College Counseling For Connecticut Students: Why the college decision seems more important than back in our days

By College Counseling

“This really matters much more than back in my day.”  Ted, a father of a Guilford High School student noted. He went to UCONN.  His wife went to UCONN.  His brothers went to UCONN.  He started thinking about how much the decision mattered when he saw what was happening in the economy and when he saw what was happening with his older friends’ children.  Some twentysomethings were striving.  Some were not.  He thought about the matter further and realized

As parents of high school seniors across Connecticut undoubtedly understand, the college process is much different than it was back in our days.

I hung out with a mixed pack of students. Most were athletes who did not prioritize academics.  I was one of the only ones who took the college process seriously.  And even though I was a striver, I still put in no where near the time that most high achieving students do this way.

The reason seems clear: for upward mobility and even maintaining the same lifestyle as one’s parents, the college decision matters more than ever.

A few years back I recall another father of a Guilford student noting the same thing: “It is different now.”  Ron, a father of a junior from Guilford High School, noted when his wife suggested that maybe they were making to big a deal about the college process.  Ron is an executive in a multinational company and is also involved in a New Haven not-for-profit organization that helps those in challenging economic circumstances.  He has seen the changes in the economy from all sides.

Ron was responding to his wife who noted that Ron had become a big success even though he attended Central Connecticut.  “That was 30 years ago.” He continued. “I probably wouldn’t get an interview at my company today. You should see the resumes…” He went on to list different name brand colleges.

College is an asset that creates leverage. The longer the lever the easier it is to move something upward.  So, it is with college. And, to Ron’s point, “it is different now.”