I hear a lot of students and families talk about their students “going” to college, but going to college is not enough. Getting into college is an enormous accomplishment, but it is only the first step in a much longer journey. Instead, we need to talk about “graduating” from college. Focusing on “going” to college frames college acceptance as the reward for working hard in high school. While your child’s preparation in high school qualifies them for the college race, it’s not the race itself. To graduate from college your child is going to need to stay academically on top of their game until they finally cross that finish line. This doesn’t mean they can’t make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone struggles at some point in college. However, how you, your child, and your child’s school respond to these struggles and what steps you take to ensure they get back on track are what really count.

Talk to your child’s school (or school’s parent organization) about ordering a class set or grade-level set of Decoding College before you child’s senior year. Parent organizations are a great avenue to involve parents in the college search and application process. If your parent organization orders a class set (25+) I will be happy to provide the group with lesson plans parents can use on their own or in a group. If your parent organization orders a grade-level set (60+) I would be happy to provide an audio book for use at home, or during parent group meetings.

Be sure to contact Kallie Clark at kalliec@uchicago.edu if your organization has ordered a class set or grade-level set to request lesson plans or an audio book.