So many parents and teenagers fall into the traps independent college counselors set to sell their business as a foolproof way to get into good colleges. Today on Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You, we are here to discuss why that simply isn’t possible! There are no guarantees when it comes to college applications and focusing on what you think colleges may want instead of placing emphasis on the individual and what is best for them is hugely problematic. In this conversation, you’ll hear all about what irritates us about independent college counselors, what is missing in the college admission profession, and how we do things differently. We break down some of the problematic messaging these companies use before reminding listeners that families and teenagers have a choice when it comes to how they handle the college admissions process. We also discuss why candidacy building and having an application persona is simply marketing. Finally, we stress the importance of values and authenticity when helping adolescents develop into their adult selves. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to hear more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:01:25] Our irritation with companies taking advantage of the college admissions process.
• [0:04:20] The dangers of ignoring the individual and focusing on what colleges want alone.
• [0:08:12] What is missing in the college admission profession and why it’s problematic.
• [0:10:34] A breakdown of some of the problematic college admission messaging.
• [0:10:42] The benefits of competitive environments, even if you do not win.
• [0:13:14] How to make room for time-consuming sports that you love and other activities.
• [0:18:48] Why we shouldn’t expect teenagers to do meaningful research.
• [0:21:34] A reminder that families have a choice in how they approach this process.
• [0:26:00] Why candidacy building and creating an application persona is just marketing.
• [0:26:42] Dangers of approaching college applications like this and the importance of values.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You

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