Do What You Love
by Lynn Scully
In her columns, Lynn Scully offers practical tips and advice to parents and students of high school age who are planning for their future career or education.
The common rumor: Be involved in as many clubs, activities, community service organizations and sports as you possibly can to put on your College application.
The truth: Do what you love, you will do it well, and a college admissions board will be impressed. Or, it they are not impressed, perhaps it is because their school does not have the facilities that will allow you to continue to nurture your talents, in which case that particular school is not the one for you.
Being involved is important during the high school years. You will feel connected, you will be giving back to the community, you will be broadening your interests, and you will be developing your talents. But if you are involved only to impress a college admissions board, you are missing the point. And, most admission boards are not impressed by a full and varied schedule. Colleges look to educate and help a student further develop a specific skill or talent. A college application that boasts of 5 activities in your junior year, yet reveals that you quit the Jazz band after having participated from grade 6 to grade 10 may confuse an admissions officer rather than impress him. He may be left wondering what happened to your music passion. Why didn’t you stay in Jazz band? If there is a good reason for quitting music, include it on your application. Your passion is defined as whatever you love to do (e.g., music, athletics, debating, community service, working with children, art, computer work). Your activities should reflect your passion and your dedication to that passion.
Expertise is often measured by dedication. Consider your doctor. You want a qualified, dedicated, informed practitioner who is constantly updating his skills. Sitting in his office, you feel confident when observing the stacks of dog-eared medical journals and periodicals. To hear him speak of his garden, just after quoting from the New England Journal of Medicine, would make him seem more down to earth and accessible, but not to the point of being like you, the patient. But an instinctive red flag may go up if you find your doctor skis, gardens, chairs three boards, is rarely available for phone calls due to outside events, and has his office packed with popular magazines. Correctly or not, his lack of focus might make you doubt his skills and question your choice to entrust your health to him.
College admissions officials understand that devotion to a passion may prohibit or limit time spent on other pursuits. Rather than seeing this as a weakness, it will be viewed as maturity and dedication. So do what you love to do. You will do it well and will impress through your developed skills and dedication. After all, it is your life; beyond your necessary academic work, focus on what gives you the most pleasure and develop your skills. If getting into college is all about filling up a resume of activities that don’t interest you, why would you want to go there anyway? Do what makes sense. Devote your free time to doing what you want to do. Try new things. Stop those activities that no longer interest you. Be involved and have fun. In high school, as it will continue to be throughout life, there are enough things that you must do without making your extra curricular activities a burden. Learn now to use your free time to refresh yourself, develop those talents you cherish, pursue the activities which bring you the most happiness-success will follow.
My child has no idea what he wants to do, where he wants to go, and I don’t know where to start.
Just start. You have to show your child what’s out there before he can realize what he wants. Most 16 year olds have no idea what they want from their future. Start touring campuses now to get an idea of what appeals. Any campus is a good start. Take time to leisurely walk through the town surrounding a campus. Meet a few staff and professors-not as part of a tour, but in passing. Attend an event: a concert, sporting event or lecture. If your situation allows, encourage your child to take a short road trip with friends to look on their own.
Although they may be uncertain about their goals, or not even thoughtful about what comes next, most 16 years olds know their preferences well enough to like or dislike a place pretty quickly, and that is a good place to start. Listen openly. Don’t try to convince. It is not your job, at this point, to “sell” any particular school.
Next, narrow down the options. How far away is too far? Determine a distance that is acceptable to both you and your child. Determine the academic courses available at each school to see if any match the student’s established academic preferences. Previously unrecognized interests may be sparked by merely seeing the wealth of majors available. And, since about 75% of students change their course of study, consider the curriculum to ensure that those classes which traditionally appealed to your child are offered so that changing majors will not entail changing schools. For instance, a liberal arts school may not be the best choice for a strong science student, even if everything else is a good fit. Determine a reasonable cost range. Scholarships are out there, will your child qualify for aid? Be hopeful, but realistic.
The maturity that occurs between from age 16 to age18 can be enormous. The unsure or uninterested 16 year old may be a focused and eager participant in the college admissions process a year from now. Initiate the process now to introduce him to the options and opportunities available. Then, when the time comes to decide the next step, it can be done with confidence.
About the author:
Lynn Scully has been tutoring and guiding High School students through their college admission process for the last 17 years. She is author of the get IT (Independent Tutoral) SAT Program. You may email her with questions for consideration to be answered in a future column at lynn@getsatprep.com.
http://www.getsatprep.com © 2005 Lynn Scully, LLC
