Press Releases
National Survey Finds Many Students Want Their Parents to Be More Involved in College Planning
"Helicopter Parents" Less Prevalent than Reported
03/07/07
NEW YORK—Helicopter parents, so named because they hover like a helicopter over their children’s lives, were the focus of the first issue of studentPOLL published jointly in a new collaboration between the College Board and Art & Science Group. The findings of a national online survey of high school seniors conducted by the two organizations show that high school seniors are generally satisfied with the current level of their parents’ involvement in the college planning process. Ninety-five percent of students indicated that their parents were either “very involved” or “involved” in their college plans but, contrary to anecdotal suggestions, the students reported very little unwanted, intrusive behavior on the part of their parents. In fact, nearly 30 percent of students want more, not less, parental involvement.
studentPOLL is an ongoing study of the opinions, perceptions, and behaviors of college-bound students and their parents that was first published in 1995 by the Art & Science Group. The College Board and Art & Science Group have now joined forces to expand the depth and breadth of issues explored in studentPOLL, enabling more timely and comprehensive exploration of critical issues and questions pertaining to preparation for college and the college admissions process. “The College Board is pleased to partner with Art & Science Group in this effort,” stated College Board Senior Vice President for Enrollment Michael Bartini. “We know how important college choice is to students and their parents, so it is critical that we understand trends and changes through their eyes.”
This issue of studentPOLL reports on the responses of more than 1,700 students to questions regarding parental involvement in their lives. The survey measured the level of involvement of parents in a wide range of college-related plans and activities such as the campus visit, the application essay, assessing college costs, and preparing for the SAT®.
More than 50 percent of the students surveyed indicated that parents were “very involved” in college planning activities.
Areas in which parents were most involved included developing the initial list of schools to be considered, planning and scheduling college tours and interviews, and—most significantly—handling college cost considerations. Only 1 percent of students, however, reported that their parents wrote their application essays, and less than 3 percent reported that their parents actually filled out their application forms.
A majority of students indicated satisfaction with parental involvement in their college search activities.
Sixty percent of students are satisfied with the level of parental involvement in their search for the right college; 28 percent want their parents to be more involved; and only 6 percent of the students surveyed who reported some parental involvement in their college search reported that they want their parents to be “less involved.”
Much of the reported parental involvement actually appears to be very constructive and supportive.
For example, nearly half of the students whose parents were involved in their college plans indicated that their parents had encouraged or insisted that they apply to schools they had not otherwise considered.
“It’s important for us to keep in mind the important and positive role that parents do play in helping students make the transition to college,” said Brad Quin, senior director of Higher Education Advocacy and Special Initiatives for the College Board. “This is a challenging time for all families, and we should be encouraged that in the vast majority of cases, the outcome is achieved with a good balance of guidance but not control.”
Richard Hesel, partner of Art & Science Group, added, “College and secondary school leaders should try to see parental behavior as an opportunity rather than a threat. Engaged parents can be much more easily mobilized to support the academic achievement of their children.”
To help parents assess the impact of their own behavior in the college admissions process, a Helicopter Parent Quiz and explanatory article have been added to the College Board website.
By responding to a short series of questions about areas of involvement in the college admissions process, parents can receive feedback about how best to strike a healthy balance in encouraging their child’s college planning activities without interfering with the child’s growing self-reliance. The article and short quiz are accessible at www.collegeboard.com/helicopterquiz.
Art & Science Group is one of the nation's most influential consulting firms specializing in market-related issues facing higher education and the nonprofit sector. The firm’s work synthesizes imagination and empirical rigor—art and science. Its research is considered the most rigorous and innovative in higher education today. The firm assists clients in every major arena of marketing and communications: market-informed strategic planning; enrollment management and student recruitment; development and alumni relations; and tuition pricing and financial aid. The firm has extensive experience working with a large variety of public and private institutions of higher learning, ranging from comprehensive private and public research universities to small liberal arts colleges.
For further information, visit www.artsci.com.
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,200 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT®, and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.
For further information, visit www.collegeboard.com.
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