032: When Should a Student NOT Go To College?

1 Mar

When should a student not go to college?Not every teen is ready to succeed in college by the time they finish high school. How can you tell whether this is your student? What alternatives are there if college isn’t the right next step? Megan, Gretchen, and guest Shayna Abrahaham discuss all these questions.

Here are some signs that your student may not be ready for college:

  • They have career goals that don’t require a college degree.
  • They have no idea what they want to do, and are too scared to move forward. They self assess that they’re not ready for college.
  • They lack the academic skills necessary to do well in college.
  • They lack the life skills necessary to manage independent living.
  • Thy have a mental health situation that puts them at risk.

After discussing these signs in depth, we explore some alternatives for students who fit these criteria. Some examples include:

  • a gap year,
  • study abroad,
  • internships,
  • trade schools,
  • independent living skills programs,
  • and more.

Because these programs can be very expensive, we also discussed how to identify that your student might need these kinds of programĀ before enrolling them in (and paying for) a college program. We also discussed how therapeutic and educational consultants like Shayna Abraham can help if families find themselves in dire straights (often with a student who is failing out of college) with no where else to turn.

Find out more at www.preparetobloom.com, or visitĀ Independent Education Consultants Association. If you are local to the Bay Area of California, Shayna will be hosting an Alternatives to College fair in partnership with Fusion Academy on March 14, 2015 from 12-4pm.