Parent Primer

While Gwynedd-Mercy College cultivates a relationship with our students, we feel that it is very important to focus on our relationship with parents as well. We want to encourage you to feel a part of our community. Our promise to you is to solidify our relationship with you by keeping you as informed as possible about what is happening in our community.

Don’t just take our word for our commitment to parents; I invite you to click on the link below to see what other parents of Gwynedd-Mercy College think of their son/daughter’s experience at the College.

Read GM-Connection...
GMC's Parent Newsletter

Also, I hope that you will enjoy our Parent Newsletter, the GM-Connection. This newsletter has been designed by the College as an informational tool providing you with the latest updates about events on campus, and sharing with you relevant information as a parent of a college student. The GM-Connection is published once per month, and its contents are shaped by your request for information, as well as providing you with an opportunity to understand current trends in higher education that may impact your family. Click here so that you can start enjoying your first issue.

A Parent’s Guide to the College Selection Process

The finish line for high school is on the horizon, and your child is making plans for life’s next big step: college.

Get more information... download A Parent’s Guide to the College Selection Process
(PDF file — 1,000 KB)

As a parent, it’s a big step for you too. The child you’ve raised to think independently and make smart choices is preparing to do exactly that.

The college search process marks the beginning of the transition from teenager to young adult, and the time has come for your son or daughter to assume responsibility for a complex process and make a major decision.

Of course, this places an important question before you: How can you be helpful in something so important without getting in the way? Gwynedd-Mercy College has prepared this information to offer you some insights.

The Big Picture

Learn About the Process

Invest some time in reading about the college search and admission process. If you didn’t go to college, it will open your eyes to what lies ahead. If you did go to college, you’ll be surprised how much has changed. (The changes at Gwynedd-Mercy College in the past 10 years alone are amazing!)

Let Your Child Make the Decisions

Your child needs to choose a college based on her individual abilities, interests and personality. Always remember which one of you will be going to college.

Be There For Your Child

Offer your college-bound child plenty of encouragement and a listening ear. Discuss options and provide guidance.

Getting Started

Ask your child questions

• “Why do you want to go college?”
• “Where do you want to be in college?”
• “What subject do you most want to study?”
• “What other interests do you have?”

Visit Campuses

Get to know colleges by going to them, in person. While there...

• Take a tour of the facilities
• Sit in on a class
• Ask professors and students about the school
• Eat where students eat
• Visit residence halls
• Talk with admissions, career services and student life staff
• Meet with a financial aid advisor
• Meet with coaches or extra-curricular advisors
• Attend a sporting event, lecture or performance

We look forward to seeing you when you visit GMC. Click here to schedule a convenient time for your visit.

Staying Organized

There will be a lot going on in the college search process, with information to manage, visits to schedule and deadlines to meet. Here are some tips to get organized...

School Folders

Keep a separate file folder or oversized envelope for each school.

• Inside, keep all documents, correspondence and publications you receive, plus copies of everything your child sends to that school.
• Maintain a checklist of deadlines for each step of the application process at each school.
• Outside, write the name, phone number and email address for your child’s admissions counselor and other campus contacts.

Questions

• Encourage your child to make lists of questions to ask at each college, as well as questions that are specific to certain colleges.
• When your child gets answers, have them write them down.

Stepping Back

Your college-bound child needs to be the one who takes the initiative in the search process. You can help your child navigate, but they needs to be the pilot. This is the time for you to step back and for them to step up.

What should your child be responsible for?

• Research: They can investigate online (GMC’s Web site is www.gmc.edu), attend college fairs, and request information from schools that look interesting. Your child can talk to teachers and guidance counselors, and ask friends or relatives in college to share their stories. If they’d like to talk with GMC students or alumni, have them contact our Admissions Department and we’ll arrange it.
• Scheduling: When your child has narrowed their choices and is ready to visit, let them make the calls and arrange the appointments. Give them a list of your availability in advance.
• Q&A: At college fairs and admissions interviews, let them ask the questions and provide the answers first. You can follow up if you think a question has gone unasked or unanswered.
• Deadlines: Make it your child’s responsibility to meet them.
• Key Decisions: When all of the decision variables are factored in, let your child make the selection decision. We hope the decision will be to attend Gwynedd-Mercy College!

Standing Ready

Letting your child be in charge of their search process doesn’t mean they have to go it alone. When your child asks for your input, be ready to offer it. There may be times when you must participate. Among the most important times will be when money is involved.

Fortunately, in addition to very competitive tuition, GMC awards financial aid totaling more than $26 million every year. Click here to learn more about financial aid from Gwynedd-Mercy College.

• Applying For Financial Aid. For most parents, direct involvement is essential. You will apply for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so you’ll want to file your taxes and your child’s taxes as early as possible after January of their senior year of high school.
• Signing For Loans: If loans are part of the financial aid package, you may need to co-sign with your child. Click here for more information about loan options.
• Paying College Costs: Your financial assistance may be needed for application fees, tuition deposit, housing deposit, books, and supplies for residence hall life.
• Banking: Your child may need you to set up a bank account and settle finances at move-in.
• Moral Support: A smile, a hug, a reassuring word, or a well-deserved compliment can do wonders.

Moving Forward

Make sure that your child plans and follows through with these important activities:

• Continue to assemble and organize information about GMC and any other schools that made their short list.
• Visit campuses, preferably when students are in residence. Talk with students and faculty, sit in on a class, and attend a campus event if possible to get a feel for the campus community.
• Meet with representatives from each college to gain insight into their application and financial aid processes.
• Research scholarships.
• Evaluate and compare each college experience, outcomes, and bottom-line costs.
• Revisit the most appealing colleges again.
• Apply for admission.
• Look into options for freshman housing.

Selecting a college will likely be the most important decision your child has made. He may feel uncertain about what lies ahead, grow anxious about meeting deadlines, and worry about rejection. They may change their mind—perhaps more than once—about their career aspirations, academic goals, or what they truly wants from college.

All of that is perfectly normal... there’s a reason why this is called a “search.”

Get more information... download A Parent’s Guide to the College Selection Process
(PDF file — 1,000 KB).