College applications can be fraught with stress for both parents and students. So how do parents avoid turning “help” with admission essays into “too much help”? To guide us through this parental conundrum, we’ve turned to Jacob Palmer, student blogger and junior at American University, for some parent / student advice. Jake relates to us his essay writing experiences and the impact his mother’s help had on the process.
How would you describe your relationship with your mom when it came to writing your essays?
I’d say it was strained, but in a good way. Students are encouraged to be creative and take risks with their application essays, and conflict inevitably rises from that risk taking. And while creative essays can work, oftentimes a student requires some guidance to make sure their essay doesn’t sacrifice message for originality. I used my mom as a resource to bounce off ideas.
