“Is taking another year of language/math/science a good idea?” “Should we focus on the SAT or ACT”? “Which activities are best to do this summer”?
Whether it’s a simple “yes or no” question, or one that is more involved, to get the best answer, the 3 most important words to add on the end of each of the above sentences is…”for MY teen”.
It’s no different than if they had an upset stomach and you googled “what are the top 3 best foods to ease nausea”. Let’s say the answers are bananas, ginger and papaya (which they are, I googled it!) and they were allergic to all three. Those may be the best, but not the best for YOUR teen.
It’s no different when it comes to college planning and preparation. Those 3 little words help you take the facts and data and utilize them to help your teen maximize their strengths and continue to discover who they are.
Let’s take the SAT vs. the ACT. You can do all the research, look up concordance tables, compare test formats and find out that statistically, your teen is better suited for the ACT. Does that mean that’s what they should focus on? Maybe. Until we add in those 3 little words and we learn that:
- They are applying to colleges that superscore the SAT, not the ACT
- They actually feel more motivated to study for the SAT and feel they can improve their score by doing so
- All of their friends are taking the SAT on the same day and they want to take it with them
The combination of knowing the specific requirements for their colleges, their feeling of confidence in their ability to prep for the SAT and the feeling of relaxation they get from knowing they will be with their friends sets them up for maximum success.
The same goes for choosing activities. If your student is interested in a specific major such as pre-med, nursing, performing arts or engineering there should be strong indication of their interest in their choice of activities. But adding in “for my teen” helps to customize what those choices are based on what they’re interested in learning more about or what they already know they enjoy doing. (And increases the likelihood they’ll want to participate without prodding). And that’s even more important if they haven’t yet chosen an area of focus.
There’s something magical that happens when their choice of activity sparks a new interest that blossoms into something that they thoroughly enjoy and want to learn more about. Not only does that come across loud and clear on their application, it also could be the beginning of a new pathway for their future.