Don’t listen to other parents

I tell students not to listen to their friends, because their friends lie. My advice to parents is similar. You can listen to other parents, but be careful of who you trust and how much you let them affect your mood, because parents relay a lot of misinformation.

So much has changed in just the last 20 years around education and college admission that some parents feel out of control. This makes them susceptible to believing insane rumors and then telling them to everyone they know.  Some people also just love to give bad news.

“Oh, your daughter only has a B+ average? She’s not going to get in anywhere.”

“If you take the ACT more than three times, colleges won’t accept you.”

“October is always the easiest SAT with the best curve!”

These are actual falsities told to some of my clients that sent them spiraling into doubt and self-recrimination. (For the record, the daughter with the B+ got into her first-choice college.)

If you hear something that upsets you, do some research before you panic. You can call the test-makers themselves or a tutoring company, or send me an email at EVmathtutoring@gmail.com. Below is a list of the test makers and some tutoring companies I trust.

In the meantime, just because other parents are nuts doesn’t mean you have to be.

To your child’s success and your sanity!