A Message from the Dean
Seeing your child through the college selection process – and then off to college – is one of our American rites of passage. More often we think, quite properly, that this is the applicant’s process, but we do have our own ideas and feelings to consider, our own behavior to regulate, our own hopes and ambitions to entertain and control.
Ours is not an easy job. I have done it twice, and given my 28 years of experience as an admissions officer and college teacher, one would expect that everything was smooth and easy. Of course, it wasn’t; however, thanks to the kids themselves, everything worked out fine in the end.
Perhaps I should have begun with the pleasures associated with this parental task. Choosing and going to a college is seen as expected behavior for our children, but of course, even in the United States, not everyone goes to college, so we shouldn’t lose sight of what a great opportunity and privilege your child faces in the next year. If they take this on as a serious, though not threatening, opportunity, you will take great pleasure in watching them act responsibly while making a decision about who they are, and who they wish to be.
Sincerely,
Ted O'Neill
Dean of Admissions
An Introduction to Chicago for Parents | Helping Your Child Apply
