The post to the US News and World Report blog this morning Parents Read This is a must read for parents of seniors applying to college. Lynn Jacobs and Jeremy Hyman provide 8 guiding principles that are practical and essential. The college application process is already fraught with enough stress and anxiety and the holidays can add an extra layer to that. Oftentimes parents who truly want to helpful can unwittingly add to the anxiety of their child. Reading these principles and following their wise advice can reduce some of the stress. Parents should remember that this is their child's process and being supportive means giving over some of the control of the process. Parents can help with being mindful of the deadlines and the requirements, but must be careful not to become so involved that the child doesn't feel ownership. Parents who follow these guiding principles will be glad they did and as a result will have a much happier holiday season.