Curtis WestbayIf you had to guess, what is the one question that we hear at just about every parent event, no matter what the topic is? Last week, we held a parent event on fine art college programs. Before that, there were two parent events on UK universities and liberal arts colleges. These topics have little overlap. There are art programs in the UK (some of the best in the entire world, in fact); there are art programs in liberal arts colleges. But that ubiquitous question had nothing to do with UK admission exams, nor portfolio preparation, nor the marketability of a liberal arts degree. That question?
Is it necessary to find a college counselor outside of school?
Necessary? Absolutely not. External counselors arenāt all made the sameāsome are actually quite good, while some are an out and out detriment to a studentās college applications. Itās easy enough for me to spot when a student has been working with someone who has āhelpedā them with their college applications. Of course, I know my students and their voices, so when application essays donāt bear much of a resemblance, itās not too hard to see. Application readers at colleges donāt know students firsthand, but they are probably also quite adept at spotting the discrepancies between a studentās academic and testing performance and their application materials. An ineffective external counselor doesnāt see how over-helping can make a reader discount a studentās application from the very outset of application review. An effective external counselor ensures that the studentās voice is preserved and that every piece of the application is still authored entirely by the student. And, well, thereās not much of a need for this kind of support, given the time we can give our students in Grade 12.
Before Grade 12, we schedule meetings with students and depend on them to show up, to follow up, and to speak up. With nearly 400 students in Grades 9-11, we can absolutely give adequate attention to each student, but we canāt chase them down and force college guidance upon them. If the solution to a studentās passivity and disorder is to hire an external consultant who can lead them around by the hand, so be it. I shudder to imagine the implications of this apparent need on a studentās future performance once in college.
The fact of the matter is, when a student only seeks advice at the last minute, they wonāt be able to prepare for the college application well. As a parent, you can make this preparation for the college application more natural by supporting your student in the pursuit of their true interests. Let your students obsess over the ideas that get stuck on their minds, and if they donāt have any preoccupations, there is no better use of your time than helping them find that thing that stimulates their curiosity. Top colleges accept very few students from mainland China. The distinguishing identity that comes from a studentās application when they have an abiding interest will help a student stand out.
If your student doesnāt have an idea that grips them, maybe they are overwhelmed with coursework. The coursework at our school gives each student a superb foundation from which to enter college. Still, some students donāt find any of these subjects captivating, and thatās okay. Be attentive to your studentās greatest interest and support them in exploring it more deeply. Worst case scenario, the interest wanes and they have found yet another thing that they donāt want to study further down the line. They may not have found their passion yet, but they are still narrowing in on it, one subject at a time.
When a student does find something they want to explore and they are empowered to do so by their parents, they donāt need me or an external counselor or anyone else, to be perfectly honest. They have an internal source of inspiration, and thatās enough. Their college applications are really a secondary concern, because they have found something that enriches their life. Thatās the greatest reward all on its own.