Is Your Teen Ready to Leave for College?

Key points

While parents may emphasize academic readiness, emotional and social readiness may be more important.

Emotional regulation, including tolerance for frustration, is one key area.

The ability to manage one's autonomy as well as to make and sustain friendship are essential.

A parent's readiness to let go also affect whether the child is ready.

'Tis the season for joy and family togetherness, but for high school seniors, it is also the season to sweat over college applications. While the family is gorging on cookies during another viewing of Die Hard, the compromise Christmas movie, the teens are counting their extracurriculars and polishing their personal essays, aiming for that reach school on their list. And they receive a lot of help, typically, from their school counselo