What sets your teen apart from other applicants? Colleges are looking for students who will bring something unique to their campus community, and it’s your job to help your teen recognize and highlight what makes them special. Here’s how you can guide your teen to identify and emphasize their unique value in the admissions process:
- Reflect on Life Experiences
Take time to discuss with your teen the experiences that have shaped who they are today. Have they overcome significant challenges? Do they come from a diverse background or have a unique cultural perspective? Have they lived abroad or pursued a rare hobby? These experiences contribute to their uniqueness and should be highlighted.
- Identify Strengths
Talk with your teen about their key strengths—whether it’s leadership, creativity, empathy, or problem-solving. Help them recognize how these strengths have shown up in their academic or extracurricular life and how they’ve influenced others around them.
- Connect Passion with Purpose
Encourage your teen to think about how their personal passions align with their future goals. Whether it’s a love for art, technology, or helping others, showing how their passion drives them towards a specific career or academic path will help their application stand out.
- Highlight What Makes Them Different
Your teen doesn’t need to fit a traditional mold. If they have a unique combination of talents, interests, or life experiences, help them weave that into their application. Colleges value diversity of thought and background, and your teen’s differences are what will make them an asset to a college community.
- Encourage Confidence
Above all, help your teen feel confident in telling their story. The admissions process can be intimidating, but by knowing and embracing their unique value, your teen will be able to present a compelling and authentic application.
By guiding your teen through this process of reflection and self-discovery, you’ll empower them to stand out in the competitive college admissions landscape.