A worried mother at a local high school's college night last week told me,
"My daughter has worked so hard. She'll be just devastated if she doesn't get into one of her reach schools."
It was clear that she, too, was going to be devastated if those schools didn't admit her daughter. And while she is undoubtedly a good mother who only wants to see her daughter happy and fulfilled, that question she asked is exactly what's wrong with the way too many students and parents approach college admissions today.
Why is an admissions decision from a particular college the only award that will validate her daughter's hard work?
Why are the colleges who are most likely to say "No" the only schools that she finds desirable?
Is devastation an appropriate emotional response to an admissions decision from any college?
The belief that the most competitive schools are the best, achievement in high school driven solely by a desire to gain admission to a college who rejects almost all of their applicants, and the implication that a rejection from one of those schools is a tragic event–that's what's wrong. That approach takes what should be an exciting time for a family and turns it into a grim process where your chances of success are roughly 7-20%.
But parents can do a lot to fix what's wrong here.
As much as many teenagers may appear to dismiss the opinions and advice of Mom and Dad, the truth is that every kid wants to please his or her parent.
So parents, when you see your teens working hard, applaud their efforts. Tell them how proud you are of their work ethic and their accomplishments. Let them know how many wonderful opportunities will be waiting for them wherever they go to college. Encourage them to work hard for the right reasons, not to gain admission to a small group of selective colleges, but because they'll be better educated and more fulfilled and prepared to handle the intellectual rigor of college life.
And most importantly, remind them that none of that will change if Berkeley or Duke or Notre Dame says, "No." Remind them that you won't be "devastated"–they shouldn't be, either.