Dear Parents

Dear Parents: How to Raise an Independent Thinker

Selective colleges want innovators and independent thinkers. This is a growing collection of how-to letters for parents, covering everything from the uses and limits of artificial intelligence to the autonomy that gets a student there.

Zelda Thomas

A letter series

Dear Parents

Why Letting Your Child Use AI on Their College Essay Can Backfire

June 17, 2026

Why Letting Your Child Use AI on Their College Essay Can Backfire: A Letter to Parents

Using AI on a college essay can quietly strip out the very voice admissions officers are looking for, and at some schools it can cost a student their offer. A letter for parents on what is really at stake, and how an essay coach helps students stay honest and sound like themselves.

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Zelda Thomas

A letter series

Dear Parents

The Rush to STEM and AI Might Not Be the Best Bet for Your Child

June 2, 2026

The Rush to STEM and AI Might Not Be the Best Bet for Your Child: A Letter to Parents

A new letter series for families navigating college in the age of AI. In the first letter, I make the case that the rush to STEM and AI may not be your child's safest bet, and what to do instead.

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