Dear Harlan,

What do you think is the most important thing a parent should look at when helping a child choose the right college?

 

College Bound

 

Dear College Bound,

Don't let your child's college decision define you or your success as a parent. Too many parents get caught up in it all. They want their child to go to the place with the best reputation, their alma mater or a school that's impressive to talk about. They hang on to every acceptance or rejection letter. They put so much pressure on attending the right school that a child doesn't know the right school for him or her. Once you give your kid permission to choose the right school, to struggle while at that school, and to not make your child's successes and failures your successes and failures, the experience is no longer about the parent - it's about the student. A parent can ask the right questions to help guide a child, but a parent needs to be willing to accept that the "best" school might not always be the best school for his or her child.

 

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