Celebrate the Process!
Applying to colleges is an enormous undertaking. Not only is there the submission of the actual application during your senior year, there are also the essays, campus visits, researching programs, successfully doing all of the work in high school and choosing courses that make sense for the student. Students selected and participated in various extra-curricular activities— maybe even did all of the above while juggling a job? There’s a LOT of pre-application work that your student did to even get to the point of submitting a college application.
Because of everything listed above, I would encourage you to celebrate the submission/completion of every single application! As a student, they have chosen to invest in the work for years and then organized and demonstrated their accomplishments to be assessed and judged by a group of professionals who will decide whether or not they are admissible to the campus of their choice. It’s such a brave and vulnerable position to be in as a student. While the outcome of the applications certainly matters, the process of putting yourself out there is so valuable and supports learning a huge variety of life skills. Applying alone is worth celebrating.
It doesnt have to be something big (but it can be), just whatever would be special to the student.
Ideas
FIRST, make sure you tell your student how proud you are of them for getting this far. Note everything they overcame, learned, managed, etc. They deserve to know that you’re proud of them and why you’re proud of them. Once you’ve outlined their win in great detail, choose a way to celebrate!
Family movie night: Get a tray filled with all of the student’s favorite snacks, pick out a favorite movieor show, and watch it together.
Plan an outing: At my house, favorite outings include but are not limited to: family bike rides, bowling, swimming, trying new coffee shops, icecream shops, family bonfires.
No chores day: Give them a 24 hour pass on all of their chores! Let them watch tv, go out with friends, do whatever they want without any household responsibilities.
Weekend trip: Maybe you want to create some family memories before your student goes off to college. Rent a house for the weekend somewhere in a 2 hour radius. Invite family or friends and plan a fun weekend together with games, snacks, and something touristy.
Make their favorite dinner: My family loves when they get their favorite meal. My husband will do nearly anything for a huge bowl of Kraft Mac & Cheese. Bonus points for a cheesy candle light dinner with your fancy dishes.
That’s all for npw folks. Remember, this can be a joyful process, just celebrate the small wins and keep beieving in the student!
More soon.
-Veronica
