College is an exciting time for high school students. Finding the right college and going through the admissions process can be daunting. Deciding on the right field of study for a successful career is another challenge. The transition to college is something that all students, and especially gifted students, need assistance with in planning and making their application acceptable. They also need help in navigating to the right courses of study. And they need help in self-advocating and communicating in a strange environment.
Gifted students have unique characteristics that parents and educators should be aware of because these will affect how the students approach college selection. They may fear an unknown environment or fear failure, feel a sense of pressure, have a learning disability or some other trait that will color their view of college.
Gifted students have acute sensibilities and can be influenced by the suggestions of parents and educators. Students should be involved in all decision-making. Parents should make sure it is their child’s decision on what college is right for him or her. Empower your child to take an active role in deciding on his or her future.
Gifted children may not have been academically challenged in their high schools and will not be prepared necessarily for the competition from other gifted students in college. Teach your child that the focus in college should not be on getting high grades but on learning.
College-level learning will require self-discipline and research skills. It will require a level of maturity, focus, independence, and commitment. Gifted students have a natural curiosity for knowledge but may lack the organizational skills or time management skills needed. Parents and educators should be aware of higher-level skill sets that colleges require and monitor the development of gifted children and teens to make sure they proceed along those lines.
How Parents Can Help
Gifted students will have a better transition to college if they have an adequate mastery of basic life skills. These range from managing sleep and diet to handling money, shopping, clothing, and laundry Parents can help their children be independent on campus.
Being assigned chores around the house or being given chances to handle money or help plan family events can prepare young people for college life.
Parents can also help their children understand their emotions and help them learn how to be comfortable in social situations. They will make new friends and find themselves in different groups and classes with strangers. They may have roommates, and parents can introduce them to try to reduce any associated anxiety.
Parents can discuss how their children can stay connected with the family and how they can communicate as often as they need to. The students may become lonely and homesick, especially in the first year of college. Knowing they have access to family and friends will also lower anxiety levels.
How High Schools Can Help
High school educators can help their graduates with college transition by informing them of admission requirements and support services that colleges offer like disability services, academic, computer-based, and writing services.
The schools can make sure all college-required documents are prepared and ready to send including transcripts and application documents as well as test scores like SATs.
Teachers and other school officials can write letters of recommendation for graduates to reflect their strength of character, leadership qualities, academic achievements, community involvement, and extracurricular activities to support their admission efforts.
How Colleges Can Help
Colleges can help with transitions by providing outreach links to high schools so students are aware of their academic environments. They can disseminate information on required preparation for admission. They can offer campus visits and orientation programs as well as guides for campus living.
Colleges can offer orientation programs for students with learning disabilities and offer reasonable academic adjustments by faculty and administration. They can help teach students how to advocate for themselves, provide a safe environment, and offer a wide range of support services.
The goal of college assistance is to help transition a gifted student with or without learning disabilities to become a confident, independent, and self-directed individual in pursuit of a career goal.
What Are Colleges Looking For?
Do colleges look for straight-A students? Do they look for students with a lot of extracurricular activities? Do they look for leadership traits? Do they look for volunteer experience?
Actually, most colleges do not look for straight-A students. They look for students who have done reasonably well in rigorous coursework, rather than getting high grades in easy courses. Doing well in honors courses or advanced placement courses will count more than a 4.0 GPA in standard courses. They look for depth and balance and consistency.
Colleges do not look for students with a heavy dose of extracurricular activities because they feel that same involvement at the college level may risk a decline in academic achievement.
Colleges prefer to see a moderate level of active lifestyle and focused energy. They look for students who have pursued three or four activities related to his or her potential college major or area of interest. A combination of academic achievement and focused activities shows a more well-rounded and mature student.
There is one more area of interest to colleges. And that is character. Good academics and relevant extracurriculars are important. So is character. This can be reflected through recommendations from teachers and school officials or community leaders. It can be revealed somewhat through interviews.
What the college is looking for are students with the potential for leadership and the qualities that reveal a sense of ethics and show a chance of overall success in college. Documentation that can support strong character can be invaluable in helping gifted students be admitted to an attractive college.
Finding the Right Collage
You want your gifted child to go to a prestigious college or university. But the realities of college acceptance may dictate otherwise. Prepare your student for the possibility that his or her first choice – or first many choices – may not be available. But this is not all bad.
According to recent statistics, 440,000 gifted students in the U.S. applied for about 13,800 openings in eight Ivy League schools. That is about 3% of students who applied who were actually admitted.
There are many other colleges and universities with high-quality programs, and many of them cater to gifted and talented students. Your child should not be frustrated by having to choose a school lower on the list. The chances of career success are still very high.
If you have provided your child with basic life skills, and his or her high school provided opportunities for intellectual and emotional development, the transition to college should be a manageable affair. Supporting a gifted student takes a village, and you as a parent remains the mayor of that village.