Anyone who has said that being an older sibling is easy clearly has never been one. There are certainly many benefits of the role: getting to boss around your younger siblings when you play together as young kids and making them get things for you while you lounge on the couch using the reasoning “you’re younger and have more energy than I.” You also get to experience doing everything first, like graduating high school and starting college. However, being the first also means you have a fair share of responsibility in helping your younger siblings when it’s their time to go on college visits and fill out applications. As the older sibling, you’re one of the biggest role models for your younger brother(s) or sister(s), whether they admit it or not. It’s your job to set the example for them and guide them through the tricky territory. Here are all the dos and don’ts of guiding your sibling through the college process, which I’ve learned from my experience of being the oldest of three siblings.
Don’t: Try to force your sibling to apply to the school you attend. Regardless of how much school pride you gleam with or school colors you bleed, there is no guarantee that the school you feel is a perfect fit for you will be a perfect fit for everyone, even someone closely related to you. Plus, you don’t want to make them feel like they’re disappointing you if they’re just not interested in where you go.
Do: Serve as a resource for your sibling if they are interested in your school. No amount of day visits or tours sponsored by the Admissions Office can compare to sharing your own personal experience of a school with your sibling. Take them on your own tour to show them your favorite places on campus. Be willing to have them stay overnight with you, especially on a weekend. Not only can this be fun for both of you, it also opens your siblings’ eyes in a way that a visit guided by a stranger cannot.
Don’t: Complain about going on college visits with your younger siblings, even if you get dragged to a hundred of them. There’s a very good chance your sibling has been dragged to not only college visits for you, but also sporting events, school concerts, and the like.
Do: Go on as many as you can with them. As an experienced college student, you can provide opinions on other schools that are less biased and more insightful than students of those schools. There’s no doubt your sibling will value your expert opinion.
Don’t: Pester them about having their applications in on time. Their guidance counselor and teachers, as well as your parents, are probably already bothering them, so they don’t need constant reminders from you too.
Do: Send them encouraging texts to brighten their day. The months from September-December are a blur of nonstop visits and applications, so they could use some extra support from you during that time. You can also offer to read over their essays if they’re looking for some editing advice.
Don’t: Make them feel bad if they don’t get accepted to your school, or end up at a school you see as being beneath yours. It can be hard to live up to the legacy of an older sibling, and you don’t want to make your little bro or sis feel insecure about one of the biggest decisions of their lives.
Do: Be their biggest cheerleader. Make them cookies, wear a shirt from their school, or even post a Facebook status when your sibling receives an acceptance letter and/or makes their final decisions. Even if you and your sibling fight more than you get along, and exchange more punches than hugs, they’ll definitely appreciate you showing your support and pride. After all, what are older siblings for?
Photo Sources:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/phnie/14-contradictions-that-only-sisters-will-u…
http://giphy.com/gifs/help-big-bang-theory-me-oGzFZek2lszlK
http://www.reactiongifs.com/genius-2/
http://trustandbelieveitsagoodtime.tumblr.com/post/68837839046/when-i-ha…
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/20/college-application-essay