WEATHER
Think of the five people you most admire, or go check a list of Fortune 500 company CEOs, senators or Rhodes Scholars. Most probably didn’t attend a name-brand college. Their strengths flow from other sources.
Students and parents alike need to understand that it matters less where you go to college than who you are and what you do when you get there.
One of my favorite students began his college search with snowboarding as his No. 1 criteria. Drawn by the allure of brand-name recognition, he applied to and was admitted by a top New England college. Ultimately, he moved recreation and prestige down his list and chose another school based on personal interests and growth.
Not surprisingly, his college years, and those since, were marked by admirable success and fulfillment.
Getting into a prestigious college does not guarantee a great education. What does? Habits of the mind, disposition and your readiness to step up, engage deeply, question closely and dare to examine new perspectives.
What good would it do to get in if you have the raw intelligence, but not the skills and habits, to make the most of it?
College admissions gets undue attention, as if getting into a school is some gold ring which confers success.
When students ask, “What will colleges think if ... ?” they are responding with anxiety to today’s over-hyped, highly selective admissions environment.
Better to ask, “What do you think?” and “What makes you think so?”
Think “good college,” but insist on “good fit” for your child. How will class size affect her? What kinds of conversations does he want to be surrounded by? Is she best suited for a small, close-knit community, or will she most thrive in the hustle-bustle at a large university? How mature, self-reliant and self-directed is he?
A senior came bounding down the hall this morning to tell me she’d been accepted to and offered significant scholarships by several highly selective colleges. By grade-point average, she stands low in the top 25 percent of her class, but in terms of character, determination, lively engagement and intellectual “voice,” she’s atop any applicant pool.
Experiences that foster resourcefulness, responsibility, a service attitude and awareness of diversity are great preparation for college — and for life.
Don’t go for activities you think colleges will find interesting. Look for activities that you find interesting. If you have not discovered a lasting interest, keep searching: Especially for those which bring interaction with other people.
Rather than a long list of activities, colleges prefer one or two reflecting depth of involvement. Being “well-lopsided” may bring rewards beyond being well-rounded.
Parents can also help their children develop a strong academic profile. As he matures, more depends on his personal volition than compliance with adult urgings. As time passes, ask more, tell less.
“Are you happy with your classes, grades, friends and activities?” “What would you like to see different?” “What steps could you take?” “How can we help?”
Finally, get to know your school’s college counselor. A close and candid relationship between student and counselor will allow them to guide and support you with warmth, interest, expertise and a “no-fluff” approach to realistic choices.
Preparation for college is really preparation for life, and it begins long before their senior year. This is part of our school’s ethos and informs all that we do with our terrific students.
We publish each year a free Charles Wright Academy College Handbook. It contains information useful for everyone applying to college. Explore it at www.charleswright.org: Upper School > College Counseling.
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