Do you have a teen who’s just beginning to explore college and career options? Is your teen considering going to college but is unsure about their major? Does your child struggle with making plans for college, and you’re unsure about how to help?
Recently, educational consultant and speaker Laurie Genevish of My Ideal College joined me for another Dynamis Learning Academy Facebook Live to talk about picking a college where your child will thrive. Laurie works with parents and students to navigate the process of preparing for and choosing the right college. With her experience and extensive research on colleges, Laurie helps students with choosing a major, career path, internships, and college that will be a good fit for them.
In our recent blog, we talked about the importance of planning for college early, ideally in the 8th grade. At that age, kids are getting acquainted with PACT and PSAT testing requirements and the testing format. Getting those scores up is crucial as they prepare for college admission applications. It is also the time when students are beginning to explore their interests and different career paths.
According to Laurie, it’s important to sit down with your teen and find out what their thinking regarding plans after high school graduation. She said that it is key that parents plant those seeds early to avoid any friction or arguing when the student is older.
If the teen says that they are interested in attending college, Laurie suggests asking them questions like:
- Why do they want to go to college?
- Which colleges are they considering?
- What major are they interested in?
She went on to say that if college isn’t a good fit, perhaps a trade school would be a better option. If they are considering a trade school, Laurie suggests asking them the following questions:
- What trade are they interested in?
- Will they enjoy the trade?
- What are the chances of getting a job in that trade?
She said that you want to set them up for success by being prepared and an important part of that preparation is deciding on a major. Laurie said that going into freshman year, it’s important that the teen has a good idea of what they want to major in or have at least two possible majors, rather than going in undecided. She referred to a study that showed that 2/3 of college graduates struggle to launch their career. However, one third that didn’t struggle knew their major going in—that it was the right fit—and they had an internship. Laurie also mentioned that going into freshman year undecided, students miss out on a lot of opportunities like internships and networking opportunities that can propel the student’s career.
It was through her own struggle to find the right career path that Laurie discovered the benefits of career counseling. In the Facebook Live above, she recounted her own college experience of how she went in undecided and ended up switching her major. Even after she graduated, she still didn’t know what she wanted to do. When she was 24 years old, she was living at home with a college degree and still was without direction. Seeing her grapple with not knowing what she wanted to do with her life, her dad suggested that she see a career counselor.
It was after having career counseling that Laurie’s life’s trajectory changed, and she began to thrive. 
Now, Laurie draws on her own experience and research when she works with students, applying what she’s learned to help kids get the tools and resources they need to identify what they want to do and what schools would be a good fit, taking a teen from not knowing what they want to do to having a very clear idea of what they want to do.
At Dynamis Learning Academy, we can work with your child in the areas of college admission application, essay writing, and ACT and SAT preparation through our partnerships. If your child is struggling with low ACT or SAT test scores or time management while taking the test, we have designed a program to address those needs. We can also assess and identify gaps in a student’s learning and address those areas with our qualified tutors.
We, at Dynamis Learning Academy, are here to help your teen prepare for college admission. Contact owner Helen Panos at helen@dynamislearningacademy.com or at 770-282-9931 to schedule a free consultation about the SAT/ACT Prep, college admission essay writing, or any other area of concern.
Helen is an expert educator with over 25 years of years of experience. She believes in the importance of helping children reach their potential and become well-rounded, intelligent citizens with a positive influence and impact on society. Helen assists parents in accessing the best skills, strategies, tools, and resources to help children be successful and ultimately excel in the world.