College Ready

Our high school seniors have spent the last several months completing applications, taking the last rounds of standardized testing, and writing essays.  It’s November 1, the day when all of the college application stress becomes very real; Early Decision 1 applications are due.  The college freshman class of 2022 has a lot to consider as they submit applications and make final decisions on their next academic step.  Unlike pre-pandemic years, they are not only considering school size and location, cost, potential majors, and proximity to home, they now have much more to think about.   They also are worrying about their academic and emotional readiness, if classes will be in-person or remote, if the campus has all activities open, if there are safety protocols in place that match the student’s comfort with mask and vaccine requirements, and more. 

The significant positive in the list that many students are considering is their readiness.  As a society, America pushes students from one academic level to the next, rarely considering if they are ready for the rigors and responsibilities of the next environment.  It’s unfortunate that we have come to expect that college just follows high school because for some students it shouldn’t.  They can and will ultimately go, but they have work to do to be ready before they leave.  It seems that the pandemic has made the possible pause between high school and college more acceptable and more widely considered. 

We know that the college application resume doesn’t always represent what is really happening for students.  They often list a plethora of activities which often overstate what the actual involvement was.  More importantly, these resumes can offer a GPA that suggests that the applicant is a strong student.  The grades are accurate but don’t reflect the struggles that some students have attaining them. They absolutely reflect intellect, but they don’t necessarily reflect a strong, independent student.  Grades don’t indicate how many late assignments were accepted without a penalty, they don’t reflect the number of points that were added for test corrections, they don’t indicate how much credit was given for participation, they don’t reflect parent involvement, and most importantly, they don’t reflect how many outside professionals were supporting the student through tutoring, coaching, and/or therapy.  While supports are often appropriate, if they can’t be reproduced in a college setting, the rug just got pulled out from under that student.

High school seniors should be responsible for several self-help skills before they begin college.   These include:

·       being able to make their own appointments

·       keeping their own calendar

·       getting up in the morning

·       self-monitoring their screen time

·       making wise choices with prioritizing schoolwork over social activities

·       time management

·       advocating for themselves and being comfortable meeting with teachers

·       completing work on time

·       taking useful notes and preparing for tests

·       working independently choosing a college where they are able to reproduce their supports

All of these skills should be consistently practiced at least 6 months before they leave for college.   If some or all of these aspects of independence are not in place, the student can still apply to college but might want to consider a gap year after they accept at the school of their choice.  Gap programs can offer students time, structure, and direct support with adulting without having it impact their success at the college where they plan to matriculate.  They range from travel programs to internship programs, to programs that teach independent living skills, programs that teach independent living while the student also tries their hand at a college class or a few college classes with many of the supports that they are used to from high school, and even colleges that have pre-college programs which teach what to do and how to do it. 

 The main thing that parents don’t want to allow their child to do is to gap without a plan.  Staying home and playing video games will not help a child prepare for college.  If families do not find or cannot afford a gap program that fits their child’s needs the child should work full time to guarantee that they are improving their planning and time management skills.  Ultimately, no one wants to fail at the one thing they have been working towards for years.  Allowing someone to go straight to college if they are not ready is not what anyone should be doing.  The pandemic made the gap year a choice that is no longer questioned.  Students who aren’t ready to go to college yet have tremendous choices available to them.  As we move through this year’s admission process, work with your child to determine if they are ready, and if they aren’t, give them the gift of another year of growth before they begin.