One of the challenges of advising high school sophomores is that adults can see what’s coming, yet students often can’t.
Parents know that during junior year, students likely will contend with standardized testing like taking the SAT or ACT, increasingly consequential academic decisions, college research, summer planning, in preparation for college applications. Understandably, thinking ahead parents can have the impulse to get ahead.
But human development doesn’t always respond to acceleration. And, Sophomores often are asserting more independence of thinking, earning their driver’s licenses, seeking to hang out more with friends than families. So, parents’ counsel may be muted.
A sophomore may still be figuring out:
- What am I interested in when nobody tells me to be interested?
- Which activities actually matter to me?
- How much challenge can I manage?
- What do I do when I’m not immediately successful?
- How do I make decisions when my parents and I see things differently?
- When should I take initiative rather than wait for someone else?
Such self-reflection isn’t distraction from college preparation, but essential to prepare for life as a college student and emerging adult. Thus, Sophomores have the opportunity to experiment while the stakes are still relatively low, and then reflect on what is revealed as a result of more experience.
The objective isn’t to manufacture a future applicant as early as possible. It’s to help a young person gradually become capable of making increasingly thoughtful decisions about their own education and their lives.
Creative Marbles Consultancy helps students and families navigate college admissions as part of a larger developmental journey. Since 2003, we have guided students to reflect on their experiences, develop greater self-understanding and judgment, and take increasing ownership of their educational choices. Rather than treating admission as the destination, we help students better understand how attending college might support who they are becoming. Contact us for more details.
