When young people are surveyed about the value of college, they get it. Overwhelming numbers realize that higher education is the path of the future for higher earnings and job opportunity. Studies reinforce the increasing need for a degree, the limitations of a high school diploma, and the pay boost of college, and the public agrees in polls.
And as much as teenagers may grouse about tough classes in high school, many realize it’s essential to be challenged if they are going to make it in college. This fall, the College Board released the findings of a survey of students taken one year after they graduated from high school. It showed that many wish they had been better prepared for college and, looking back, regretted not taking more math, science, and writing-intensive coursework in high school.
Getting ready for college is about more than rigor, it’s about finding a path and a passion. It makes sense that students who are pursuing a field of study that excites them and have a concrete goal are more likely to succeed. Indeed, research of community college students shows that those who declare a major field of study early have a better chance of graduating.
Today at 2 p.m., I will moderate a live chat to discuss ways to improve college readiness in high school. The guests will be Peter Kauffmann, vice president of communications at the College Board, to discuss findings of the student-voice survey, and Steve Schneider, a counselor at Sheboygan South High School and secondary-level vice president of the American School Counselor Association, who will share his perspective from the ground working with students’ career planning.
This is an interactive (free) event, and we welcome your thoughts. The chat site is open for questions now. Click here to post something or to join the event. Hope you can join us this afternoon for what promises to be an interesting exchange of ideas on this important topic.
(No special equipment other than Internet access is needed to participate in any of our text-based chats.)