By Jayme Stewart and Janet Rooney
Restless leg tapping, chewing on thumbnails, nervous twitching-these are all symptoms of the weary and worried students about to apply for colleges, but they need not fear; the College Guidance Program here at York helps students to become more independent and grown up through this dynamic and detailed process starting in their junior year.
"The college guidance class helps kids to start thinking about the process. The next four years is a $200,000 +/- investment, so it's an important thing to start researching and shop wisely.
Mrs. Stewart and Ms. Rooney (our College Guidance counselors) feel strongly that the student is the "client," meaning that the student should register for standardized tests, fill out their application, make appointments and learn to schedule interviews. Too much parent involvement can create more stress and lack of independence they will greatly need in college and life.
"I think the College Guidance Program really helps the students understand where they fit in outside of York Prep and in the world-who they're competing against for acceptances. It also helps them understand their level of writing, and motivate them to work harder."
As Ms. Rooney explained, the success stories that everyone expects to hear are not about the kids who have been accepted into Harvard or other Ivy League schools- though yes, they've accomplished this as well-rather it is about the students who find their match at a college that suits their needs, preferences, and the choices they want to pursue later in life in the outside world.
Students who wish to function and socially integrate in the outside world shouldn't be afraid if they have a quirky learning style, rather it is these types of children who tend to work harder than other students and lead them to great academic success. For the younger students in the 9th and 10th grades, at the present moment it is imperative they focus on good grades on being involved in the community, so that college understand they will be involved in their community.
Other importance factors include a sense of reality-knowing about the other students applying to the same colleges, actual GPA and SAT/ACT scores, and so on. Naviance, a sometimes useful tool, can help with its' scattergrams of admissions statistics. Even though many students are frequently bombarded with stress and anxiety from other students and parents about getting into a good college, the anxiety and the stress is generally unnecessary. A good college is all about the match, not about where the student can get in. So, as the title suggests, if your parents are stressing you out, "just buy the Harvard bumper sticker" for your car and move on. #
Jayme Stewart and Janet Rooney are co-directors of the College Guidance Program at York Prep.
Leave a comment