Nearly half of high school students turn to their parents for information and advice on how to navigate the college admissions process.

Nearly half of high school students turn to their parents for information and advice on how to navigate the college admissions process. According to an EAB study, which surveyed 4,848 high school seniors who graduated in 2021, 48% of students ranked “parental influence” as one of their top five sources of information on the admissions process compared to 37% in 2020 and 34% in 2019. Breaking it down by demographics: only 30% of first-generation students see their parents as one of the top five sources of information compared to 53% of those who are not first-generation. Meanwhile, 52% of White students ranked their parents among the top five sources of information, compared to 50% of Asian students, 44% of Black students, and 38% of Hispanic students. According to an EAB executive: “Parents/families have always had significant influence on college choice and this was heightened—in my opinion—by all of the at-home time that students had with family members during COVID.” (Inside Higher Ed)