Load up on the life skills for college

Zipping my winter parka up to my nose and trekking gingerly down the icy hill to the Colgate University admission office, protectively hauling a binder full of data and anecdotal information on the first-year class. Always one of my favorite campus walks, in spite of the weather. Sharing stories about the newest Colgate class at the end of their first semester was a bright spot on those January days. Ten years later, I still miss it terribly. The admission staff enthusiastically welcoming me and wondering how certain students had fared. Had they admitted the right individuals? How would we know? What are the signs?

Fast forward to my current role directing a guidance and college counseling program at Manchester Essex Regional High School, where we jumped into a community discussion of Frank Bruni's book, Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be. Check it out. I recommend it to everyone who is concerned about the ridiculous frenzy around the college admission process. While preparing notes for our book program, it was a comment in Bruni's book by Dick Parsons, CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers, that lined up nicely with my own perspective on the transition to college. When asked about important life skills, Parsons shared, "The ability to relate to people. To be comfortable with risk. To manage ambiguity and to be resilient." Exactly. This sounded very familiar.

The main purpose of those winter meetings in the admission office was to discuss our newest students’ academic, personal, social, and disciplinary benchmarks. Reviewing the current first-year class was meaningful and often quite fun, but most of the staff had just completed a busy travel season, met hundreds of prospective students, and were already gearing up for the next crop. They were looking ahead and preparing for semi-hibernation with a stack of applications. That's when a senior staff member asked, "What should we be looking for in the next class?" Of course I had a couple of thoughts. Here is my actual "wish list" for the prospective Colgate Class of 2014: 

• Ability to manage oneself - advocate for oneself - speak up - seek help

• A developing sense of self with a willingness to explore new ideas

• Holding a part-time job - responsible to someone other than a parent 

• Resilient - able to handle surprises and the occasional obstacle

• Ability to communicate effectively and interpersonally with (older) adults 

• Information seekers - curious and adventurous - healthy risk taking

• Can manage and overcome some disappointment and/or discomfort

• A work ethic - understanding the value of effort even if it is not measured or graded or acknowledged

• Appreciates the value of "think time" and self-reflection - can pause as needed

• Looks for connections with academic and intellectual interests outside of the classroom

• Proactive and able to make things happen - positive and optimistic - steps up

A student's academic profile is paramount - rigor, content, and grades are the measuring sticks for evaluating an applicant's likelihood for undergraduate success. But I am also a firm believer that possessing and demonstrating many of the above life skills can help predict a student's ability to function, thrive, and persist in college. As high school juniors begin to carve out their post-secondary plans, including college applications, I hope they will pause and take inventory of their own personal toolkits and stock up on supplies as needed.

BAL

03.13.24