Is my child ready for college? This is a question that I’m fairly certain that every parent has asked themselves at least a time or two.
Neither my husband nor I have ever been to college. Continuing our education after high school was not the path that either of us wanted to take.
While we never pressured our children to go to college, we also never deterred them from attending college if it was right for them.
Our oldest attended public school in his early elementary years prior to being transferred to a private school. During his public school education, they pushed him ahead one grade.
This caused him to graduate at 17 and he went to college the fall following his high school graduation. He graduated from college with his degree 4 years later and now is the Owner/CEO of a regional painting business in New England.
Growing up, his younger brother, our middle child, swore that he would never go to college. He couldn’t imagine choosing to add another 4 years of school to his life.
Then, at 17, he added up his high school credits and determined that he could graduate a year early and that he did in fact want to go to college. He graduated in May and left for his dream college less than 3 months later.
Our daughter, the baby of the family, fully intends on following in both her big brothers’ footsteps and going to college following her high school graduation. The difference? She won’t be graduating high school early as they did.
That brings us back to the question I began with. Is my child ready for college?
Our daughter is not ready for college at this point. In fact, she’s chosen to complete her high school education in 5 years. I’m thankful that she made the decision on her own because as her mom, I know that she isn’t quite ready to spread her wings and fly.
Perhaps you’re in a similar situation and you’re wondering if your child is ready for college? As your child’s parent, it is important to remember that you know them best. However, there are some questions that I believe will greatly help you determine if your child is ready for college.
- Is your child self-motivated?
- How does your child handle schedules?
- Does your child learn well independently?
- Can your child complete tasks/assignments on time?
- How does your child respond to peer pressure?
- Does your child know how to stick to a budget?
In addition to these questions, there are some skills and tasks that your child will likely need to complete before they’re officially ready for college. The most common stressor? ACTs/SATs.
While I don’t believe that testing is the best way to record a student’s knowledge, I’m told that the ACT and SAT can be helpful in securing scholarships.
Since my son decided to go to college in the midst of the pandemic, he didn’t have the opportunity to take either of those tests. Based solely on his high school GPA, he received his dream college’s 2nd highest scholarship, cutting his college debt in half.
Not all colleges require ACT/SAT scores, so if your child doesn’t have those, it doesn’t mean they can’t go to college or that they can’t get scholarships.
As their parent, you will know when your child is ready for college. The questions I listed above are not hard and fast rules. They’re meant to get you (and your child!) thinking.
My sons were ready for college at a younger age than my daughter is, however, the answers to the questions above for each of my children differ. In some ways, my daughter is more ready now than my boys were, but not enough for me to graduate her early or even “on time”.
Trust yourself. You know your child best. Talk to them. Discuss your concerns. Determine together if your child is ready for college.
