Today we will explore what your options are and what to consider when deciding with your teen what college to choose.
The emotional twists and turns of the college admissions process can feel like being on a rollercoaster. But today I open the door to having a candid conversation between parents and teens, spotlighting the impact of societal pressures and the heavy hand of social media.
We talk about:
Through personal anecdotes and a dive into the essence of what truly makes a "right school," we challenge the status quo and reframe success beyond prestigious names.
As we explore the heartfelt considerations families must face when selecting a college, prepare to find a relief of pressure.
Join us as we embrace the educational adventure, reassuring you that the path to success is as unique as each student who walks it.
Episodes mentioned:
47. [Career Exploration] Computational Engineer at the University of Texas (UT Austin) + Exploring going to college in a field underrepresented by women with Niccole Riera
52. Maximizing Financial Aid: FAFSA Updates, Scholarship Strategies, and Money-Saving Tips w/the College Funding Queen
42.Deciding between community college and a four-year university: An In-Depth Look at the Decision-Making Process
Connect with Sonia Cacique
LinkedIn
Instagram
JOIN OUR CAREER NEWSLETTER here.
🚀 I'll help you rediscover who you truly are, provide clarity towards your future and be your personalized coach with Multiple Service Package options. Your Coach Sonia is ready to help you!
"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"
Today we will explore what your options are and what to consider when deciding with your teen what college to choose.
The emotional twists and turns of the college admissions process can feel like being on a rollercoaster. But today I open the door to having a candid conversation between parents and teens, spotlighting the impact of societal pressures and the heavy hand of social media.
We talk about:
Through personal anecdotes and a dive into the essence of what truly makes a "right school," we challenge the status quo and reframe success beyond prestigious names.
As we explore the heartfelt considerations families must face when selecting a college, prepare to find a relief of pressure.
Join us as we embrace the educational adventure, reassuring you that the path to success is as unique as each student who walks it.
Episodes mentioned:
47. [Career Exploration] Computational Engineer at the University of Texas (UT Austin) + Exploring going to college in a field underrepresented by women with Niccole Riera
52. Maximizing Financial Aid: FAFSA Updates, Scholarship Strategies, and Money-Saving Tips w/the College Funding Queen
42.Deciding between community college and a four-year university: An In-Depth Look at the Decision-Making Process
Connect with Sonia Cacique
LinkedIn
Instagram
JOIN OUR CAREER NEWSLETTER here.
🚀 I'll help you rediscover who you truly are, provide clarity towards your future and be your personalized coach with Multiple Service Package options. Your Coach Sonia is ready to help you!
"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"
Are you and your teen still deciding what college they will be going to? Have you started to receive college acceptance letters, or has your child received a rejection letter to their top college choice? Well, today I will help bring clarity to these many questions and help you decide what to do next. Welcome to college and career ready. You go to resource for all things related to helping you guide your growing teen towards a career path that motivates them. I'm your coach, sonia Casique, founder of Discover you, and I will be your host and guide on this exciting journey towards a bright future.
Speaker 1:My mission is simple to empower our parents and students by elevating their confidence and resourcefulness. I believe that you deserve all the tools and support necessary to open the doors to endless opportunities of success and, with our community, you don't have to do this alone, so come with me and let's get started. Welcome, sweet friend. Welcome to all of our parent listeners. This is your space where we get to empower you and your teen during the college and career ready journey. Wherever you are listening to us from, thank you. I hope you're enjoying either a cup of tea, walking, driving or maybe cleaning your home as you're listening to us. Thank you, it means so much to me that you are spending your time, your valuable time, here with me and, by the way, if you have given this podcast a review, I want to say thank you. I received another review this past weekend and I was so excited to see others, just like yourself, take a minute to support this podcast by posting a review. All right, sweet friends, I'm ready to dive into today's topic.
Speaker 1:This can be a very stressful time for parents and teens waiting for those acceptance letters, which actually, as you know, have been a little bit delayed this year because of the FAFSA changes that took place at the end of this past year. I know some of you are probably still waiting, so just be patient. I'm sure they're coming, no matter where you or your teen are in the process. I want to give you a pat on the back, because going through the college application journey can be exhausting and tiring, not to mention the pressure that's out there when you start seeing so many parents especially our parents posting on their social media about their child's acceptance to X, y and Z school or X, y and Z college. And listen, I'm not here to judge either way, but sometimes I feel like it seems like the parent has been the one who has been in school for 12 years preparing themselves for this one day. Now I get it. There is a lot of positive sentiment and good feelings when your child gets accepted to their top tier university. But, oh, my friend, I just think about these so many other parents that are still waiting and are sometimes being pressured by society and social media about what their child should or should not be doing at this point. And I don't mean it in a bad way. It's just that I think parents who are struggling right now with their teen trying to make the choice of which school can see these posts and just feel overwhelmed. Parents and teens are already going through so much pressure from academic pressure, unrealistic expectations on achievement, social media and the pressure for perfectionism and that is a whole episode on itself. There's so, so much pressure out there to go to the right school, and I wonder what's a right school mean? Is it the right school for the parents or is it the right school for the student? So that is what got me thinking in ear to talk about this topic today.
