The scholarship application process can feel overwhelming and complicated to many students and their parents. In this episode, scholarship coach Janet MacDonald shares some of the secrets to making this process more approachable and productive. She helps us understand when to start, what to do, how to get organized and how parents can best support their student. According to Janet, there are more scholarships available now for more types of students than ever before. If you have a student heading to college, this is information you need.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
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In this episode, Vicki and Lynn again share some of their favorite books for college parents. This time, we focus on Jessica Lahey and Julie Lythcott-Haims who have each written two books that are essential reading for parents. Whether your child is younger, or you have someone heading to college, you’ll find information, inspiration and support. After you listen to this episode, you’ll want to find a copy of The Gift of Failure, The Addiction Inoculation, How to Raise an Adult, and Your Turn:  How to Be an Adult. Happy reading!

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
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The college journey actually begins in high school, so don’t wait until your student is in college to give them food for thought about the college experience. In this episode, Vicki and Lynn discuss some of their favorite books for you to share with your student. Reading these books will inspire students to take charge of the next step in their lives. Topics include making the most of your college experiences, understanding how your brain works, coping with health concerns on your own, and listening to advice from students who’ve gone before you. Several of these books will make ideal gifts for your high school or early college student (and don’t forget to sneak a read before you pass it along!).

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
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It’s time to take a look at preparing our student for those first steps out of the door of college. Adulting means “behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks.” Basically, it means being a grown-up.  College is the perfect time to work on those life skills that don’t necessarily come naturally when you graduate. In this episode, Lynn and Vicki talk about some of the ways that parents can help their student function successfully in the post-college world.  From concrete skills like laundry and finances, to abstract questions like “what gives my life meaning,” parents still have a role in supporting their student’s growth. 

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
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We were honored to be able to spend some time talking with Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed,  about her new book The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence. Jessica’s new book weaves together her personal story about addiction with a tremendous amount of information about topics such as brain development, drinking culture, substance use disorder, and ways both parents and schools can approach this sensitive topic. The book contains suggestions and scripts for conversations with your kids from pre-school through elementary, middle and high school as well as college. With this book, parents will be armed with the information they need to talk to their kids about alcohol and drugs.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
• Find us on Bluesky at @CollParCentral.bsky.social
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In this episode Adina Glickman, Founder of Affinity Coaching joins Vicki and Lynn to talk about her Resilient Learner Model and how she coaches college students to meet their full potential. Adina’s background in social work as well as her tenure as Director of Learning Strategies at Stanford University inform her holistic approach to building resilience in students. This episode highlights how parents can ask important questions to help their student craft individual strategies for academic and personal success. 

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
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In this episode Vicki and Lynn answer some of the questions that have come to College Parent Central. Topics include how to start the college search, access to student academic information (FERPA), what to do when your student is unhappy, and dealing with remote learning fatigue. We don’t have all of the answers, but we share some suggestions based on our professional and personal experience.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
• Find us on Bluesky at @CollParCentral.bsky.social
• Sign up for our newsletter for ongoing information

Professor are people, too! When students get to college, they have an opportunity to work with experts and leaders in their field. But the relationship between professors and students requires effort on both sides. Vicki and Lynn help you understand how you can coach your student to navigate this relationship proactively and positively. This episode includes tips and strategies students can use to build a strong working relationship with their professors.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
• Find us on Bluesky at @CollParCentral.bsky.social
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Dr. Eric Endlich is a clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with teens and adults and the founder of Top College Consultants. In this episode Lynn and Vicki chat with Dr. Endlich about some of the most common mental health concerns facing college students today. Whether it is anxiety, depression, addiction, or learning challenges, parents and students can work together to help students find ways to cope. Dr. Endlich emphasizes that parents don’t always need to have answers, and that communication skills are key to exploring solutions.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
• Find us on Bluesky at @CollParCentral.bsky.social
• Sign up for our newsletter for ongoing information

You’re never done with the job of parenting – even at the college level. Many students have a fear of failure and feel pressure to succeed. Some students are unable to handle failure when it happens. As parents is can be more painful to watch our student struggle than to struggle ourselves. We try to build confidence in our students, but we actually need to let them build their own competence by making mistakes and learning from them. In this episode, Lynn and Vicki discuss some of the frustrations college student learners feel and how parents can support them to redefine success and gain the resilience and grit that they need to thrive.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
• Find us on Bluesky at @CollParCentral.bsky.social
• Sign up for our newsletter for ongoing information