The College Planning Saga
How do we know the college planning season is upon us? When the phone starts ringing off the hook! Concerned parents on the other end are desperately seeking a strategy, any strategic means by which to navigate the university application maelstrom.
“My son’s a junior. He’s a 4.2 GPA student, and such a good kid, but he struggled to perform on the SAT. He finally did alright, but he’s not sure what he wants to study or what colleges will take him. I just don’t know, but I know he doesn’t want someone making his decisions for him. What should I do?” As college planning season quickly ensnares panicked parents, high school juniors and seniors struggle to access the college admissions guidance they need.
Even in affluent public school districts, many high school administrators hope students will just “figure it out” on their own. Unfortunately, lack of funding is the frequent culprit. As a result, high school college counselors across the US are overburdened with an average of 436 students per individual counselor according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and a 2013-2014 U.S. Department of Education survey, which is nearly double the recommended 250 students per one counselor ratio. Most public high school counselors do their best to meet with students once or twice in a semester, leaving parents who haven’t attended university in decades terrified for their students who are unprepared to dodge the treacherous landmines of college admissions.
Daunting issues include soaring tuition and living expenses, selecting the right school and major of study, completing scholarship and FASFA applications, and the lengthy college essay process. Despite its difficulties, college acceptance within reach!
The Right College Planning
Not every student requires a personal college counselor. As long as your student possess a combination of the following characteristics and resources, enlisting additional help may not be necessary.
The Checklist
Your student:
___ Is intrinsically motivated
___ Has access to consistent, quality college counseling at school
___ Has an available parent, guardian or caretaker who is willing and able to research current college planning metrics
___ Has a good working rapport with his or her parent or primary caretaker
Some students will need personal college guidance. If your student requires or lacks the following, hiring a reputable and qualified college planner who is an experienced educator is a plus. (In many cases, credentialed teachers make the best college planners; they are not only professionally trained, but they also interact with high school students far more than administrators and keep up to date on college requirements and processes.)
The Checklist
Your student:
___ Requires hands on assistance and step by step guidance
___ Has limited college counseling opportunities at school
___ Does not have access to sufficient college planning resources at home
___ Experiences difficulty communicating or working with parents to achieve goals
Although many teens continue to respond to their parents advice and guidance, others are often at odds with their caretakers in the waning days of their high school careers; a combination of hormones and the youthful yearning to be free from parental restrictions can strain the college scouting partnership. According to the Kid’s Health’s article, “Butting Heads,” “The primary goal of the teen years is to achieve independence. To do this, teens must start pulling away from their parents — especially the parent whom they’re the closest to.” Without an interdependent and respectful relationship between parent and teen, such a duo is likely to accomplish little progress, which is not an option when its crunch time; deadlines are non-negotiable and quality applications must meet if not exceed standards for the competitive edge.
Effective parental college guidance is a viable option if a parent can navigate the current college application maze, doesn’t work grueling hours outside of the home, and possesses a working rapport with his or her young scholar. Otherwise, there are other viable options; seeking the support of a professional educator and college planner to lighten the load and secure success is just one!