Navigating College and Career Planning With Your Teen
Helpful Planning Guide for Parents and School Counselors
Parent involvement is essential in navigating the college and career planning process, whether your child is college-bound or vocation-bound.
Parental involvement has been cited in research as one of the most critical factors in fostering a college-bound and career-minded student.
As a parent, your role is crucial in helping your child navigate the complex and often overwhelming process of applying to and choosing a college. If college isn’t the right choice, many vocational options exist.
Vocational options fall into the following categories: medical services, emergency services, automotive, culinary arts, legal services, and skilled trades.
The first step in this process is encouraging your child to take an active role in decision-making. Ask your child about interests, goals, and preferences, and help them to research and consider different options that align with these.
As a school counselor, I have experienced the pressure students feel when trying to make the right choice, often becoming overwhelmed by studying for tests, exploring the options available, and thinking that their choice has to be a final career choice.
How many of us are still exploring our vocations?
Remember that this is a journey. Having a guide to help with the process can alleviate some of the pressure you and your child may feel.
In the schedule below, scaffolding ensures each quarter and each year has information that builds on the previous information. This active and ongoing involvement is essential, starting freshman year and continuing through senior year.
College and Career Planning for Parents
Parents need to provide support and guidance throughout the process. This may involve assisting with financial planning and decision-making, helping to gather necessary documents and materials, and providing encouragement and motivation.
It can also be helpful for parents to discuss their own experiences with higher education or vocational choices and share any insights or lessons learned.
It is also essential for parents to be realistic about their expectations and the limitations that may be present.
This may include financial constraints, academic considerations, or other factors that may impact the available options. By approaching the process with an open and honest mindset, parents can help their children make informed and well-rounded educational decisions.
School Counselor Role
College and career readiness planning are intrinsically rooted in the professional identity of school counselors. Not only do school counselors work with students on college readiness, but they also collaborate with all school staff, community members, stakeholders, and parents.
Parental involvement has been cited in research as one of the most critical factors in fostering a college-bound and career-minded student.
For example, family relationships and goal-setting behaviors may influence the vocational identity of adolescents (Hargrove, Inman, & Crane, 2005).
When working with parents for college and career readiness, it is essential to 1) have a variety of outreach services, 2) make sure parents know their role, and 3) provide parents with information to help them understand the college application process (NOSCA, 2010).
This process can be crucial for low-SES parents whose children have traditionally been underserved. What happens when students aren’t academically ready for college? What do school counselors do, then?
Outreach services must consider the students’ culture and diversity. Options include:
- Meet with parents in a small setting, like a round table meeting.
- Run workshops each quarter to inform parents of the steps in helping their high school student choose a college and become career ready.
- Teach parents how to use a financial aid calculator, college costs (housing and meals), goal planning, and making calendars.
- Provide career and financial aid fair information
- Run a Career Exploration Week.
- Provide an overview of the application process.
- Explore Vocational options
The goal is for parents to learn and understand more about college and career readiness.
Engaging Faculty and Administration
Implement creative activities to engage faculty and administration in the college and career planning process with parents.
For example, creating events such as “Career Exploration Week” would engage teachers, administrators, and local business members. Hold a career fair in the gymnasium with local businesses representing different careers.
Another activity that NOSCA (2010) suggests is to work with the school’s administration to provide workshops for school staff to learn how to write student recommendation letters. This not only engages all school members, but it ultimately benefits the students.
Another activity that can help engage school members is to have a sign-up volunteer sheet for faculty who would like to be part of the events that are listed above. A draw for teachers would be that they could engage with parents when sometimes this can be hard to do outside teacher conferences.
When to Reach Out to Parents
Working with parents to make a plan and build on it helps counselors engage with parents early on and learn about their ongoing needs and questions. Use the plan in the tables above to start this process!
According to Fitzpatrick and Constantini (2011), freshman year is an excellent time to engage parents through small group meetings to focus on study skills and early career planning.
Sophomore year meetings should focus on teaching parents how to help their child prepare for tests, learn about what tests are available, and create a college plan.
Parents of juniors and seniors can benefit from meetings about financial aid planning, group activities/trips to college campuses, and learning more about available scholarships. Parents of all grade levels can benefit from individual help and guidance if necessary.
Conclusion
Parents need to remember that while the college selection and application process is important, it is not the only factor in determining a student’s success. The most important thing is to support and encourage your child to pursue their passions and interests and provide the tools and resources necessary to thrive and succeed in whatever path they choose.
Not only is a parent’s role in college planning necessary, but school counselors are also essential resources when moving through this process. The best way for a child to succeed is when everyone works in collaboration with each other.
References
Fitzpatrick, C. & Costantini, K. (2011). Counseling 21st century students for optimal college and career readiness: A 9th — 12th grade curriculum. New York: Routledge.
Hargrove, B. K., Inman, A. G., & Crane, R. L. (2005). Family interaction patterns, career planning attitudes, and vocational identity of high school adolescents. Journal of Career Development, 31(4), 263–278.
National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA). (2010). Eight components for college and career readiness. New York, NY: College Board.
Schenck, P., Anctil, T., Smith, C. K. (2010). Career counseling identity of professional school counselors. Career Development, 16–17
I write about counseling and the healing power of the expressive arts to promote mental health and wellness.
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