Its a Family Affair: Parental Involvement in the College Search Process

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Its a Family Affair Parental Involvement in
the College Search Process

• Pamela Kiecker, Ph.D.
• Head of Research and Issue Analysis
• Royall Company

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Parental Involvement in College Search

• How involved do children perceive their parents
  to be in their college search?
• Does the level of involvement meet the needs of
  the child in question?
• In what activities do parents participate?
• Whats most important to students? To their
  parents?
• To what extent are parents setting guidelines
  that affect students college options?

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Research Methods

• eSurveys administered in early spring of 2006
• Samples
• Students from our urCompass panel and
  institutional inquiry pools n 2,389
  (demographically diverse with heavier
  representation from Caucasian and female
  students)
• Parents, when email addresses were available
  n 843 (mostly mothers)

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How involved do children perceive parents to be
in their college search?

• Mothers are most involved
• Mean of 3.98 (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 not
  at all involved and 5 very involved)
• Fathers are somewhat involved, but fathers
  involvement varies
• Mean of 3.49 overall
• Boys report a higher degree of fathers
  involvement than do girls
• Children in traditional families report higher
  levels of fathers involvement than do those in
  nontraditional families

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Is parents involvement in the college search
meeting the needs of their children?

• Overall, the level of involvement from mothers
  and fathers can be described as just right.
• Boys and girls do not differ in the level of
  involvement they desire from their parents.
• Some students, those living in nontraditional
  families, those who will be first-generation
  college students, and children who are only
  children or middle children, desire greater
  parental involvement.

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How are parents involved?
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How are parents involved? (continued)
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How does involvement by moms and dads compare?
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How does involvement by moms and dads compare?
(continued)
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How does parental involvement vary for sons and
daughters?

• Most mothers participate equally for sons and
  daughters
• But a higher percentage of boys than girls report
  that their moms read materials sent from colleges
  and contact colleges for additional information
• A higher percentage of girls than boys report
  that their moms talk with them about financial
  concerns of attending college and specific
  schools and types of schools
• Boys perceive greater involvement from fathers
• For many of the activities, a higher percentage
  of boys than girls report that their fathers are
  involved

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When making the college choice, whats most
important to students? To their parents?
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Whats really most important to parents?
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How do girls and boys differ?

• Girls rank personal attention and happiness as
  important more frequently than do boys
• Boys rank quality of school, prestige, and
  rankings as important more frequently than do
  girls
• Girls report that their parents think financial
  concerns and proximity to home are primary
  factors more frequently than do boys

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What guidelines have parents set? (as Reported
by Students)
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What guidelines have parents set?(as Reported by
Parents)
Significant differences exist in the guidelines
set for sons and daughters by mothers.
Significant differences exist in the guidelines
set for sons and daughters by fathers.
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What guidelines have parents set? (by
First-Generation Status)
Significant differences exist by parental
college experience based on student
responses. Significant differences exist by
parental college experience based on both student
and parent responses.
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What guidelines have parents set?(by Family Type)
Significant differences exist by family type
based on student responses. Significant
differences exist by family type based on both
student and parent responses.
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What did children say about parents attitudes?
(Summary of Verbatim Comments)
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Students Verbatim Comments

• I take school very seriously because I want to
  get into a good school and they have those same
  views. They help me consider my options.
• They tell me only what I cant do or wouldnt be
  good at rather than encouraging me to pursue what
  Id be happy studying and where Id like to go...
  Its all No, never, absolutely not, youre not
  going there, youll never make it.
• My mom says I can go wherever I want, but my dad
  limits me and talks about the cost.
• My dad who is a maintenance man ...tells me the
  mistake he made by not going to college. He had
  me work with him to show me how bad it is not to
  attend college.

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What did parents say about childrens
attitudes?(Summary of Verbatim Comments)
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Parents Verbatim Comments

• Whatever Aileen decides will be perfect for her.
  She is highly intelligent and works very hard to
  obtain her goals.
• I feel I am there to answer her questions, assist
  her with her needs (visits, applications, SAT
  fees, etc) and encourage her to make choices that
  will benefit her future.
• Brad is very bright and a good athlete. I think
  he is Ivy League material. I would like him to
  shoot for Princeton.
• I have attended 4 institutions and have 11 years
  of post grad education and 4 degreesshe has the
  advantage of my years of experience she has no
  advantage in this area compared to me.

