Explore " college major" with insightful episodes like "Career Development", "Helping Students Know Who They Are with Tami Peterson", "Ep. 72 // 6 Helpful Career Assessment Quizzes", "Ep. 65 // What Colleges Look For In An Application" and "To Major or Not" from podcasts like ""The Launch Mission Podcast", "BaseCamp Live", "Confused to College Ready Podcast: Unlocking the Secrets to Your College Search", "Confused to College Ready Podcast: Unlocking the Secrets to Your College Search" and "College Admissions with Mark and Anna"" and more!
In this episode, the interviewer becomes the interviewee as Tommy answers questions from his Staff Associate, Kelsey, about career development and discovery. He touches on topics such as why it is important to start thinking about a career in college and how to determine if a career choice is suitable for you.
Have you ever pondered the monumental impact that educators and parents have in shaping a student's journey toward self-discovery and adulthood? With Tami Peterson's return to our dialogue, we immerse ourselves in the profound exploration of this transformative phase. Our conversation delves into the essence of education, far surpassing the simple accumulation of knowledge, to embrace a more holistic approach where identity in Christ, purpose, and adeptness in navigating life's intricate tapestry post-graduation are the focal points. Join us as we discuss the art of equipping students with discernment and problem-solving skills that are indispensable for thriving in the adult world.
Navigating the path of parenting in the fast-paced world we live in can often seem like a daunting climb up an unrelenting mountain. This episode takes a heartfelt look at the 'deep work' involved in parenting, fostering a connection with our children through the power of inquiry and shared experiences. We reflect on how matching our adult strides to those of our children can create moments of understanding and growth. From discussions on creating spaces for curiosity and critical thinking, to sharing the importance of rest and reflection during this climb, Tami Peterson brings to light the journey that binds us all in the pursuit of a meaningful education.
As our conversation draws to a close, we underscore the vital role discernment and wisdom play as our young adults stand at the crossroads of significant life choices. It's about guiding them through moments that shape their future, be it selecting a college major or embarking on a career path. We highlight the ever-evolving responsibility of mentorship and the beauty of parental guidance that doesn't cease with adulthood but continues to offer unwavering support through life's various stages. Tami invites you to lean into this exchange, as we impart a sense of gratitude for the community and encourage a continuation of this essential dialogue.
Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on classical Christian education, and join us next time on BaseCamp Live! Remember to subscribe, leave us a review, and reach out to us at info@basecamplive.com
Don't forget to visit basecamplive.com for more info and past episodes.
Several career assessment quizzes can help your students consider possible careers that may be a fit for them. There are multiple aptitude tests and career interest inventories that can provide helpful information as your student begins their career and college search. Today we are going to talk through 6 different tools to help your student start their exploration!
Links Mentioned in the Episode
16 Personalities: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
MAPP Career Assessment https://www.assessment.com/
MyNextMove Interest Profiler: https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip
Holland Code Career Quiz: https://www.truity.com/test/holland-code-career-test
Career Personality Profiler: https://www.truity.com/view/tests/personality-career
Career Explorer: https://www.careerexplorer.com/
Roadtrip Nation: https://roadtripnation.com/
This show is for the confused college applicant and family to learn simple and effective strategies to help you find the BEST college for your student while having positive conversations. This will turn you into the College Ready applicant and family so you can be confident with your next steps and your choice of college!
You can also download our free guide on How to Start or Expand Your College Search here. You can also follow me on social media at Confused to College Ready.
Schedule your free 15-minute college search consultation meeting here!
I’m Courtney Kountz and I’m looking forward to serving you and your student!
The college application process can feel daunting as you look at personal statements, optional essays, extracurricular activities, potential majors and requirements for programs, whether or not to send your ACT or SAT score, and so much more. Join us today as we look at the specific information colleges are looking for when they review applications and what you need to include!
This show is for the confused college applicant and family to learn simple and effective strategies to help you find the BEST college for your student while having positive conversations. This will turn you into the College Ready applicant and family so you can be confident with your next steps and your choice of college!
Please subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes! Here are a few episodes you might be interested in:
Episode 6: Does College Searching Have to be SO Stressful?
