelson

This spring has been unsettling, challenging, and downright scary for many of us, including our college students. They’ve been uprooted from college and replanted at home, with little opportunity to go anywhere or see anyone other than their family. Like some garden plants, not all transplant well. All require a little extra care — some extra water and not too much sun — while they adjust.

Your student may have made the transition to college-from-home smoothly or may have struggled with this new learning environment. Fortunately for many students, the semester is either over or just about there. It’s time for a collective sigh of relief. However it turned out, at least it’s done.

Taking a break – or taking a class?

So why, then, might your student want to turn around and sign up for a class or two this summer — especially if they didn’t like this new online environment? Shouldn’t they just relax and breathe that sigh of relief that they got through it? Don’t they deserve a break?

#017 – How to Move Forward After Academic Probation or Dismissal

December 3, 2021May 6, 2020 by Vicki Nelson

If your student is placed on probation or dismissed from college, it can feel devastating — like a virtual punch in the stomach — but this does not have to be the end of the road. In this episode, Vicki and Lynn suggest ways you can talk to your student about the situation. They help you understand what probation and dismissal mean, how to analyze what might have gone wrong, and create an action plan for next steps. No one begins college expecting to fail (though many may fear it.) Although this roadblock may feel overwhelming, focusing on moving forward will help you and your student find the opportunities this detour may provide.

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College Parent News & Views

May 6, 2020April 30, 2020 by Vicki Nelson

News & Views — April 2020

The more that college parents know and understand about the college experience, the less we worry and the better we will be able to help our students to succeed and thrive throughout their college career. However, there is an overwhelming amount of information out there on the web. We’d like to help you find some of the information that might be most interesting and useful to you as a college parent.

In News and Views we share recent college related news and sources we’ve found as we do our research. We hope that this feature will help to introduce you to new ideas and to help you keep up with some of the current issues that may affect your college student — and you.

We invite you to read some of the articles suggested below — and to let us know what you think of some of the ideas included here.

#016 – Staying On Track to Graduate On Time

November 27, 2021April 22, 2020 by Vicki Nelson

For those students who enter college intending to finish in four years, taking ownership of their progress is essential. However, not all students will be on the four year plan. Whatever timeline your student plans to follow, it is essential that they carefully track their progress toward the finish line. In this episode, Vicki and Lynn help parents understand what their student needs to know and do in order to complete college ”on time.”

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#015 – Special Episode – COVID-19 – One Month In: Challenges of Staying the Course

November 27, 2021April 15, 2020 by Vicki Nelson

Now that your student has transitioned to their new online college environment, they face new challenges. Staying motivated and focused isn’t easy. Students are overwhelmed by coursework, miss their friends and social life, and don’t know how long this new way of life will last. Although the college semester has a finish line, it still seems a long way off. In this episode Lynn and Vicki share with parents some observations about the specific challenges many students are facing right now both academically and in their daily lives as well as some suggestions for coping with these obstacles. Parents can’t fix all of their student’s issues, but understanding what they are can help parents provide the guidance students may need.

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#014 – The College Decision Dilemma: What Happens Once Those Admission Letters Arrive?

April 13, 2024April 1, 2020 by Vicki Nelson

The college admission process begins earlier and earlier and sometimes seems to go on forever. When those highly anticipated acceptance letters begin to arrive, the process enters a new phase. The ball is now in your student’s court to make a decision. What is your role as a parent at this stage? In this episode Vicki and Lynn unpack some of the emotions and practical steps you and your student can take as your student looks for the school with the best ”fit,” perhaps moves to their second choice of school, or copes with being on a Waitlist. As your student makes this final decision, everyone’s roles begin to shift.

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Eleven Years and Counting . . .

April 1, 2020 by Vicki Nelson

April 1^st, April Fool’s Day, is a milestone day at College Parent Central. It’s our anniversary, or birthday, or blogiversary. We like to celebrate every year.

This year, as we all settle in at home in the midst of a pandemic, our celebration is more subdued. We don’t know what’s ahead and we don’t know how long it will last, but we know we’ll make it through together.

It was April Fool’s Day in 2009 that we launched College Parent Central. We didn’t know where it would go or how long it would last. Eleven years later we’ve reached more parents than we can count. We’ve started a podcast. We’ve launched our first e-book. We’re still advocating for college parents as a key part of student success. We have an important job to do.

If you’ve just discovered College Parent Central, we hope you’ll find information and support here to help you in your new role. Know that you are joining the nearly four million parents who have also visited College Parent Central over the years. We’re grateful for the many parents, educators, and counselors who have shared our information with others, who have provided helpful feedback, and who have taught us so much over the years.