Talk about the ultimate in helicopter parenting. After all the graft you've put into your kid's science fair project, you would think it's finally safe to let your teen take the helm when it's finally time for university. Or not.
At the all-girl Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, parents are actually invited to write letters of recommendation to help their daughters secure a coveted spot at the post-secondary school.
According to the San Francisco Gate, just under half of the 4,300 applications for 640 spots at Smith included a parental letter.
Although the colleges did limit the gushing to a single page, you can only imagine the indulgent kind of praise penned by parents desperate to get their kids into the school.
But Smith's director of admission, Deb Shaver, defends the letter, stating that parents offer insights beyond academic reports.
“You might think they do nothing but brag," Ms. Shaver told the Gate. "But parents really nail their kids. They really get to the essence of what their daughter is about in a way we can't get anywhere else. Who knows a kid better than their mother and father?"
True enough. Could the same not be derived from a letter from the student herself—in her own words—on why she wants to attend a particular school? When is a kid finally ready to spread their wings and state their case without relying on mommy and daddy?
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