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Whose decision is it?

• Both parents and students acknowledge the
  importance of financial considerations in the
  final decision
• Aside from money, most (70.7 of students and
  67.0 of parents) feel it is the childs decision
• Parental role is to provide advice and input
  (15.4 of students and 15.8 of parents)

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Whose decision is it? (Verbatim Comments)

• From Students
• Pretty much its my decision, but I have to
  consider my parents financial ability
• Its the moneys decision
• From Parents
• Ultimately, it will be Roberts decision. As long
  as we can financially afford to pay for the
  tuition, the choice is his.
• I will leave it up to him with certain
  parameters, i.e., financial package awards,
  distance. We will try to visit as many colleges
  as possible so he will have adequate choices.

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How do they plan to pay for college?

• Students may be underestimating need for loans to
  pay for college
• 21.5 said they wouldnt borrow any money for
  college
• 27.9 didnt yet know what they might borrow
• Parents seem somewhat more realistic only 14
  said they did not plan to borrow money
• Girls are more uncertain than boys
• A higher percentage of girls than boys reported
  not knowing to what extent parents would provide
  funds for college
• A higher percentage of girls than boys reported
  not knowing how much money will need to be
  borrowed

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How do they plan to pay for college? (continued)

• First-generation students expect to be less
  reliant on parents for financial support
• 77.2 of first-generation children report that
  parents will cover at least some portion of
  college costs compared 68.2 of non-first-
  generation children
• Only 26.4 of first-generation children expect
  parents will pay for 50 or more of college
  costs, but 37.8 of non-first-generation children
  expect this
• Nearly all (both parents and students) expect
  that at least some college costs will be covered
  by grants and scholarships

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What do parents think of their involvement in
childs college choice? (Verbatim Comments)

• I think parents are too involved in pre-college
  preparation. Our kids are burned outto the point
  where they no longer enjoy learning. First-time
  parents like myself are very anxious about the
  process. This trickles down to the kids.
• Parents cannot be too involved!! The choice of
  colleges is one of the most important decisions
  in a lifetime, right up there with getting
  married and having children, only without the
  emotional baggage to get in the way. A wrong
  decision in any of these can lead to a lifetime
  of debt and waste. I am not prepared to allow my
  child who has been protected by myself and
  society to the point were we've taken all their
  choices away from them to now make such an
  important decision.

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What do parents think of their involvement in
childs college choice? (continued)

• Parents must understand that the purpose of
  college is to provide a learning experience to
  the student, not to the parent. The parent can
  advocate for the child, but should reserve
  advocacy only for health/safety-related issues.
• I feel that parents have a right to be involved
  but in the long run it will be up to the child to
  start taking on responsibility for their own
  life. Nothing is wrong with being involved in
  your child future just make sure you make them
  accountable.
• Parenting is in general about preparing a child
  for adulthood gradually letting go. I like to
  hope that at this stage my son has the maturity
  and value system to get the information he needs
  to make a good choice for him, but still want and
  respect input from his parents/counselors.

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Do Parents Perceive a Parental Dilemma?

• 44.5 say yes!
• Parents were more likely to report that their
  teens struggle with their involvement in their
  college choice when
• More guidelines are imposed
• There are specific guidelines, including which
  schools to visit, where to apply, distance from
  home, size of schools, amount of debt allowed,
  choice of major, living arrangements, and
  preference for a specific institution

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How are Parents Managing This Dilemma?

• Listening
• Talking/Discussing options, opinions, limitations
• Being patient
• Pushing (when they must)

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How are parents managing the dilemma?(Verbatim
Comments)

• Cody and I have this process! It goes like this
  he comes to me to talk and I say do you need me
  to just listen or help you solve a problem? He
  tells me which and we go from there!
• I suggest he do things but I then drop the issue
  and leave it up to him. I do schedule his tests
  and just give him the information.
• We fight, we discuss, we talk out our
  differences. Sometimes you have to agree to
  disagree.
• We have family meetings to discuss and come up
  with solutions.