<p>On this site, I notice that many of the parents are pretty involved in their kids lives - some are just trying to figure out the college admissions process and get some pointers, whereas others seem to be practically living through their children :P I've even had a parent whose kid goes to my college PM me so I can help her plan out her son's schedule (classes and times) next semester!</p>
<p>When I was in hs, I told my parents the colleges I was applying to; a couple months later, I told them where I had been accepted. We discussed finances, and then I picked the college I liked most that we could afford. they were barely involved in the process, and haven't really been involved in my college life </p>
<p>it seems like a lot of parents on this site and some of my friend's parents still have a huge influence on all of their kids decisions, even in college...like suggesting what classes they should take, etc - is this normal? Some are still giving their college aged kids an allowance! I doubt most parents are like the ones on CC...how involved are your parents in your college life? or during admissions?</p>
<p>This was my parents’ contribution: “We’re not paying a dime. Go where you want, but you better get scholarships to pay.”</p>
<p>I let them know my grades, but they probably couldn’t even tell you my major.</p>
<p>Actually… I just asked my dad.</p>
<p>“Hey dad, what major am I in?” “I don’t know… don’t you do something with kids or something? Or art?”</p>
<p>I’m a Humanities/Anthropology double major. -.- lmao</p>
<p>EDIT: After I got my ACT score back as a junior, they did said “So this means you’re going to UMich now right?” They don’t even know that I was accepted and turned down UMich. I’ll tell them one day… maybe.</p>
<p>My parents signed got me an SAT tutor and signed me up for classes. Looked over the schools I was applying to, though they didn’t say I had to apply to any schools or couldn’t apply to any schools, just gave advice. Then let me do my applications myself. Found out where I was accepted/rejected. Now they pay the paychecks and I’ll tell them my grades. Mostly though, their involvement has been what I’ve asked of them, nothing more and nothing less.</p>
<p>I told my mom where I was going to apply, then I told her where I got accepted. That was pretty much the length of her involvement with my collegiate career. I, more or less, did everything myself.</p>
<p>I applied for transfer admissions to a couple of schools recently, and it was pretty much the same thing. I personally wouldn’t have it any other way.</p>
<p>edit: She filled out financial aid forms. That was it, I believe.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Whoa. Was the kid really not able to do that on his own? How could you even lend your assistance in that instance?</p>
<p>My parents pay my tuition and credit card bill. That’s the extent of their involvement (but it’s highly appreciated!). They signed me up for SAT classes in high school but weren’t involved in my academics or extracurriculars. They didn’t help me with college apps and they don’t even know what classes I’m taking in college now. Yeah, they basically just fund my life and leave the rest to me. Thanks mom and dad!</p>
<p>@east - well her son was a freshmen at my college in same major, so she wanted advice as to what classes he should be taking,which profs, what times work best, etc…it’s not weird to ask for advice, but it’s weird to me when the mom is the one planning out the schedule!</p>
<p>Don’t we all have awesome parents? I’m lucky that mine are willing to chip in for half of tuition (the other half is paid by scholarship, so no loans or debt)</p>
<p>that’s so funny romanigypsy…my parents thought I was a biology major up until a month ago (studying chemistry and neuroscience - so close!) they thought my brother was a pol sci major for the longest time (econ - close again!)</p>
<p>Lol Alix, at least your parents were in the ball park. At least my mom made it closer. She said I was a Spanish major (I’m a Spanish minor). She thought I was a history major for the first few months of school. Much closer than education or art, as my dad thought. (Btw, I am a HORRIBLE artist. Like, my stick figures look severely deformed. I have no idea where art came from.)</p>
<p>my parents aren’t that involved, persay, but they know almost everything (even my 2 majors, although they haven’t gotten my specializations memorized yet, hahah). </p>
<p>My parents pay for a quarter of my tuition/room/board and for airline tickets, so they support me substantially although I do have to use my savings/work/get scholarships/loans for the rest. They traditionally have always encouraged me to do my best, but allow me to make my own decisions. In high school I did all the applying but when it came to choosing a school, it all came down to finances. I have had to do some hefty convincing when it came to going to school out-of-state and then studying abroad, but after a lengthy argument (and a detailed powerpoint presentation or two made by me) I got them to agree with my choices. </p>
