Your College Process

10/15/2026

I was asked if I could give one piece of advice to parents embarking on the college application process with their teens.

Focus on your child’s individuality.

Filter out all the noise you’re hearing about what other teens are doing.

Your child.

Their strengths.

Their personality.

Their interests.

Their goals.

Follow for more advice about getting through the college process with your teen in a more positive way.

10/13/2026

Is Your Anxiety Becoming Your Teen’s Anxiety?

The college process can create a lot of stress for parents and teens.

And sometimes, without realizing it, our own anxiety can add to theirs.

In this presentation, we talked about:

• Supporting without pressuring
• Staying involved without taking over
• Having better conversations about college
• Protecting your relationship with your teen
Watch the presentation here:

https://youtu.be/NkoVnU9aR3k

College applications can bring up anxiety for teens and parents ali...

10/08/2026

Save this post as a reminder to check in on your teen—not just their college process.

And if you know a parent who needs this reminder, share it with them.

10/05/2026

What if your teenager’s B could just be a B?

What if changing an activity didn’t need to become a conversation about college?

What if a summer could simply be a summer?

The college process has a way of making everything feel like accounts. A grade. An activity. A class. A decision about how to spend their time.

And before we realize it, we can start looking at our teenagers through an admissions lens instead of simply seeing our kids.

Your teen is allowed to change their mind.

They’re allowed to rest.

They are allowed to try something and decide it’s not for them.

They’re allowed to still be figuring things out.

Because not everything has to become part of an application.

I wrote about this in my latest Substack. If you are a parent navigating the college process, I hope you’ll read it. Link in bio.

And remember: your teenager is not an application. 

09/30/2026

Suddenly everything feels like it counts.
Grades. Activities. Summer plans. Every next step.

But not everything needs to be an accomplishment.
Let your teen explore, enjoy, and discover who they are.

Your teen is a person, not a project.

Your relationship matters long after decision day.

Less pressure. More room to grow.

Follow for tips on navigating this journey with your relationship with your teen intact.

09/28/2026

Anxiety is contagious, and that includes ours as parents.

I’m so excited to be joining Teen Anxiety Coach Cynthia Coufal for a conversation every college-bound family needs to hear.

Parents will learn how their own worry can unintentionally land on their teen, recognize the common habits that increase stress, and practice more compassionate ways to communicate throughout the admissions process.

🗓️ Tuesday, September 29th
🕕 7:00-8:00 PM EST
💻 Zoom, free to attend

Register: https://cheerful-writer-462.kit.com/907c9012c8

Come with questions.

What’s one thing you wish someone had told you about managing your own anxiety during your teen’s college process?

09/25/2026

You want to help your teen through college admissions, but sometimes concern can come out as repeated questions, reminders, advice or pressure.

Even when we say, “We just want you to be happy,” our teens can still sense the worry underneath our words.

On September 29, I’ll be part of a live conversation about how we can support our teens through the college process without adding to the pressure.

💜 Anxiety Is Contagious: How to Support Your Teen Without Adding to the College Pressure
📅 Tuesday, September 29
💻 Live on Zoom

Register to get the Zoom link:

https://cheerful-writer-462.kit.com/907c9012c8

09/24/2026

One of the hardest parts of parenting through the college process can be knowing when to help and when to step back.

Supporting your teen doesn’t mean leaving them to figure everything out alone.

But support doesn’t have to mean carrying the entire process for them either.

Organization, communication, decision-making, time management and self-advocacy are all skills students can develop along the way.

The college process can be about more than an acceptance letter.

It can also be an opportunity for your teen to grow into greater independence while knowing you’re there when they need you. 💜

09/23/2026

Parents carry stress during the college process too.

There are deadlines, decisions, uncertainty and the very natural desire to make sure your child has every opportunity possible.

But it’s worth noticing what happens when that worry enters our conversations with our teens.
Sometimes a question we intend as helpful lands differently.

Sometimes a reminder feels like pressure.

And sometimes our instinct to solve a problem can leave less room for our teens to develop ownership of their own process.

Before the next college conversation, take a moment to notice what you’re bringing into it.

Awareness can be a powerful first step toward a more compassionate conversation. 💜