A big shout out to our freshmen parents who came out last night on a cold, rainy night for the Cup O' College program. In addition to what we discussed, I want to continue yesterday's blog theme and offer a few more suggestions for our freshmen and their parents to consider.
5. One of the most often asked questions is "How many honors or AP courses should I take?" The usual answer is, "Take what you can successfully handle." I would add however, that you should take as many as you can successfully handle and still have a life. We all need some balance in our lives, and I hate to see students take an excessive number of advanced placement courses because they believe they have to do so. Yes, the most competitive colleges will be looking for those challenging courses, but most colleges don't require or even expect a full slate of them. Besides, there are other ways to strengthen your course schedule. Take that fourth year of a foreign language or add an extra year of history. Just going beyond the required courses adds depth to your curriculum. You can also take a supplemental class through the On-line School for Girls or you could take a summer course at UTC or another college.
6. I believe it's time we adjusted our vision for our daughters' futures. By that I mean we have to understand that the jobs they will perform in the future will be vastly different. I believe the role of teachers will change and med schools (and the MCAT's) are already expecting more from applicants than just anatomy and other sciences. Some of the necessary job skills of the future include cross-cultural competencies, a more developed social-intelligence, collaboration and creativity, self-motivation, and being 'innovation ready'. One author suggested that employers will be seeking people who can take old things and do them in new ways. YouTern, a great career website that I follow on Twitter, recently posted this infographic on the top jobs and skills of the future.
7. Parents: when you were in high school, you had something that was called your permanent record. At GPS, that information used to be on a manila card that included grades, GPA, coursework, and even a few activity highlights (fortunately that has been replaced by electronic versions). Social media, in all its forms, can now be considered the new permanent record. A report by Kaplan found that at least 35% of colleges are occasionally using social media in the admissions process, and we know that potential employers and even potential spouses are using social media to check people out. We can argue the fairness of doing this another time; we need to accept the fact that it is being done and help our students understand the impact.
8. Finally, although I hope our freshmen will discover new activities and other extra-curricular options, I also want them to settle on at least one thing in which they can truly become involved. Trying to figure out what a college wants is pointless; they simply want to see that you are willing to participate and lead.
Our students have a wonderful admissions track record because they are willing to work hard, willing to jump in with both feet and become active citizens in their school community and beyond. They are recognizable to colleges because they have a strong work ethic, solid study skills, and more confidence than I ever had when I was their age. It's just like I said back in November of 2013 when I quoted the movie Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come." Don't try to become the student you think a college wants. Be your smart, talented, creative wonderful self, and the colleges will find you.
No comments:
Post a Comment