<p>My mom also wanted me initially to take on a more lucrative major in college, but I convinced her to let me choose whatever I wanted (and although I let my parents know what courses I am taking and my grades/how I am doing in them, they give me free reign to choosing what classes i want to take). So I guess my parents serve a general advisory role, but ultimately I make the final decisions (and I truly appreciate my parents for letting me do this)</p>
<p>Ok, that’s a bit more understandable then. I thought some parent just noticed you on this site and decided to randomly pick your brain. Still, you’d think the student would be asking about that stuff and sites like ratemyprofessor have kind of made the class search easier.</p>
<p>My dad nags me to finish stuff on time, and panics over deadlines. He knows which colleges I’m applying to, but that’s it. He helped a lot on the financial aid forms, though (he’s an accountant, so the FA apps were a breeeze). But that’s probably because I’m an international student- when May rolls over and I’ll apply to a few domestic colleges, he’ll be more heavily involved, I suppose. My mom really doesn’t know anything except I’m applying to Princeton and Harvard, and that they are in American cities with my relatives in them.</p>
<p>They’re always very supportive of any decisions I make though, and they are amazing for that.</p>
<p>I have a full-ride, so the only thing my parents do is pay the extra thousand dollars or so that my scholarship doesn’t cover. I THINK they could maybe remember my major if they tried…</p>
<p>My dad pays for college. I don’t know where he gets the money from, but he always seems to be able to conjure money for purchases. I suspect he’s either a very good investor or has a huge inheritance, or his job makes a lot more money than I suspect.</p>
<p>I’m forever thankful for it though; and I plan on saving money once I’ve got a job for a college fund so should I ever have kids, I can help give them the courtesy my dad did. I wasn’t the best student or an athlete in HS, so if it wasn’t for that I’d either be in tons of debt or in Afghanistan earning a GI Bill.</p>
<p>My parents are sort of similar to romanigypsyeyes’ parents. They don’t pay for anything except for random personal expenses when I visit them. They probably know that I’m majoring in economics, but they really couldn’t tell you what exactly that is. I started to explain what classes I was taking, but my mom really wasn’t understanding it, so I just sort of said they’re required classes where I write papers and read things. When we talk on the phone each Sunday, we really don’t talk about anything academic. I can’t really explain to my parents how I’m writing a paper on Karl Marx, since the ideas would probably be way over their heads. </p>
<p>It’s kind of nice that they’re so lightly involved, though. When I talk to them, it’s a complete escape from academic work, and they really don’t understand enough about college life and scheduling to pester me about it. I feel really sorry for the people with helicopter parents.</p>
<p>My dad throws some money my way when he can, which isn’t often, and co-signs private loans when i need them (about $6K worth so far). My mother thinks I go to NYU, which I don’t. </p>
<p>My mom does not have much knowledge about college and is not that involved in the process at all. I do include her, mentioning the schools I’m applying to etc…</p>
<p>My mom hasn’t really been that involved in the whole admissions process. I don’t think it’s because she doesn’t care, she just doesn’t know much about it. My dad is more involved in that he gives me advice about the schools I applied to but even he has let me do my own thing. I got accepted ED to my first choice school a couple weeks ago. He paid for the application fees, SAT score reports, and eventually he’ll pay for my tuition + room/board so I’m definitely thankful for that. I think his approach was the best to take. He wasn’t going to apply to schools and write essays because that’s my job. I know there’s quite a few parents on here who would disagree, but to each his own.</p>
<p>My parents aren’t involved at all, except for cosigning my loans. I figured out everything and did everything else myself. They don’t even know where I applied or where I got in. They don’t care about that kind of stuff at all. They don’t have any idea what I am studying or what my career plans are, either.</p>
<p>I got this almost verbatim. My mom covered the expenses for furnishing my apartment and occasionally some personal expenses. I kept her up to date in the admissions process, told her where I was applying, where I was accepted, and she paid the fees for testing and apps. We’re pretty close so she knows all about my major and some courses that I’m taking, but nothing too invasive. I call when I feel like it and choose what information I want to tell her.</p>
I’m lucky that mine are willing to chip in for half of tuition (the other half is paid by scholarship, so no loans or debt)</p>