Barrington Council for the Gifted and Talented

Last night I had the privilege to present my thoughts about the college search to the Barrington Council for the Gifted and Talented, a wonderful community group that provides social opportunities for students in our school district.  They host game nights, pizza parties, and meetings about practical matters throughout the school year.  Last night was their very first College Night, which drew a healthy audience of students, siblings, and parents.

Academically gifted students are an amazing bunch.  They see the world in a special way, and link people, things and ideas together in creative ways that solve problems.  I had the privilege of being educated at Hunter College High School, an intimately-sized high school that educates some of New York City's students who have academic gifts and talents.

Students identified as academically gifted and talented are more than just this identification.  We are individual people with our own passions, interests, strengths, and challenges.  But just like people with disabilities are not to be solely defined by their disabilities, people with academic gifts and talents should not be solely identified by their academic prowess.

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"When you showed us how the student has the most power over the whole college process, I felt an enormous burden lifted off of my shoulders."

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The first step in any college search is to really work on "knowing thyself."  What you like, what makes you tick, what others identify as your gifts.  Academic gifts are part of the equation.  But every student also has other gifts and interests that deserve as much (or more) attention in determining what to seek from college, and from life.  This is truly a joyful part of the "college process":  the opportunity to really reflect on the meaning of your life.

Talking to parents after the presentation, I was pleased to hear that they felt enormous relief when I pointed out that the student is the person who has control in the "college process."  The student has the power to decide which colleges have the privilege of receiving the student's application.  The student has the power to decide what under what conditions (early decision, early acceptance, regular acceptance, etc.) that the college may review the application.  The student has the power to decide which school with be blessed with the student's enrollment when the next school year begins.

Squelching this pervasive cultural fear is why I began working with college-bound students.  It breaks my heart to see students and families stressed out over misplaced fears.  Fears that their student is not good enough, fears that no schools are interested in receiving that student, fears that the college process is about measuring up to the mythical "college expectations."  These fears are all based in falsehoods.  I believe the college process is a time of self-evaluation, self-discovery, and the first steps in the student's life as a young adult.  I hope that you will consider engaging my services to assist your student through the college process.  I promise that it will be fun.