Episode 12: 5 Organization Strategies for College Searches
Episode 58: Is College Right for Me?
Episode 59: Is a Four-Year College Worth the Cost?
Episode 61: How to Find Colleges For Me
Episode 62: 7 Most Important Things to Create Your List of Colleges Part 1
Episode 63: 7 Most Important Things to Create Your List of Colleges Part 2
You can also download our free guide on How to Start or Expand Your College Search here. You can also follow me on social media at Confused to College Ready.
I’m Courtney Kountz and I’m looking forward to serving you and your student!
Selecting a major…or not? Okay, let’s just get it out there…NO…you do not have to select a major and know exactly what you will do for the rest of your life. However, there may be situations in which having an idea of what to major in and preparing for it will be beneficial in high school. Join Mark and Anna as they discuss the pros and cons of having a major in mind when you apply for college and how to explore potential majors.
Thinking about careers and majors can feel overwhelming in the college search. There are several resources to help you explore careers. There are multiple opportunities and options for students.
Today we talk about two websites you can visit to find out what careers might be a good fit for you!
This show is for the confused college applicant and family to learn simple and effective strategies to help you find the BEST college for your student while having positive conversations. This will turn you into the College Ready applicant and family so you can be confident with your next steps and your choice of college!
Please subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes! Here are a few episodes you might be interested in:
You can also download our free guide on How to Start or Expand Your College Search here.
I’m Courtney Kountz and I’m looking forward to serving you and your student!
For a few days this week, we’re highlighting the work of students from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Maya Abu-Zahra started college with every intention of becoming a doctor. But about half of pre-med students end up choosing a different path. Today, she brings us down two of those paths, speaking with former pre-meds who ended up in very different careers.
Aviva Legatt, author of Get Real and Get In, joins us for a behind-the-scenes look at the college admissions process and what your teen can do to stand out from the crowd. Plus, how being on student council might actually hurt their chances!
Bonfire Digital Wellness has a diverse team of seasoned, compassionate school counselors, ready to coach your teen. Check it out today and take advantage of a 1-month FREE trial: BonfireDW.org/talkingtoteens
Full show notes
We’ve always been told that the secret to getting a teen into college is for them to look perfect on paper. We nag them to join the honors society, sign them up for a hundred SAT tests, or even convince them to quit guitar lessons to make time for academic decathlon. But what if simply checking all the right boxes of what colleges are “looking for” isn’t the right approach anymore? Could it be that admissions officers are getting a little bored of reading essay after essay about the challenges of AP biology?
We might just be so focused on helping teens fit the mold we aren’t encouraging them to think outside of the box! More than just routine extracurriculars or high test scores, admissions officers want to see that kids have unique talents and passions. Instead of pushing kids to drop dance for the debate team, maybe it’s time we talked to them about how their natural interests can propel them towards a brighter future.
To get a behind-the-scenes peek at what college admissions officers are really looking for, we’re talking to Aviva Legatt, author of Get Real and Get In: How to Get Into the College of Your Dreams by Being Your Authentic Self. She’s also the founder of Ivy Insight, the gold standard in college admissions consulting! Her advice for your teen? Forget what they’ve been taught about being the “perfect” college applicant, and be themselves instead!
Aviva and I are talking about what she calls the “impressiveness paradox”, or why fancy shmancy credentials alone might not help your teen get into the school of their dreams. We’re also covering how teens can tap into their passions to find their potential, and the value of making connections with people on campus before even submitting their application.
Getting in by Being Authentic
Students and parents are constantly told the same things about getting into college: they’ll need perfect grades, perfect test scores, and academic extracurriculars to round it all out. And sure, that might have been the golden formula for getting in a decade or so ago...but times are changing! More and more students apply every year, with thousands of students submitting the same “ideal” college app. Aviva explains that for admissions officers, this rigid approach is no longer the key to getting that acceptance letter.
Instead of trying to seem perfect, kids should be aiming to be themselves, says Aviva. Those reading applications are much more interested in a student who seems authentic, someone who shows they have a spark of excitement and passion. If kids are enrolling in a coding club but just sitting in the back of the meetings texting, college admissions officers are going to see through that facade! Just going through the motions of being a model applicant won’t thrill anyone.
