The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) came out with a proposal a few days ago that parents of high school students can really get behind. Many parents have seen their kids enter high school only to be inundated with one-upmanship -- comparing how many essays they are writing, how many AP classes they are taking, how many sports are they playing, how many extracurricular opportunities are they participating in and how much sleep they are [not] getting. This is the high school version of keeping up with the Joneses, and it has been shown to have truly dangerous effects on our children's mental health. The HGSE proposal seeks to change that mentality with one that will reward the quality of a student's work over the sheer volume of it.
We can tell ourselves that it is for the greater good for children to push themselves and work hard, and indeed it is... unless they are only doing so as a point of comparison. Of course there are kids out there who are interested in piano and math and debate and organic chemistry and dance. However, there are also incredible kids out there who are interested in just theater, or just astronomy. Or kids who are just interested in jazz band (imagine that!) This singular focus in one area of study should not be penalized.
Starting with this new proposal from HGSE, colleges are finally stepping up and saying that it is quality -- not quantity -- that matters. If your child can put their full efforts and commitment in any or all of the fields they are interested in versus just one, good for them! Conversely, if they can put their full efforts and commitment into just two or one of the fields they are interested in, equally good for them! As long as the quality is of a high standard, it doesn't matter how many fields of study students are interested in.
Also, for the first time, colleges are saying they want to see a good track record of community engagement, not just academic engagement. Community engagement can include volunteer work as well as traditional summer jobs. Colleges are finally recognizing the benefits that both of these options give students -- interviewing skills, people skills, money management, time management, and teamwork. Students should use their job experience in their college essays and showcase what real-life skills they have gained through their work.
Often, real-life skills can be much more valuable than knowledge gained by just participating in an expensive summer program at a big-name university. Additionally, a focus on volunteer work allows students to show how they have been able to work to achieve something bigger than themselves; to focus on something other than personal gain. Ultimately, colleges feel that the students who are able to do that will be the ones solving the problems that humanity is facing.
College application time may be a confusing time for parents and students, both of whom will be wondering, "well, what do I do to get into Harvard now?" Thankfully, those answers are no longer going to be external. Students need to look inward and answer, "what do I really want to do at this point in my life?" Once they are able to at least have a path in mind they are free to give their full commitment to it!
If you need ideas for students to get involved locally, look in your towns community centers, contact local hospitals, clinics, libraries, food kitchens and shelters to find out how you can help students be active. You can also look at online resources such as Blayz.com (Full disclosure: I am an advisor) or VolunteerMatch.com, which are free resources students can take use to search from thousands of opportunities at different organizations that match their interests. Thanks to the new proposal from HGSE, rather than worry about a checklist, students can free themselves to pursue interests according to their inner compass!