How can Parents Help Children Choose the Best University?

Monday, August 1, 2022

Choosing a university is a hard decision to make, and a teenager might feel overwhelmed while thinking about all the options they have. For that reason, having your parents’ opinion might be helpful. But, how can parents help? Keep on reading this article to find out how can parents help their teens choose the best option. 

For some people, the whole process of choosing a university is unnecessary because they have known where they want to go since they were kids. However, for some others, this process is completely hard to go through since they have no idea what their options are. Whether you know where you want to study or not, a little help could be useful.

Nowadays, there are different ways in which a student can get help as regards universities, one of them is school counseling. School counselors provide the teenager with the advice necessary to start considering some universities. School counselors are indeed helpful, but do you know what else would be helpful for students? Their parents’ advice! 

Some teenagers find their parents’ help unnecessary and not essential; nevertheless, their advice can be really fruitful. If parents are willing to give their children an objective and clear opinion of what they believe in, then their help might be useful. So, how can parents help their teenage kids choose the best option for college? Check out these pieces of advice to find out! 

1. Create a List Together ​🎓​

One of the easiest ways to start the whole process of choosing a university is to create a list of all the possibilities. Sometimes the teenager does not know which are the best for them or they find it difficult to find relevant information about certain universities. With parents’ help, they might start adding different options to their list. 

Although your help might be useful, you should always take into account their preferences. You might give them your opinion, but you should respect their position. 

You might also be interested in Check Out the 10 Most Popular Universities of the World

2. Discuss Finances ​🎓​

Although discussing finances is a complex task, it needs to be done. You should not get deep into discussing finances with your children, but you should explain to them what to expect. They must base their choices on what is affordable for them. We want to avoid children choosing a university that is out of their price range. Schools are expensive, so you should frankly discuss the economic part of the process with your children.

Parents should state a specific price range for universities and start comparing different universities’ costs. What should be taken into consideration are tuition fees, expenses, scholarships, or the major. 

3. Consider Location  ​🎓​

Another point to take into consideration while creating a list of universities is the location. Location is a decision that has to be made only by the teenager, but that does not mean you are not allowed to give your opinion on it. 

Whether the child decides to move to another state to study or study in the same state is their decision. The only way you can help them is by considering living conditions, shopping decisions, and how long it takes to travel back home. 

4. Discuss the major ​🎓​

Discussing what major they want to study is another important factor to consider. Depending on what major they choose, the university options will vary. However, you should not influence them on what major they should choose. Do not pressure them! 

Not all universities teach the same majors, so their list of universities might be based on the major they want to choose. Taking this into consideration, the list will be a little bit reduced. 

5. Avoid Pressure ​🎓​

One of the most important pieces of advice we can give you, is not to pressure them to choose any particular university. We know you have your preferences and you wish theirs would be the same as yours, but that does not always happen. 

Just as you have your preferences, they have their own likes and dislikes. If they decide that your favorite university is within their list of the best universities, good for you! If not, you should not put them in a bad position by pressuring them to choose a certain college. They are whole individuals with the power to make a decision. Trust their decisions! 

6. Talk to Current Students ​🎓​

One way of getting the best out of the college decision experience is to talk to former and current students. This would give your child the opportunity to clear up any doubt they may have about the college experience.

Find someone who studies in some of the universities on your child’s list, or talk to some friend or acquaintance who had experience with some of the universities of your preference. You will surely be able to find someone ready to answer all of your questions and doubts. 

7. Support your child ​🎓​

The most important thing you should do is to support your child in whatever decision they make. For them, your support is really important, so no matter what decision they make, you should be there for them. 

All in all, choosing the right university is a complex and consuming process, for that reason, being with your child is important. There are different ways in which your child can get help, but one of the most important ones is parents’ advice. If you, as a parent, consider these pieces of advice, you will be able to give your child the support they need to make the best decision possible. Make your child feel proud of and secure in the decisions they make!