Readiness the Key to Success in College, Career

The transition from high school to college and career can be daunting. The maze of college applications, securing financial assistance and the overall mental preparedness for higher learning and so called "real life" can prove overwhelming. 

However, considering the instability of the current and impending job market and the competitive expectations of college admissions offices, it's essential to be astute and prepared. And, the earlier that preparation begins, the better. Education officials suggest an aggressive approach to life after high school, which involves heavy research, initiative and forward thinking.

Several websites offer high school students preparatory information, including, www.collegeboard.com, www.fastweb.com, and www.petersons.com. The latter offers test preparation and scholarship search assistance, as well career college options for students looking to transition more quickly into the workforce.

Young people should dutifully prepare for either avenue, educators say.

"The student should really begin to prepare for college in middle school (eighth grade) but theoretically when the student enters ninth grade, those class credits and grades begin to calculate the formal GPA and credits earned," said Melinda N. Gainer, an assistant director of admission at Hampton University, in Hampton, Va. "By 10th grade the student should have taken a PSAT or should be involved in prep courses readying them for standardized college testing."

Gainer, HU's coordinator of campus visitation and special events, including the university's annual High School Day, is also an adjunct professor in the HU Scripps Howard School of Journalism. When college professors and employers were surveyed a few years ago by the policy research group Achieve, about how well prepared high school graduates are for college and work, 70 percent of professors (and 41 percent of employers) said students' inability to read and understand complicated material is a serious deficiency, according to an August 2010 article by Carol Frey on the U.S. News and World Report website.

Even in the right college prep classes, students must push themselves to develop critical-thinking skills. Work on reading and understanding—early and often, experts advise. Gainer suggests high school counselors assist students in their class selection so students are taking college bound courses. They can offer SAT/ACT prep and other workshops, she said.

Extending counselors' reach even further, rankings are giving new credence to their opinions about colleges. In the 2011 edition of the Best Colleges rankings, public school counselor ratings are used as part of the academic reputation measure for national universities and liberal arts colleges, along with ratings by college admissions deans, provosts, and presidents, according to the article, "Methodology: College Choices by High School Counselors," on the U.S News and World Report website.

"A high school guidance counselor can invite colleges and universities to their schools to meet with students and discuss criteria and opportunities," said Gainer. "They can plan campus tours of local universities where high school students have the opportunity to interact with college students."

Still, students need to be armed with initiative and a plan, and be willing to ask for help mapping out their educational and career pathway. 

 "Again," Gainer said, "this aggressive approach should start with the ninth grade counselor."

Editorial provided by Leha Byrd, MA, Public Relations Specialist, Hampton University.