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Is your teen thinking of applying to university?

publication date: Jun 24, 2008
 | 
author/source: Anne Coates
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Applying to university can be a minefield and a distressing and unsettling time for adolescents.

Teenagers need lots of support and encouragement at this time. So parents need to be as well-informed as they can be.

These top tips for parents of teenagers who are at the beginning of the application process when they are thinking about what they would like to study and where, come from my book: Applying to University The Essential Guide.

Top tips for parents

  • Keep involved even if your teenager tries to fob you off.
  • Make sure you know all the important dates and check that your son or daughter is on track.
  • If you haven’t heard about any meetings at school about university applications, phone them to find out the dates or check the school’s website if they have one. Some schools are now initiating an email service to parents which you can sign up for to keep abreast of what is going on.
  • Offer guidance – but be wary of trying to live your life through them.
  • Making too strong a case for a particular subject or university can be counterproductive.
  • If you went to university yourself remember times and institutions have changed.
  • Don’t feel side-lined if you didn’t go to university – you still have a wealth of experience to offer.
  • Help with things like organisation and planning – some teenagers are great at this but others really need some firm guidance.
  • Be positive - don’t belittle a teenager’s aspirations. If you think that they are making a mistake, suggest this carefully or offer alternatives for them to think about.
  • If things do go wrong in any way be prepared to visit the school or college to see if matters can be improved.   


Applying to University The Essential Guide is published by Need-2-Know and can be bought from Amazon by clicking the link below:

Applying to University: The Essential Guide