Raising a College-Bound
Teen
Equipping kids with the tools to get into
top colleges starts early.
by Sharon Chandler
PARENTGUIDE News December 2005
It doesn’t matter whether anyone in
your family has ever stepped foot on a college
campus— your tween or teen may still
be on the path to making the grade in college.
Taking steps to prepare and become eligible
for a college education is something your
student should seriously begin by the time
he or she is in the 7th grade.
IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Let your preteen student know that the family
has high expectations. The question, “Is
this activity going to help me get into college?”
should be your family and your student’s
mantra. Getting a degree will likely help
the student throughout life, and set a precedent
for all of the siblings, nephews, nieces and
cousins who follow.
From now on, extracurricular activities, personal
relationship decisions, school and class selections
and grades all play a major role in your student’s
early college preparation. Immediate family,
friends, peers, co-workers and church and
community members can supplement your efforts
as a parent of a college-bound kid by providing
advice, guidance and volunteer and work opportunities
to aid in your child’s college and career
selection process.
Reading, Study Skills and Grades
I cannot stress the importance of knowing
your student’s reading abilities. Is
he reading at his grade level? If not, learn
about tutoring, enrichment or other programs
the school or district offers to help increase
his reading speed and comprehension skills.
Maybe he needs testing for learning disabilities
like dyslexia, or eyeglasses. Maybe he needs
to move his seat closer to the teacher so
he can hear better.
Does he enjoy reading, own any books or check
out books from the library? Are there books
in the house, and does he see you reading?
Reading is very fundamental to your student’s
ability to keep up with assignments, desire
to take on extra credit assignments and comfort
level when it comes to reading in front of
the class.
Grades do count. Stress the importance of
completing a task so he feels a sense of accomplishment
and satisfaction in his work. Maintaining
a 3.0 or above grade point average is necessary
if he wants to be eligible for the colleges
of his choice. Getting in the “good
grades” habit in middle school only
makes it easier in high school.
Always attend parent-teacher conferences.
Prepare a list of questions and concerns.
Ask the teacher how you might better help
your student academically, at home. And above
all, ask the teacher to do whatever he can
to further your family goal: preparing your
student for a college education!
Consider College as Familiar Ground
Make your local campus a friendly place, where
your student is comfortable seeking knowledge
about preparing for his career. Find every
opportunity to visit a campus. Colleges provide
theater, concerts, art exhibits, sports activities
and classes for community members of all ages.
And what better way can a student learn about
college than by meeting someone who teaches
at or attends college? Visit a campus and
introduce him to students, a librarian, admissions
clerk or someone on the recruitment staff,
and tell them to expect to work with your
student in the near future.
IN HIGH SCHOOL
Make choosing classes a family ritual. Never
allow your student to choose his own classes.
Parents need to know the rules and expectations
of the school the student is attending. Know
the classes that are geared to college or
certain careers. Plan early, sometimes a year
or two ahead of schedule, the classes required
for the careers your student is interested
in pursuing. For example, if your student
is interested in becoming a pediatrician,
schedule him for math and science classes,
early child development classes and extracurricular
clubs or organizations that cater to that
career choice.
Nurture his interest by setting up an informational
job shadowing his own pediatrician. Refer
him for family babysitting jobs or work in
a daycare center. There are also opportunities
in hospitals for teens to become candy stripers,
who interact with patients and hospital staff
by delivering mail or transporting patients
to and from medical testing. I know that it
is early to make any definite career decisions,
but it is not too early to begin eliminating
those careers your student has no aptitude,
personal abilities or talent for pursuing.
School Requirements and Resources
Know your school’s requirements concerning
subject levels, exit exams and other tests
for graduating high school and middle school,
and becoming eligible for college.
Most schools have after school tutoring or
enrichment programs that support test preparation.
Make sure your student enrolls and attends
the classes. Parents need to become the “class
attendance officer” for these programs,
by checking with program coordinators for
daily attendance and participation, as students
are tempted to show up on the first day and
find other activities to distract them later.
College Testing and Preparation
Seek information for early college testing
and career assessment programs. ACT (www.act.org/edcareer/index.html)
has a Career Planning Survey for helping students
(grades 8–10) make informed education
and career decisions by choosing high school
programs that prepare them for a positive
transition to further education and meaningful
work after high school.
Most high schools and some educational organizations
in your community sponsor programs and workshops
to prepare for the PSATs, (check out www.collegeboard.org),
the testing program most recognized by colleges.
Start collecting information on Advance Placement
class requirements. These are college classes
your student can take in high school that
often result in college credit. Ask your school
counselor about these classes, and make sure
your student signs up as soon as he is eligible.
Your student could possibly eliminate a whole
year in college by accumulating these credits
while in high school. Ask your teachers about
these programs and be persistent about getting
the information you request.
Raising college-bound kids is tough. There
are many distractions to take them off-course.
Most importantly, your student should delay
a whole lot of worldly gratifications for
now— cars, designer clothes, vacations
and leisure time— knowing he will reap
the benefits of those sacrifices when he graduates
from his institution of higher learning. It
is our responsibility as parents to try and
be ahead of the game by keeping our ears and
eyes open for opportunities for our students.
Foster their spirits, support their dreams
and find the love and patience to see them
through to the day when they can finally empty
our nest.
Sharon Chandler is the single parent
of two graduate school students, in law and
education. She is the founder of Yes2Kollege
Education Resources, Inc., a nonprofit organization
in Sacramento, California, providing workshops
for parents and college-bound students. She
is the co-author, along with Elizabeth Crane,
of the book Say Yes To College: A Practical
and Inspirational Guide to Raising College-Bound
Kids (Pedigree Trade), available at leading
bookstores. Contact her for workshops at www.yes2kollege.com.
