Heading to College with “Clarity and Confidence”

Clarity and confidence – from the genesis of At The Core, we’ve used this phrase to describe the feeling we want our kids to have at the end of high school. Heading to college with “clarity and confidence” is the foundation for all we do.

The words “confidence and clarity” resonate with many parents. At a recent university information session I attended, the speaker shared that “undecided” was the largest major on campus – and many parents’ faces drained of all blood. They looked horrified. Why? It’s tied to the feeling of risk and the desire for our kids to feel confident and clear!

If my kiddo enters college without an idea of why they are there, of what they want to study, of what kinds of work they would enjoy, then how will they figure it out? What magic thing will happen in college? What if they don’t figure it out? Will being undecided cause them to be in college longer than 4 years? We won’t be near them to help. Crossing our fingers and hoping has never felt like a good strategy to most parents.

What can a family do right now to take action?

In our experience with so many teens and families, the key to having confident and clear decisions at the end of high school is evaluating one’s past experiences–strengths, struggles, interests, preferences. “When I did that, what did I learn about myself? How did I feel about that experience?”

Getting this info from your own teen can be, ahem, a little challenging. 😊 That’s why we have been honored to help, using the tools and resources of our Guided Self Assessment process for grades 10 & up. We do the interviewing, the probing and clarifying, the analysis, etc. Your child gets the room/time/space to think, to make connections, to be honest (maybe for the first time) about what’s important to them and what they enjoy and feel good at doing.

Many parents tell us that they needed this support when they were a teen. But it was different “back then.” If we changed our major a few times or spent an extra year in college, the impact was nowhere near what it is today.

But beyond the cost, we go back to that feeling of confidence and clarity. How can your child create a firm foundation they can stand on as they enter their higher education experience? And that’s what we want for EVERY student at the end of high school…that feeling of “I know what direction I am heading in…and why.”

Take a moment to read about Guided Self Assessment and register for a free family meeting just to learn what it is all about. We’re not salespeople…so no yucky sales pressure. We just want you and your child to understand the process.

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