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The season of college tours is in high gear. During a recent trip to Madison, Wisconsin, where I went to college and returned to show my husband this fabulous town, we found ourselves in the elevator of the student union with a mother and daughter. The mother was carrying a school tote bag, which led me to ask if they were there visiting for a college tour. Indeed, they were. But what really struck me about it is that when I looked at the daughter and asked her what she thought of the campus experience, she started to say that it was nice, and then her mother immediately jumped in to become her spokesperson.

As a college professor for over 30 years and the author of a recent college guide, I found this interaction telling. It seemed representative of what we are seeing on campus and what appears to be happening nationwide with this current generation of students and parents. You may have noticed that parents will remark, “We are applying to blank school…” or “We hope to get blank dorm.” There’s a sense that students and parents are going to college together.

There are things that parents can and should do to stay engaged in the process while still striking a balance that empowers their students to take the lead. It’s a bit of a Goldilocks situation where it’s best if parents are neither completely removed nor overly involved and smothering. Students need and want support, but they also need and want support and guidance toward self-advocacy, confidence-building, decision-making, and finding their own voice.

Here are some specific things parents should keep in mind when........

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