CHS counselor Missy Herskowitz believes there is no one right path for after high school. Whether it’s entering the workforce, taking a gap year or enrolling in a college, the possibilities are endless.
According to Herskowitz, junior year marks the time when it’s best to start considering post graduation plans. While making these plans can be exciting, it can also be very overwhelming and stress-inducing, as it is one of the first major life decisions many students have to make.
“By junior year, you’ve been in school for twelve years, and you’re starting to get to the end,” Herskowitz said. “It’s an important time to at least start considering your options.”
When considering post-secondary options, Herskowitz advises students to have an open mindset.
“When we start the process of thinking about college or other post-secondary plans, it’s important to first take a breath,” Herskowitz advised. “There are a lot of options of schools and programs out there, so it’s important that kids keep an open mind and don’t fixate too much on any one particular place or thing. It’s important that we don’t get focused on any one thing because then you can lose sight of all the other opportunities out there.”
Herskowitz wants students in all grade levels to know that they aren’t on their own; there are many resources that can help determine what path is right for them. Herskowitz advises students who feel stressed to talk with the counselors about what options are available.
For students who are thinking about attending a four-year college, Herskowitz says that there are three main fits that should be considered when choosing which colleges to look into: academic fits, colleges that have the right amount of rigor you want; lifestyle fits, colleges that offer the amount of support and community you desire; and financial fits, colleges that are affordable for you and offer generous scholarships.
There are many resources to learn about specific colleges. Lots of websites, such as Xello or College Board, are helpful in showing what majors, programs and scholarships are available in addition to the location, size and culture at different schools. In the spring and fall, many colleges all across the country send representatives to CHS, giving students the perfect chance to learn about them. Touring colleges is another great way for students to learn about the opportunities provided by specific colleges in addition to what the vibe is like at them.
“There are over 1000 colleges out there, and it’s important to find the ones that you are going to thrive at,” Herskowitz guided. “That’s not just academic and career stuff – it’s also things like social life. When you’re thinking about going to college, I think we can get caught up in the academic part, which is very important, but you also want to be happy and thrive while you’re there. And there are a lot of well-being components that go into that.”
Herskowitz believes that making a list of colleges that fit your academic, lifestyle and financial goals as soon as you start researching schools is a great way to help you make informed decisions about where to apply when that time comes.
“I’d say it’s best to cast a wide net of colleges you’re interested in and then start narrowing it down based on what you want, as opposed to starting small and trying to add things in,” Herskowitz recommended.
Every year, the second semester marks the last semester of high school for the current senior class and is also when most college decisions come out. Seniors get accepted into many colleges every year, which gives them the perfect chance to celebrate everything they’ve accomplished in high school and the results they’ve achieved for their hard work. On the other hand, many seniors get rejected from their dream schools every year, which Herskowitz knows can be very hard for students.
“It’s hard to feel rejection. But I like to remind kids that schools reject you as an applicant, not as a person,” Herskowitz said. “Getting rejected isn’t a reflection on you or how hard you worked. There’s a black box of college admissions to some extent, and there’s no perfect formula for getting in. So I think it’s important that we step back from that, and we don’t let it affect our own self-worth or self-image.”
Herskowitz wants seniors to keep in mind that rejection is redirection; even though it can be very challenging to not get accepted into your dream college, there are so many other colleges where you can accomplish equally great things.
“I wholeheartedly believe that college is what you make out of it,” Herskowitz said. “Even if you go to a school that wasn’t your top choice, if you go into it with a positive attitude, ready to put your best foot forward academically, ready to engage on campus, ready to make friends and ready to find your place in that community, it can still be as great as if it was your top school.”
Even though rejection redirects students when they first open up their admission letter, applicants can still get directed back to their top colleges.
“Even if you get rejected from your dream school, it still can be the dream school,” Herskowitz promised. “Maybe you just need to take some time to get there. And there are many paths you can take, even after you get rejected, to get there. You can go to a community college, work your GPA up, and then transfer. Maybe you take a gap year and do some community service and then apply. Getting rejected can always be a just ‘not now’ thing.”
Thinking about and planning for life after high school in all grades brings a mixture of emotions to many. With an unlimited number of trails high schoolers can follow after they receive their diploma, there is no “right” path that everybody must take in order to have a successful, fulfilling life; the best choice for each individual depends on their unique interests, strengths and circumstances.