So how can students show off their real interests in their application? In the episode, Aviva drops some tips for students to exhibit their genuine love for orchestra or student government. This includes not only writing killer essays, but also finding the right letters of rec to highlight their spirited involvement in whatever it is they love to do. The goal is for the student’s joy and passion to come off the page while an admissions officer is reading it!
Not sure what your teen’s passion is or how they can write about it? Aviva and I tackle that too!
Turning Passion into Purpose
For teens who love gaming or jamming out on the drums, it can be hard to turn their interest and a winning college app. Aviva suggests inquiring what it is about music or Fortnite that excites your teen. Consider evaluating what skills and benefits their chosen pastime brings to their lives and the lives of others!
For example, if your teen is a film buff, there might not be a clear life skill involved. But your teen probably has a rich knowledge of history and the arts. Maybe they’re wise about the business side of the industry! They might even consider setting up and running community movie nights, to benefit a charity. Then, when they go to work on that application, they’ll be able to describe how they marketed the event, overcame the technical challenges of the projector, collaborated with others to put the event on, and so on and so forth!
As adults who’ve seen a little more of life’s challenges, we know that not every one of our teens' passions is going to bring financial stability. It’s easy to assert ourselves in their decisions and tell them what to spend their time doing. But Aviva suggests taking a backseat and letting kids find their interests on their own. Then, when they’ve found something, she recommends encouraging them to run with it! By providing opportunities and allowing them to spread their wings, you’ll help them become confident and capable adults.
Now, even an application that’s buzzing with originality could benefit from some good ol’ fashioned networking. Aviva and I discuss how your teen can make some connections on campus before applying to make their application pop.
Networking to Get Noticed
We all know that a job application can benefit from knowing some folks at the company. A cover letter addressed to a specific person is always more powerful! So why shouldn’t a college application be the same? In the episode, Aviva gives the lowdown on how teens can get to know some folks at their dream school to give their application an extra bit of oomph.
The trick is getting to know some people on campus! Aviva has a three part checklist for teens who are trying to make connections with the administration at any school. The first step is for your teen to define their intentions. What programs or extracurriculars will they be involved in once they start attending? Have they picked a major yet? These choices can guide teens to reach out to staff members of certain departments or specific program coordinators. It also helps teens know what questions to ask when they do get in contact!
The next step is to ask for a bit of that person’s time. Although it might be intimidating, these folks are educators! Their goal is to guide students on a learning journey. Most likely, if teens tell them they’re a student, they’ll be happy to have a chat, says Aviva. The last step is a follow up. She suggests teens send a note or an email thanking them for taking the time to talk. This will help them remember who your teen is and will leave a good impression, so when their name comes up in the application process, they’ll have a leg up.
In the Episode….
This week’s interview is chock full of valuable advice for college applicants and their parents! On top of the topics mentioned above, we cover:
I loved Aviva’s message a...
Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episode
Deciding on a college is one of the biggest decisions teens will make in their lives. There are so many factors to consider. How big are the classes? Will they be able to make connections in their chosen field? What do the dorms look like? With so many different schools and so many majors, finding the right fit can feel impossible.
But there’s one aspect of the college search we don’t always talk about, even though it’s arguably the most important of all: the finances. We’re often so focused on helping young adults find a place that feels right or looks beautiful that we neglect to dive deep into how we’re going to foot the bill, in the present and down the line, in the case of loans.
And even if we do find a way to pay, we often don’t pause to consider whether the degree we’re paying for is going to deliver a return on investment! This is especially true for those of us who are taking out loans. If we’re going to be in debt, it’s wise to know if and when we’ll eventually be able to pay it off.
To really wrap our heads around college finances, we’re talking to Beth Akers, author of Making College Pay: An Economist Explains How to Make a Smart Bet on Higher Education. Beth is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and an expert in the economics of labor and higher education. She believes that everyone should have access to comprehensive financial information about college, so they can avoid making a decision they regret.
