My daughter was too overwhelmed to focus on her college applications. I became the nagging parent.

Courtesy of Alana Sheeren

My high school senior is typically a happy, easygoing kid who set her sights on graduating in the top 50 of her class before her first day of freshman year. We never pushed her on grades and are mostly hands-off when it comes to academics because she's driven and responsible. So, I was surprised when she was dragging her feet with college applications.