It goes without saying: you spend a lot of time working to get your students into college. For example, you counsel and strategize and sit in front of your computer for hours at a time drafting letters of recommendation. And you make lists of prospective colleges, pour over transcripts, and talk parents into having more realistic expectations of the application process.
But how can you motivate your freshmen and sophomore students to get started early, before the stakes are so high? These students have unique needs and concerns about carving out plans for postsecondary education.
Talk to Your Students
Get to know freshmen and sophomores—as individuals. This is also the time to first introduce what it takes to get into college and how they can start making plans now. Explain that they may be able to challenge themselves by registering for honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
Additionally, you want to know if they fall apart at the sight of a math equation. Or if they feel their pulse quicken when they are starring in the school musical or editing the newspaper? No two students are alike, and getting to know them now, before the pressure of college admissions begins, will give you a boost when it comes time to suggest the colleges that might be an optimal fit.
You may also want to introduce the “college experience” where your students can study virtually anything, meet students and professors with shared interests, and begin that exhilarating experience of finding themselves. Basically, you are a key resource in that pathway towards understanding and pursuing the endless opportunities of a college education.
Start Suggesting Prospective Colleges and Universities
As a counselor, you are probably well versed in the many postsecondary institutions that are spread across the country. You know about liberal arts colleges that may offer more opportunities for students who prefer small classes with easy access to their professors. Or if they feel more comfortable fading into the background of large lecture halls that are more common at large, public research institutions.
When you get your students excited about these schools that might be the right fit, they can start to do their own sleuthing. For example, many students may use the summer months to tour some of these schools. There are guided tours during this time, where your students may visit some of the student unions, auditoriums, and lecture halls they will keep in the back of their heads while they are completing their applications. Seeing these places will also motivate them to do better in their classes.
Helping Your Students Succeed
Every student has their own strategies for studying. For example, do they learn better by taking notes from textbooks or going over the material with other students? Students need to be motivated to succeed in their high school classes; there is no getting around the need for a high GPA to offer the most opportunities.
It’s easy to lose heart when school gets challenging. And college can be even more overwhelming for students who haven’t developed these skills and motivation while still in high school.
Encourage Them to Get to Know Their Teachers Better
Many college applications will require one or more recommendations from former high school instructors who may be able to breathe humanity into the data. Grades from AP United States History or Sophomore English only tell admissions officers so much. The best teacher recommendations will talk about the students’ strengths (and weaknesses), ideally by showing examples from their own classrooms.
High school seniors may turn to their junior or senior year teachers when filling out their applications. But they shouldn’t neglect those first two years of high school, that reveal so much about their character and how they approach their education.
What Else Can They Do Over the Summer?
You are in the optimal position to help students pursue opportunities for the time when they are away from the traditional academic year. For example, some colleges open their doors to high school students for enrichment classes. In this situation, students may get more excited about all the things they may learn and the people they will meet when they begin college.
Many of these programs cater to the more specialized interests of your students: health sciences programs where students may be introduced to more advanced research and volunteering at hospitals. Writing programs. Acting/theatre camp.
Setting Your Students Apart
During holistic application reviews, admissions officers at the more selective colleges are looking for things that set each student apart. There are so many ways to do this: maybe by helping a professor at a local university with her research. Or by starting a literary magazine.
For students, one of the most unsettling aspects of the college admissions process is the lack of control they may have over the outcome. By helping them come up with ways to distinguish themselves, students may get more excited about college.
Beginning the College Essay Way in Advance
Students may find it helpful to begin drafting their college essays in the first two years of high school. This way, they will not be frantic when starting at the last minute – shortly before applications are due. You should emphasize the importance of this aspect of the college application: the ideal place to provide a window into all they bring to discussions in the college classrooms and residence halls.
Fleshing all this out as a freshman or sophomore will also help students get to know themselves better. It will also help them make plans for the courses they will take and extracurricular activities they may try. Additionally, it is a document that can be given to potential recommenders when the time comes.
There Are Many Versions of Success
It is not easy for any student to gain admission to a top college. And they don’t have to enroll in a prestigious university in order to be successful. By getting your students excited for college earlier, it will help them to see exactly why they want to go to college – and which schools may most optimally meet their needs.
Takeaway Most importantly, use the freshmen and sophomore years as a critical opportunity for students to get excited about college – and their futures. It’s never too early to start this confusing and often much-involved process. This may look different for each student and the more you get to know them the better.
