It’s August. No, You’re Not Behind

What Class of 2026 Parents Need to Hear Right Now

You log into Facebook and there it is:

“My daughter just submitted her final draft!” "We visited five colleges in July! She’s already applied to two!” “We hired a consultant in February. We’re right on track!”

Meanwhile, you just got back from a family trip. There are no drafts. No college list. No sense of what the Common App even is. Just a growing knot in your stomach that everyone else is ahead—and your kid is already behind.

Take a breath. That feeling? It’s real. But it’s not true.

Social media isn’t a timeline. And this isn’t a race.

Yes, some families have been working on applications since spring. Yes, some students started drafting essays over the summer. Yes, some schools have rolling admissions and yes, some deadlines are in October.

But here’s what’s also true:

The earliest Early Action deadlines aren’t until October. Most Regular Decision deadlines run through January. And Decision Day isn’t until May 1.

That means you’re not late, you’re actually right on time.

Starting now doesn’t put you at a disadvantage.

Starting now just means you get to do this intentionally.

In fact, many of the families I work with, smart, thoughtful, successful families, don’t start the real work of the college process until right about now.

They’ve spent the summer trying to enjoy time together, not obsessing over Common App logins. They’ve waited for school to start so they could reconnect with their counselor or reevaluate senior year courses. They’ve been living, not racing.

And now? Now they’re ready to take the next steps calmly, strategically, and in a way that actually makes sense for their teen.

And what if your teen isn’t sure about college?

What if they haven’t found their thing yet? What if they’re drifting a little—or a lot?

That’s not a crisis. It’s just a different kind of starting point.

In the next few weeks, I’ll be writing more about the students who don’t have a plan yet… or who aren’t sure that college is even the right next step. You won’t find shame here. Just clear thinking, next-step strategies, and a deep belief that every kid can launch—if we give them the tools and space to figure out how.

Whether you’re late to the game or just getting started—this is your moment.

You don’t have to be ahead. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be in it, right now, with your eyes open and your expectations grounded.

There’s time. There’s help. And there’s a better way to do this than panicking your way through it.

Want a plan you can actually follow?

If your family is just getting started, I’ve built two ways to help—one for the college-bound, and one for those still figuring it out:

• College Admissions 101 Bundle → Everything you need to quickly ramp up your college admissions process in one place and totally FREE

• College Admissions for Overwhelmed Parents → A complete course that walks you through the whole process step by step, without the five-figure consultant fee.

  
  

And if you’re parenting a teen who might not be headed to college, or who’s frozen about the future, keep an eye on this space. I’ve got something coming for you, too.

You’re not behind. You’re just beginning. Let’s do it right.