Early on in my high school counseling career, I had a meeting with one of my juniors that was a real eye-opener. It served as a vivid reminder of the differences in levels of student readiness for the college process.
When students came into my office for our initial individual junior college meetings, they often would have a slightly glazed look on their faces or a bit of a nervous twitch. In their minds, the college search process had become such a high stakes venture that it was daunting to even begin, and many were already in the throes of it. I was used to that kind of reaction from the students. However, this particular student, “Brian,” seemed to have no idea why he was required to meet with me.
Brian sat down on my comfy office couch, and I began to ask him questions about what colleges were on his radar and about his college search process. It was clear in the first few minutes of our exchange that I had missed asking the most crucial question, “Do you want to go to college, and if so, why?”
His answer surprised me. He didn’t think he wanted to go to college.
After probing a bit more and getting minimal answers in return, I told him to take some time and think about college. He didn’t’ have to go to college, but it was an option for him, and if he decided he wanted to attend college, I would do all that I could to help him achieve that goal. (The backstory on Brian is that he had a very low GPA but strong test scores in a high-pressure college prep school. He thought most of his classmates were high achievers and that only those with top grades went to college. He also came from a single family home where there was minimal, if any, parental support for education.) It made complete sense that he didn’t see college as an option.
I admit that I had the luxury of working in a school that touted 100 percent matriculation to college. I think that was partially why that office visit with Brian has stuck with me to this day. However, the other more important part is that it served to remind me that not everyone is starting at the same place when it comes to the college search. I knew this intellectually, but this was a living, breathing example sitting right in my office. I’m sure the majority of counselors in high-population schools face this on a daily basis, if they even have a chance to see these students at all.
I see the college search process as an adventure, a time to explore a wide variety of options and embark on a journey of self-discovery. For the most part, students do not see it that way. There is one set of students that see it as another hurdle to get over, task to complete, box to check off. And in addition, they also feel that their whole future depends on their college choice. There is the group that is excited but overwhelmed. Then there is a collection of students for whom college does not seem to fit into their reality. It is the latter group that I feel as a college counselor I can have the greatest impact on.
But, whether it is the ultra-focused student or those who don’t see college in their future, I’ve come to realize that they all can benefit from taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture before they embark on their search.
It’s like the old adage, before you can run you have to learn to walk.
Most students don’t start at the beginning, but jump right into creating their college list. I would advocate that they spend some time on self-reflection—think about who they are, which direction they want to go, what experiences they want to have in their future, and how college may (or may not) play a role it that future. This is a good time to identify what is important to them, what and who they value, and why.
I now start all my initial student meetings with “Why do you want to go to college?” The answers are sometimes surprising! I think this question helps them look first at the bigger picture before we delve into the details of making their dreams come true. Some of the tools I use to help students in that piece of self-reflection that is often so difficult for teens are various personality-type inventories. For many students, seeing the results of these assessments often serves to confirm what they intuitively may have known about themselves, but never put into words. It also gives them some concrete examples of how they work best and what situations might be a challenge for them. Going into the college search with this self-knowledge is a powerful advantage.
At the basic level, the college search is about location, academics, size, and social atmosphere. However, there are really many more nuances that come into play in finding good-fit schools. With students like Brian who haven’t had the picture of attending college in their minds since childhood, it is important for them to see that there is more that they can consider in order to find colleges that are really going to fit their needs. As counselors, if we can get students to move beyond the basic criteria, we are helping them to find better-fit schools which can result in better choices and persistence to graduation. The tool that I have found for this part of the process that is easiest to use and produces great results is Corsava Cards.
I’ve used the card sort both for individuals and in group settings. When I work with the students one-on-one, the cards serve as great conversation starters to talk about aspects of the college experience that they’ve never considered or don’t know anything about. This is a part of discovery about college life when they can get really excited, when they find out “XYZ” exists at a college and they realize that is something important to them.
With Brian and others who are either first-generation college bound or from a family that is offering limited support in the process, it helps their general awareness of what college is all about. These students are those who don’t know what they don’t know, if you know what I mean! They don’t even know the questions to ask, so we can’t expect them to come up with a list of criteria to use in the college search without some guidance.
The card sort is also useful for those students who think they have the whole college list figured out. Especially for the students who have only the most highly selective or name brand schools on their list, I find it useful to have them identify their “must haves” and other levels the cards fit into. Once they sort the cards and we see the results, then I have them apply those criteria to their established list. Often it brings to light that some of the schools on the list don’t really fit the criteria that they identified as important. This is a great opportunity to introduce colleges that are not on their radar but meet the needs they have for their college experience.
Now, as an independent counselor, I also have the luxury of being able to work more closely with parents. I have used the card sort when the parent and student ideas of appropriate colleges don’t match up. Parents have found it revealing to see what their student selects as “must have” criteria versus what they would choose. It opens the discussion and can really pinpoint the areas of difference or contention.
The impact that I can have on helping a student and family make college a reality is why I remain a college counselor. The excitement a student at whatever level of achievement has when they see their admit letter is priceless. The day Brian popped his head into my office, shortly after our initial meeting, and said “I think I want to go to college” was a good day. However, it was one of the best days when he came in to tell me he was admitted to a university and was getting enough financial aid that he could actually attend. Here’s to many “best days” for all of us!