How to Know if Your Child Is Ready for College

It’s the $64,000 question. How do I know if college is the right decision for my child? Although ACT/SAT scores and grade point average is a fairly accurate gauge, there are other factors to consider.  Some students may be able to ace multiple choice tests, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have the time management or critical thinking skills that are vital in the college setting. I have seen both phenomenally brilliant students who were rarely challenged in high school fail college and remedial students who perform extremely well.  Most high schools fail to emphasize the intangible criteria for college. I argue that the intangibles may be as important, if not exceedingly more important, than the usual criteria required for college admissions. If your child does not possess these qualities, you don’t have to throw in the proverbial academic towel. Many of these qualities are learned responses.

1) Natural curiosity

Babies have an inherent curiosity that encourages them to interact with the world around them. Somewhere along the line, some individuals lose the desire to find out how the world works. If your child has a naturally curious nature that causes him or her to seek out answers to difficult questions, this is a good sign that he or she may stay engaged in classroom tasks. The purpose of college is to satisfy one’s intellectual curiosity. Curiosity is a prerequisite to research, which is a skill emphasized in all areas of study in college.

2) Ability to question

Questioning the status quo is not always a precursor to rebellion. Academe is built upon questioning the status quo. Where curiosity exists, questioning is bound to follow. Does your child accept every answer given or does your child want to know the “why” behind the occurrence? Either children are complacent in not asking questions to avoid thinking through difficult situations or the parent discourages questions to avoid the inevitable “I don’t know” answer. Questioning should never be handled as a taboo activity like using profanity or watching rated R movies. I understand some children use questioning as a means to disrespect or corner a parent. This is the not the type of questioning I am recommending. But do make a distinction between the two.

3) Ability to seek answers independently

It is also helpful even if you do know the answer to instruct your child to look for the answer on his or her own. A child who scoffs at finding answers independently will never seek outside resources to help him or her understand the course material or textbooks when the concepts are challenging.

4) Self-efficacy

How much confidence does your child exhibit when it comes to completing a task? Does she stop early in the process and exclaims that she is unable to do it? Does he repeatedly say that he isn’t good in a particular subject, because his brain just work that way? How a student views his or her ability to complete a set of tasks or an assignment on a consistent basis can impact future success if college. Sometimes, the words “I just can’t get it” really mean “I don’t like math and I’d rather do something else.” If a student lacks self-efficacy, college will be very overwhelming with its emphasis on deductive reasoning, accelerated pace to instruction, and fellow students who appear to understand what is going on in the classroom.

5) Relationship to reading

How does your child feel about reading? Reading is more than being able to sound out words. College requires critical reading about abstract principles in convoluted academic language (and there is a lot of it). To further complicate matters, students will be asked to regurgitate what they have read in papers, class discussions, exams, and assignments. Things to consider: your child’s reading level, the type of books your child reads, and reading frequency and speed. If your daughter consumes a steady diet of Twilight and Harry Potter in 11^th grade, a freshman-level biology book will be beyond her ability to comprehend. I suggest a steady diet of Shakespeare and poetry and save Twilight for weekend recreation.

6) Critical thinking

If you child does cannot think critically before entering college, the other qualities do not matter. Critical thinking means observing a phenomenon, dissecting ideas, making conclusions from evidence, and infer ideas from a text. Critical thinking is used to develop persuasive arguments, critique literature, and understand abstract concepts.  

7) Desire to attend college

When they were younger, we made them eat their vegetables, because we knew they could subsist on chicken fingers and pizza to the exclusion of important nutrients. It’s true that children do not always know what is good for them. However, your child is quickly transitioning into adulthood. You can emphasis a college education during their formative years, but it must be their decision to go. I cannot recall a single instance of a student going to college solely by their parents’ urging (or coercion) that ended well.  Motivation is key for successful college students. Take non-traditional students for example (students over the age of 25 attending college for the first time). They have discovered the value of learning and enter college of their own accord. Their approach to college is admirable as they juggle families and financial obligations with coursework. Your child needs to be motivated to attend college based on personal goals and interests not your goals and interests.

As a side note, if your child is academically strong, many colleges may allow your child to take a course or two. It’s called dual-enrollment. School systems and community colleges develop a way for high school students to take freshman-level courses for high school credit, and those same credits will transfer when the student begins college. If dual-enrollment is not an available option, contact the local college to see if they have any type of outreach program that provides access to college instruction. These programs often occur during the summer. It is a good way for your child to “try” college first before they incur debt from student loans for a degree they never finished.