Jeanie Grimm, College Consultant

In this season of Independence Day, we have been thinking about what it means to be  independent. For a country, revolution often goes hand in hand with independence. That is most definitely not what we are recommending:) For high school students, we are really talking about agency, meaning how you take ownership of your learning, education, choices, and future. We are here to help!

This is a great time to develop your own agency in a healthy and productive way. The operative word here will be curiosity. In our work together, we will encourage you to be curious: about your skills, interests, and future. This means intentional exploration, positive self-advocacy, a willingness to make mistakes and recover from them, and taking responsibility for your own path.

Our work is on the college search and application process, and our ultimate goal is for you to land somewhere that is a great fit and to then experience happiness and success. In our recent webinar series, we focused on wellness in college and noted the many dimensions of wellness in college: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, financial, environmental, and occupational. As we work through your college list and your writing, and guide you through your decisions, we encourage you to be present and fully engaged in the work now. Strength in agency and engagement pay off so well when you are in college, away from the paths you’ve travelled and support systems you’ve enjoyed for so long. How do you want your life in college to look? Working backwards from there, what choices can you make now that will get you there?

This form of independence takes on different forms for different students. You may not have much choice about which classes to take, but you have choice about how you manage your work in that class.. You may not have choice about what is for dinner on any given night, but you can participate in the planning and preparation. You may not have choice about the parts you get in shows or starting positions on your team or whether or not an employer hires you, but you have agency over your attitude and your effort.

That’s a good way to move forward through this process: with a great attitude and your best effort, making the very best choices you can, asking for and accepting help when you need it, and responding productively to the outcomes of your choices.

It’s an honor to guide students and their families through this journey!