We say it all the time: “Parents are important,” but how often do our actions actually reflect that? Walk through specific, tangible strategies for making parents feel seen, heard and empowered to help their student say yes.

At my last institution, we had a real challenge: students just weren’t completing their enrollment forms. Counselors were calling, emails were going out daily, and portal reminders were non-stop—but nothing seemed to move the needle. That’s when I had a moment of clarity—what if the key wasn't reaching out to the student, but their parent?