Students And Parents - College Dreams And Fears

• 76% of college applicants and their parents are reporting high levels of stress, which is an increase of 4% from last year
• Money seems to be the biggest issue with 98% of respondents saying they are going to need some for of financial aid to pay for school and 38% of parents saying their biggest concern is the level of debt their child will be forced to take on in order to get a degree
• Stanford University is the dream college for both applicants and parents, if money and acceptance weren’t issues

There’s no doubt that there are tons of high school seniors anxiously awaiting word on whether they’ve gotten into the college of their choice, and the whole process is just stressing them out. And their parents aren't having an easy time either. 

The Princeton Review's 15th annual “College Hopes & Worries Survey” was just released and notes that 76% of college applicants and their parents are reporting high levels of stress, which is an increase of 4% from last year.

As for what’s causing parents the most stress, money seems to be the biggest issue with 98% of respondents saying they are going to need some for of financial aid to pay for school. What’s more, 38% of parents said one of their biggest concerns is the level of debt their child will be forced to take on in order to get a degree. Overall, respondents expect to spend more than $50,000 for a degree, while 43% expected it to be more than $100K

• The survey also asked respondents to name the “dream college” they’d want, or want their kid, to attend if money and acceptance weren’t an issue and it seems both parents and kids agree that Stanford University is the ultimate. For students, Harvard came in second, while parents preferred Princeton as their second choice.

Students’ Top Ten Dream Colleges

1. Stanford University
2. Harvard College
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
4. New York University
5. University of California, Los Angeles
6. Columbia University
7. Princeton University
8. University of California, Berkeley
9. University of Pennsylvania
10. Yale University 

Parents’ Top Ten Dream Colleges

1. Stanford University
2. Princeton University
3. Harvard College
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
5. Duke University
6. University of Pennsylvania
7. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
8. New York University
9. Cornell University
10. University of Notre Dame

Source: Princeton Review