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October 25, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SMITH EXAMPLES AND EXPERTISE
INFORM
NEW COLLEGE GUIDE FOR PARENTS
College Admission Veterans
Sally Rubenstone and Sidonia Dalby Offer Insider Advice in "The
Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions"
NORTHAMPTON, Mass.- A recent book by
two admission counselors with Smith College connections aims
to demystify the anxiety-inducing college application process
for parents of high school students.
Sally Rubenstone and Sidonia Dalby have drawn on their considerable
experience in the field of college admissions to author "The
Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions" (Peterson's,
third edition). Rubenstone-now a contributing editor at collegeconfidential.com,
a college counseling Web site, and Dalby, the associate director
of Smith's Ada Comstock Scholars Program-have both worked in
the Smith College Office of Admission. Their straightforward
advice on a range of admission topics reflects a combined 30
years in the world of college counseling.
The inspiration for the book came from the authors' realization
that "a higher education is a huge investment-of time and
money; of emotion and energy," and that negotiating children
through the admission process can be both difficult and stressful.
To that end, the guide provides a comprehensive outline of the
college application process, from standardized testing to financial
aid applications to dealing with acceptances, wait listings and
rejections. Rubenstone and Dalby walk parents through each step
of the process, all the while reminding them to keep things in
perspective.
"It's important to remember that the college decision process
does not make any kind of value judgment about how good, strong,
special or successful your child or your family is," they
emphasize, a sentiment that can easily be forgotten, particularly
as students feel increasing pressure to apply to selective schools
with name recognition and large applicant pools.
But they also point out specific ways for parents to involve
themselves in the process, citing as an example the Smith practice
of asking an applicant's parent to write a letter on her behalf
because, as the authors note, "a short letter of support
from an applicant's mother or father can add a dimension that
no other form will provide."
Rubenstone and Dalby are also quick to point out that feeling
stressed by the application process is a very common experience
today, in large part because the admission process has grown
increasingly competitive.
"The process has become far more difficult for students
than it was 10 years ago and exponentially more difficult than
30 years ago," Rubenstone says, but the book also notes
that "there are approximately 3,500 colleges in the U.S.,
and more than one will be right for your child." She and
Dalby urge students to look for a college that fits their needs
rather than seeking out schools on the basis of prestige and
reputation alone.
Ultimately, they maintain, parents "need to trust their
instincts" in guiding their children through the college
admission process and to remember that an important part of the
process is learning to let go.
"The right match between a student and a college is really
about giving students the chance to become successful by developing
motivation and self-confidence," Dalby points out. "That's
an aspect of college that has little to do with prestige or price
tag."
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