Life After High School is a system-wide series of events that focuses on options for teens after high school. Thinking about life after high school can be stressful for teens and their families. Planning for it can be even worse. We gathered a group of parents and educators to take a closer look at the process and framed a series of events to help families navigate the many parts of the college search and application process.
We started with a screening of Ivory Tower, a documentary that looks at the cost and value of a college education in the United States. After the film, a panel focused on strategies for families who want to choose a path after high school with minimal stress and anxiety. Three of the panelists presented programs in more depth in October, addressing the college search process, the pros and cons of community colleges, and helping families finance a college education.
Some nuggets from the panelists and the programs include:
- “Stay away from parents who are getting crazy—it will only increase your own level of stress.”
- “The college search process can be less stressful if the whole family is involved and you start early.”
- “It’s really not true that you can never get individual attention at a large research university. Just check out the office hours. Most students don’t use them!”
- “Community colleges have more money to spend per student on student activities and clubs [compared to most four-year schools] because a significant proportion of the students at community colleges are adults with families. They go home right after class, leaving club activities and leadership opportunities for the younger students who are still on campus.”
- “Insincerity reeks. What you learned from an extracurricular activity—and how it helped you grow—is much more important than what the activity is.”
- “A college education can and should be available to everyone. Students can join efforts on many campuses that work to make a college education accessible and affordable.”
Feedback from parents indicated that the community is interested in four-year colleges, alternative for four-year colleges and further discussion about how to reduce the stress of the college application process. We can hardly wait to pull together more programs to support families in life after high school planning! The Life After High School series this year was a very successful collaboration between KCLS, the Friends of the Mercer Island Library, Parent Edge, and educators at Mercer Island High School. Special thanks to the panelists, all of whom were passionate, humorous, and engaging.
