Overwhelmed by the College Process? What to Prioritize When You Can’t “Do it All”
A friend with a sophomore recently lamented that her son was entirely unmotivated to think about or prepare for his college process. Sure, he was getting decent grades, but he didn’t have any real interests outside of school, hadn’t volunteered anywhere, and certainly wasn’t thinking about potential colleges, prospective majors, or school fit. She asked: How can I make sure my son is ready when it comes time to apply? In other words: what’s the bare minimum he should be doing now to get ready?
We meet a lot of parents whose teenagers aren’t thinking seriously about their college process (yet!), and if this sounds familiar, let’s start by saying, Don’t worry. Many of those teenagers who once were either uncertain how to begin thinking about college or even apathetic about preparing for their admission process eventually did discover their motivation, applied to schools, and landed at a great fit. Not every student will follow the same pathway as they navigate their college admissions journey. However, there are key steps that every student can take, like those I shared with my concerned friend, that can help to ensure that the applicant will have a strong shot at many schools.
The transcript matters most: The top priority for every student should be to focus on keeping up (and even improving) their GPA, and pursuing rigorous courses in areas of strength and interest. The transcript is the most important singular piece of any college application, and if a student has mostly As and Bs, with a strong lineup of academic solids (at least 5 each semester) and a few higher level (AP, advanced, honors etc.) courses, they’ll be a competitive applicant for many colleges out there.
Take the test: Sitting for the ACT or SAT at least once can be its own motivator for students–some kids hit a strong score (which triggers plenty of mailings from colleges) and are inspired to think more seriously about their college process. Other students might hit a solid score, see their potential to improve, and work to do so. And, having an official score means that the student can apply anywhere–more colleges are requiring test scores each year–but also feel safe that for schools that remain test optional and test free, they can choose whether or not to submit.
What about extracurriculars? While the ideal applicant has a list of extracurriculars that includes academic and intellectual pursuits, leadership roles, community service, and paid work experience, not every student is going to have the bandwidth–or the motivation–to check all the boxes. After years of seeing how different students with widely varying profiles fare in the application cycle, one thing is clear: kids with a strong service background tend to do better than kids who do nothing to make an impact in their community. So, when parents tell us, Realistically my kid is not going to be able to pursue any extracurriculars, we push hard on doing just one thing: service. We encourage students to identify one issue in the community that they care about, find volunteer opportunities that resonate with them, and engage consistently–every week or every other week or even once per month, for as long as possible.
Often, the service narrative will overlap with–or shed light on–a student’s academic interests. We have had many students write compelling supplemental essays about why they want to pursue a specific major in college through the lens of how they’ll continue to make an impact, whether it’s the kid who volunteers at the community clinic making a case for biology, or the kid who serves at the family shelter presenting their pitch for psychology. Colleges want students who are working to make a difference, and who are mindful about how they’ll use their higher education to continue doing so.
The bare minimum: Strong grades, respectable rigor, and sustained, focused community engagement can go a long way, ensuring that the applicant will have something to say in their college essays about their academic interests (hopefully from some rigorous courses they took), as well as their dedication to making a difference in the community. Would it be great if the student also pursued a leadership role in school, did a summer program to dive deeper into an academic subject, or got a part-time job? Absolutely. But, for parents (and teens) who know that those extras might not happen, trust that even these small steps can make a huge difference when it comes to applying to college.
