College Applications=Horror
The college application process can be daunting. Scary. Sometimes it looks like panic. Panic looks good on NOONE.
I see the ramp up start to happen with students beginning their junior year. By senior year, I am called into high school to conduct workshops on mindfulness to try to calm students overwhelmed by the thought of applying to college. The first time I facilitated one, I thought, “This is so dumb. No high school student is going to want to come listen about mindfulness.” I have never been so wrong in my life. My session filled, then filled again, and filled a third time. It was more highly attended than the dual credit and financial aid workshops next to me. I ran out of materials. Session after session I was met by a room full of extremely stressed high school students wide eyed and asking for relief from what they were feeling. I will never forget the feeling in that room, hour after hour. The stress was palpable. I rode their nerves the whole day. I needed a drink by the time we were done and I had already proven myself at college-three times.
Often we think of high school as a time filled with friendships, athletic events, and dances. Those things typically happen, but it doesn’t mean the whole experience is sunshine and daisies. In reality, studies conducted by the American Psychological Association show that high school seniors are among the most stressed in our nation. This stress is tied to thinking about and applying to college. Students are contemplating the biggest decision of their lives as well as anticipating the largest amount of change they can remember. Help a kid out-that’s a lot.
When I became a coach, I didn’t know that the lion’s share of my clients would end up being teens and young adults preparing for college. But every time I meet with a family and see that they are scared-ALL scared-my choice is completely validated. When I say the words, “let me help with that” or “I’ll worry about that so you don’t have to” I see anxiety melt away. The moments I get with my seniors as they select a college with confidence are some of the best I have. It is my absolute privilege to be as invested in a student’s education as they are-and their family is.
5 Things to Consider When considering a College Application Coach:
1. Start early. It is true that students apply to college their senior year. In reality, those applications start long before. They are in process when they are scheduled for high school classes, choose extracurricular activities, engage in community service, have leadership positions, etc. I often work with clients in long term contracts with college as an end goal. My case load spans 6th grade through high school on the college application process and undergraduate and graduate school for collegiate success.
2. There are multiple packages and experiences available. Just taking Bloom as an example, I have clients that are in long term contracts and with me for 4-6 years, clients who are getting SAT preparation and doing college applications for a few months, campers who have an outdoor experience while building their application, and remote group classes for small groups of students that start their summer before their senior year and extend through selection. Different students have different needs.
3. Choose someone who knows what they are doing. There are many people out there who will brand themselves as coaches who may not have the credentials to back it. Do some research, get some references, get someone good. The person you choose to work with your student is essentially helping their personal development and form some of the most impactful decisions on their future.
4. Get a free consult. Good coaches offer a free consultation to make sure there is a good fit between coach and client. It’s so worth your time to schedule a consultation. Your student need to feel very comfortable and open with their coach. Having a consult for that reason as well as to understand services.
5. Consider it an investment. A good coach will cost a family some money. While there are different packages and price points available, if you do invest-it is exactly that-an investment. You are about to realistically spend $20k on the lowest tuition option for a college degree. Doesn’t it make sense to invest some money to make sure it is done right?