This month’s guest post is courtesy of Bill Hughes, a Professional College Planner located in Lake Wylie, SC.

The parent who believes that the college admissions process is a game is intent on figuring out first the rules, then the unwritten rules, and especially the deep secrets of this new game – and then mastering them.  Game-playing parents range in style from the athletic through the compulsive gambler type and finally to the organized-crime-connected politician.

The athletic parent rises to the challenge of mastering the new sport.  I have a  friend who always gets lessons when he does a sport; the moment something goes wrong with his golf game he’s back to consult his pro.  He takes windsurfing lessons, skiing lessons, he consults with experts before he hikes.  So when his son, who was a good student in public school, got to spring of his junior year, the father hired an outside educational counselor.

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