The Gap in College Planning

I had a conversation with the son of a good friend early last fall. I knew he was beginning his senior year. When I asked about his future plans his response surprised me. "I have a list of six or seven schools that sound good." I inquired as to which ones he had visited. "None so far, but we going to do that sometime soon and then I'll start applying." When I asked about how much help his school counselor had been his response troubled me. "Unless your in the top ten percent or a kids who's got issues, she doesn't even know who you are." I know from experience that my young friend was behind the eight ball. His grades are good and he's a great kid but he has no sense of vision.

I spent eleven years as a school counselor. I every fall I would teach a careers class, a required elective for all juniors. We started with an interest inventory and aptitude tests. We moved on to looking at career options that matched. Students would then search for schools that offered majors that fit their needs and academic level. Before they finished they had visited multiple schools and narrowed thing down to three to five schools. After that class I handed them off to my colleague who guided them through the rest of the process. The goals was that they came back for their senior year ready to fill-out the applications and apply for scholarships. Annually, most of our students went off to college, prepared. A few would opt for community colleges and trade schools, others would enlist in the military, but they all had a plan. What I discovered is that once kids had a vision and plan in place, they faced their studies with a new sense of purpose.

All of this came to mind when I read an article in USA Today one day last week. The article focused on urban schools, particularly in chicago. "... only 38% of the top-ranked students enrolled in a college with admissions criteria that matched their academic qualifications." The article referred to a study done by the University of Chicago. One fact that stood out. The Association of School Counselors recommends a student to counselor ratio of 250/1. The national average is 467/1, with some district it's 1000/1.

Parents need to be on top of this issue. They need to discuss future plans with their teens. Junior year needs to be the time for planning and visiting schools. By the time they enter their senior year they need to have a short list of three to five school to which they are going to apply. When it comes to scholarships, no stone should be left unturned. I would always tell kids, once you have a vision you should be doing something every day to make that a reality. The part-time jobs and books and magazines a teen reads can prepare them for the future. Even video games can help them learn. There are simulation programs on engneering and architecture, as well as ways to gain business experience.

Don't assume that the school your child attends is going to provide all the help they need.