More Important Than College

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

The start of a basketball game is pretty standard. A player from each team meets in the middle of the court, where a referee throws the ball high in the air. Each player then jumps to tap the ball to a member of their team, and off they go.

So it was clear something was up at the Senior Night of a high school girls’ game when the player for the visiting team didn’t jump for the ball when the game started. The home team player tapped the ball to a teammate, who dutifully passed the ball to another teammate, who then threw the ball to a teammate waiting under the basket. A nice soft shot off the backboard, and the score was 2-0.

The unusual start of the game continued when the referee then blew his whistle, something that doesn’t typically occur after a basket is scored. This was necessary, since the player who scored the basket left the game—as soon as someone handed her a pair of crutches. The scorer was the only home team player who was a senior, and even though playing seemed out of the question, there was a desire to make Senior Night special for her in some way. Thanks to some advanced planning, and the support of the visiting team’s coach, that was possible. She left the court with two points, a warm ovation, and a memory that will last a lifetime.

And then. Having given the home team a head start, the visiting team passed the ball down the court to another member of their team, who then made an easy shot-- all while the members of the home team stood passively in the middle of the court. Once that was achieved, the score was again tied, and the level of competition between the two teams could ascend to a new level.

This remarkable display of sportsmanship— sportswomanship—has been seen before. A softball player blew out her knee rounding first base after hitting a home run. If a member of her team had touched her, she’d be out; leading a player on the other team to ask if she could touch her opponent. Once she got the green light, she and a teammate carried the batter to the remaining three bases, touching each of them lightly, so she could earn her home run.

Lest you think this is limited to women’s athletics, a friend tells me this occurs in men’s professional soccer all the time. Despite what some may think, soccer is a pretty fast game, and referees typically make more than a few mistakes every match, simply because they don’t see every aspect of some of the plays. When their rulings seem particularly egregious, players take the matter in their own hands, purposely kicking the ball out of bounds, or to the other team, so that true justice can be done.

As a college counselor, I read many, many, many college essays about sports being a metaphor for life, each experience having great value to the author of the essay. These essays are said to carry little weight in college admissions offices, but as I’ve often said when the values of the real world aren’t reflected in reviewing a college application, who cares? The world suggests there are many goals that, at the end of the day, have real little value. Being true to self doesn’t often make the headlines, but it is vital for the student’s world—and our world—to spin true.

(And yes, they should likely write a new essay.)

College Still Matters? Why, Yes It Does

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

It’s always reassuring when a report comes along confirming what your work as a counselor has told you all along, especially when it makes sense. That’s the case for a new report by College Access: Research and Action that takes a fresh look at the age old question—is college worth it?

You should read the report, but here are the spoilers:

• 75% of students surveyed still want to go to college and earn a degree.

• For first-generation and low-income students, there’s more to this desire than simply wanting to make more money.

• These same students have many more hurdles to overcome, so their decisions about college aren’t as clear cut as most policymakers assume.

At this point, you should feel free to sit back in your chair, and let out a big, “Duh”.

It’s certainly reassuring the study shows students want to keep learning—that’s the only way life and society get better. And it’s certainly true some students want to go to college for the economic opportunities it provides. Recent studies still show that, on average, a college degree holder can realize $1 million in additional income when compared to the person whose last credential is a high school diploma. It would seem that, while some employers are no longer requiring college degrees for some positions, they are giving preference to applicants with college degrees when it comes to actual hiring, since the Million Dollar Difference has been around for a couple of decades.

It’s also nice to see one of these reports going beyond the dollars and cents, and recognizing the value of a college education for something other than a paycheck. A college admission officer once asked a room of school counselors about their college experience—what do they most remember? It should come as no surprise they mentioned the friends they made, the experiences they had, and the way their lives changed. Paychecks were not mentioned by a single counselor. Neither were the classes they took.

That’s what’s been lost in this decades-old debate about the value of college. Policymakers and skittish parents look at the average loan balance graduates emerge with from college and see it as outrageous. But there are many decisions made that lead to debt—vacations, housing, cars, and more—that are seen as valuable for something more than their cost. At what point was it decided that college was supposed to be something other than life changing? (It’s also notable that all those “shocked” policymakers have yet to come up with a meaningful plan to alleviate all that debt, leading one to wonder how sincere their interest really is in the matter.)

As great as these parts of the report are, they pale in comparison to the conclusion that going to college isn’t the easy decision most policymakers assume it is. The factors involved aren’t new to school counselors:

• First-generation students may not have the advantage of having parents who value college, or if they do, understand the steps involved in applying.

• Combine this with low-income status, and a student’s ability to visit college campuses, attend summer programs on college campuses, or participate in dual enrollment can be significantly thwarted.

• Once at college, costs related to supplemental learning experiences may prevent them from fully participating.

• A disproportionate number of first-gen and low-income students attend schools with counselor ratios that prevent meaningful college guidance.

Many of the points in the report have been raised before. Still, this fresh look at the questions gives updated data to consider, and puts together three conclusions that don’t often end up in the same document.

What Does College Ready Look Like?

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

Students sometimes wonder if they’re ready for college. If this is on the mind of your students, share this with them.

Sara came home from a softball game and was surprised to see her father’s car in the driveway. It was May, and that’s a busy time where he works, so he usually went back to the office after he watched her pitch, finished a little paperwork, and then headed home for dinner.

That day, he greeted his daughter in the kitchen. “Nice game, Ace!”

“Thanks, Daddy. Why are you home?”

He beamed at his eleventh-grade daughter and said, “I have a surprise. There’s an overseas community service project heading to a village in Haiti. They’ve opened a large orphanage in a remote area, and they need volunteers to watch the babies while the residents rebuild their homes.”

Sara peeled an orange while her father continued.

 “You’d be there four days, but you’d only be working two. You’d have two more days to sightsee. Your grades are strong and your pitching is great, but I think something like this could put you over the top at the colleges we’re applying to. The website for the project is up on your computer. What do you say?”

Sara continued to peel the orange. “Can we talk about it at dinner?”

Her father was a little deflated, but he smiled back. “Sure, honey. I’m going to run back to the office for a little bit, but I’ll see you at seven.”

Dad came through the kitchen door at 7:15 p.m. and quickly took his place at the table with the rest of the family. After more congratulations for Sara’s great game and a little razzing from younger brother John about Sara’s hair, her dad said, “So, how about Haiti?”

Sara put her fork down slowly and looked up. “It’s a great idea, Dad, but I looked on the website. Does this trip really cost six thousand dollars?”

Her father choked on his ice water while her mother gave him a long, cold stare.

“We can afford this, Sara,” he said, smiling faintly. “It’s about your future.”

Sara looked down at her placemat again and swallowed hard. “Well, I looked up the name of the town we’d be going to. It turns out Habitat for Humanity is working there, too. They need three thousand dollars for a new pump so the town can have fresh water again. I also called the Boys Club down on Wilson Street, and they said they could really use some help this summer.

“I sure appreciate the offer, Daddy, but don’t you think it would be better if I stayed here, and we sent three thousand dollars to Habitat for Humanity? That way, the town would have fresh water forever, John could get that new computer he needs, we’d have a little money left over for college, and I would still be making a difference in the world. It would just be a difference in my own neighborhood.”

Sara’s mother did a very bad job of chewing nonchalantly, and John tried to wipe tears out of his eyes in a fourteen-year-old macho fashion. Her father’s shoulders relaxed, and he smiled almost to himself.

“Yeah, honey,” he said. “That’s a great idea.”

Sara is now a senior, waiting to hear from her colleges. But the question you should be asking isn’t, “Where will she get in?”

The question to consider is does it really matter?