Hindsight = 20/20

Three in an done (with applications at least). Lots of good points. I’ll add just two others -

  1. If your child is doing an activity/event/project/leadership opportunity/trip/whatever around sophomore or junior year that is a little out of the ordinary, encourage them to keep a journal or at least write something down immediately afterward that reflects on their experience. Facing the essay topic can lead to total amnesia.
  2. Realize that when you start the journey you never know where you'll end up. One of my sons applied and was accepted to schools as a business major. By the time orientation came at his chosen school he was pretty sure he wanted to switch to a science. Now as a 2nd semester freshman he's enrolled in that science major, really enjoying the classes, doing research and thinking about medical school.