Speaker 1:There are many different types of scenarios that could be playing out for you and your teen right now. So let's walk through each one one by one. Let's start off with the non-acceptance letters or wait list. Getting a letter of rejection can be so hard on your teens, especially if it's to their top tier university of choice. And before you tell your teen that they can just reapply next year or that they have options, just sit with them in the feeling for a bit. Acknowledge how they feel with words like oh boy, son, that sure is tough. Or I'm sorry you're going through this. Maybe you can even say something like I can see how this makes you feel. This sure stings. Or sometimes you might just need to be physically present with them in silence. Sometimes that's good enough. Let them know that you are there by just being there. Don't start offering options and alternatives. I know I'm guilty of that. Just let them go through the emotional process that happens with any loss, because it does feel like a loss to them.
Speaker 1:When they are ready, you can ask how you can support them. Try not to say well, I think you should do this. I think you should do that because now you're turning it around to talk about yourself rather than talking about them. So instead, ask what you can do for them. Hey son, what can I do to help you in this process? What can I do to support you? Ouch, this stings. I can understand how frustrated and upset you are. What can I do for you? In the right time they will be ready to seek out other options. But they need time. They need time to just sit with this feeling first. Once they are ready, then you can speak about alternatives of what to do next. Remember, they can always have a time to reapply at another time, but right now is the opportunity to seek the options of today.
Speaker 1:If your teen is on a wait list, that always means there is a possibility that they will be accepted Now. It doesn't mean that you should hold your expectations to this, but I have seen it happen. As a matter of fact, I had a student at UT Austin who was on the wait list and was accepted last minute, which she quickly switched her plans when that happened so she could go to her first choice, which happened to be UT Austin. She wanted to go to the engineering program and she's currently a computational engineer at UT and soon to graduate. So I know back then it must have seemed pretty difficult to receive the news of a wait list, but then it ended up being in her favor because she got accepted. She was actually here on the College and Career Ready podcast on episode number 47. So you can check that episode out. I'll make sure to have the link in the show notes. Okay, and now we are down to the acceptance letters.
Speaker 1:There are things to consider when helping your teen make a decision Academics or major of interest, campus life, location and financials. All right, let's address academics. Academics should be a top consideration when selecting a college. It's not just about the prestige of the institution. It's about the quality of the education you'll receive, based on your college majors you are considering. You want to ensure that the college you choose, or that your child chooses, provides the resources, the faculty expertise and academic opportunities necessary for their personal and professional growth. Find a college that aligns with your teen's academic interests and goals, whether they are passionate about STEM fields, the humanities or the arts. You want to choose a college that offers a strong program in their area of interest. Notice, I say area of interest.
Speaker 1:I'm a strong believer of just having that door slightly open for other opportunities or possibilities, because your child is still in a discovery mode. They're still trying to discover who they are and what career aligns with them more personally. Also, consider what type of setting they work best in, whether it's group work, individual work, large classes, small class, with direct access to the professors. All of these are questions that you should be exploring together. There isn't a college that is a fit for all. Trust me. If there was, everybody would be applying to it. Find what is best for them. Walk them through this journey of learning and self-exploration. What type of academic setting works best for them? These are questions that you want to be asking them so they can start exploring these options as well and pick a campus that suits them better. Campus life is also something that they should consider and that you should be discussing with them. Things to consider in campus life are the extracurricular activities, social groups, student organizations. All of these are things to consider when selecting their college. And let's not forget about the importance of evaluating the academic resources and support services available to them as a student, from research opportunities to mentorship programs to study abroad options. These resources can enrich their college experience and help them reach their full potential Socially. Determine what campus will have the resources needed for their personal growth.
Speaker 1:I hope you take advantage of virtual tours or in-person tours. I am a strong and big believer on visiting the campus, getting a feel for it, so if you were or are able to attend in person, I highly recommend this. And, although not scientifically proven, I really do believe in that gut feeling. So I'll share with you a little story. My children were zoned to a school that, let's just say, didn't give me the best vibes, to say the least, and I decided to take a tour and have them go with me to our neighboring school campus and see how they felt about it. I had heard really good reviews about that campus and we attended to the one we were zoned to as well as the one that we were considering, and immediately upon walking into the campus, we just had that gut feeling that this was the best choice, and that's what we did. We decided to request for a transfer, which we know we got accepted, and we have not looked back. That gut feeling did not fail us. Going into the school and getting the feel for the administration, the teachers there really helped us decide that that was the best choice for us, and that's what I recommend you and your team do as well, if you all have not visited the campus, take this opportunity to do so. That might help you make that decision.
Speaker 1:The next thing I think you should consider is location. Which campus has the best location for your child? Do you think your teen is better suited in a campus that's a little closer to you? Do you think they might suffer from separation, anxiety or some other issues that you feel that having close proximity might be an advantage? Think about the location of where the campus is and what they have access to and what you feel that would work best with them, and ask them as well. This is something that I don't think a lot of people think about, but it's very important for them to feel like that's going to be their next home for the next four years. And lastly and most importantly in my opinion, go with the college that works best for you and your family financially. You might have to have a sit down conversation with your teen if their top choice is not financially feasible. Do not put yourself or themselves in a financial crisis, thinking you do not have options because you do, I promise I have interviewed plenty of individuals whose success was attributed to the networking, the skill building, the experiential learning opportunities that they had while in college, and it wasn't always just because of the school's name.
Speaker 1:You will just have to trust me on this one If it does a child no good to go to a named school just for the sake of thinking that going there will automatically lead them to success. I actually met someone this weekend whose nephew had gone to a top tier engineering program and is now working in commercial real estate. I wonder, could he have ended in commercial real estate through a different route? What other options could he have considered? Because I'm pretty sure he didn't go to engineering school to be a commercial real estate agent. Okay, so again, I'm just saying a name school will not necessarily mean automatic success in that field, because guess what, maybe this particular person went through the engineering program and realized that's not where their passion was, and then they switched. I'm just saying if they would have gone to another school, maybe with a lower cost, they could have still ended up in their ideal career of commercial real estate.
Speaker 1:Just think outside the box for a second, my friend, and don't make choices based on societal pressure putting upon you and your family and putting you in a financial distress, one that you won't be able to get out of in years. Now, if you feel that financially it is a good choice and you can sacrifice for a few years and absolutely do what is best for your family, I'm just saying that you should not make a choice because you feel that you do not have any other options. Remind your team that they can always reapply if it's set in their heart that they want to go there, but financially let them know that it's just not feasible right now. At the end of the day, your degree will have the name of the school that you attended when you graduate, not the school that you started with. If you want to listen to some tips on college selection based on financial considerations, check out episode number 52. I'll have the link in our show notes. My goal, my friend, is to relieve you and your team of the stress that this one decision can make you or break you. Whatever you decide, that will be okay. Whatever you decide today, no, you can still have options tomorrow. This is just a first step.
Speaker 1:There is so much to consider when discussing what your team's career future could look like. I also talked about community college as an option and how to decide between going community college route or a four-year university route In episode number 42, I'll have that link in our show notes so you can check it out as well. Trust me, I have seen and interacted with so many successful professionals within their industry or within their field that got to where they are through various paths. Your child's path does not have to look exactly the same or, honestly, doesn't have to look like anyone else's either. Their success can be achieved by many ways, not just in your college decision. Remember it's what they do in college, not where they go to college, that, at the end of the day, will matter the most. There is so much more to this puzzle to consider and so many things that you and your team have control of and that might be in your favor if you just look beyond what is right in front of you.
Speaker 1:I hope this episode has relieved you of stress and anxiety. Do what's best for you and your family, have open conversations with your team and decide what is best, not only academically but based on their major of interest campus life, extracurricular activities, social groups, location and financials. Take a minute to ask yourself what are you afraid of? That can help you clear out of any fear or anxiety. Know that it will all be okay. If you look confident and reassured, your team will feel it as well.
Speaker 1:To close out this episode, I want to leave you with this quote, my friend, from Barbara Haynes Howett Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, she became a butterfly. So take some time today or tomorrow to have an open conversation with your team. Remember connection before direction. Take a minute to enjoy their presence, communicate with them and then begin the conversation about what's next. You got this All right, my sweet friend.
Speaker 1:I hope you enjoyed this episode. Feel free to reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram and send me a message if you have any question or if there's anything I can do to service you. Stay well, my sweet friend, be present and enjoy the journey. I'll talk to you next week. Hi friend, thank you for listening in. If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much to me. If you share it with a friend, share it with them right now or, even better, tag me so I can personally thank you for helping us build our community. I'm so thankful for each and every one of you. Let's keep in touch and I'll talk to you next week. Adios.