In our interview, we’re breaking down why we often don’t talk about the financial aspects of choosing a college. We're also talking about how a student’s major affects their future prospects, and revealing a smarter way to go about taking out loans. If you’re searching for the best way to educate your kids without breaking the bank, this episode is for you!
Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episode
50% of high school seniors have no clue what they want to do after high school. 47% think they do. But 85% of college students change their major at least once! This causes a loss of credit hours and usually an extension of their time in college, costing more in tuition and fees. And since 80% of working adults are unhappy in their jobs, it's probably safe to say they never figured out what their best career in life really is.
Join me as I interview Dr. Moses McCutcheon as he tells us about a system that hones in on that best life career for your child. Believe it or not, the earlier you start the better! Why? Because then you can help your teen craft their high school years with more focus and passion. This is what colleges and scholarship boards are looking for!
Register for his workshop here:
https://www.getaheadoftheclass.com/college-degree-dilemma-workshop-registration
A few months ago, The Healthy Minds Network and the American College Health Association conducted a survey of college students to examine the impact of COVID-19 on college student well-being. The study included 18,764 students on 14 campuses and found that 30.5% of students, compared to 21.9% the prior fall, reported that their mental health negatively affected their academic performance on at least six days during the prior four weeks. So, this is a good time to discuss college students' mental health and it's the focus of this episode of Speaking of College. Dr. P. and Dr. Zainab Okolo chat about the importance of addressing mental health and how students can do so in proactive ways.
Dr. Okolo is a passionate educator, policy expert, and change agent focused on helping students overcome barriers so they can learn, earn, and lead fulfilling lives. Zainab is a strategy officer at Lumina Foundation, a philanthropic organization that has a goal of helping more individuals earn a college credential. Zainab is focused on the urgent needs of first-generation college students, people of color, adult learners, immigrants, inmates, and others who have traditionally struggled to succeed at learning beyond high school.
Zainab is an expert on student mental health and is often asked to speak about ways to help students overcome stress and anxiety. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, Dr. Okolo enjoyed working for several years with young adults to help them succeed in school and beyond. Dr. Okolo previously served as an associate on HCM Strategists' postsecondary team, where she worked on policy issues aimed at making higher education more accessible, affordable, and relevant. She also held various posts at the University of Maryland, the American Council on Education, and the Institute for Higher Education Policy.
Zainab earned her doctorate in education at The George Washington University, her masters degree from Syracuse University, and her bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Zainab is a native of Washington, DC and when she isn't devoting time to her work, family, and friends, she enjoys yoga, taking spin classes, and all kinds of music and sports.
The Did You Know segment offers a possible option for earning credits toward an associate degree while earning a bachelor's degree. The Ask Dr. P. segment features a listener's question about choosing a major.
Time Markers
02:40-Welcome Dr. Zainab Okolo
08:40-The Importance of Mental Health
23:05-Did You Know: Reverse Transfer
24:15-Ask the Expert: Zainab's Tips for Proactively Addressing Mental Health
44:00-Ask Dr. P: Suggestions for Choosing a College Major
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
Inside Higher Ed Article: Pandemic Hurts Student Mental Health
Psychology Today
TruCircle
Got a question about college? Email Dr. P. at amelia@speakingofcollege.com
What does choosing your major, a global pandemic, and transitioning to college have in common? Resiliency. In this episode Nathan and Rachel explore what it takes to navigate through these major events of life, coming out stronger than before. Special guest Dana Olsen gives an inside look into Apparel Merchandising, a major that blends creativity with business, preparing students to hit the ground running, and how networking is queen when it comes to landing that first job.
Parents and their college-bound kids face unique challenges today that are very different than they were a decade or two ago. This interview with Laurie Genevish of My Ideal College will help you navigate this journey with unique insights that can make the journey more fun and the results more rewarding for everyone.
Education and career choice is a key component of living your ideal 100 Year Lifestyle!
We want our kids to have a career they love but we also want to be able to live on their own and pay the bills. My Ideal College not only helps teens find careers that they will love but also have the job outlook and salary that will meet their needs. Not only that we teach your student how to network with professionals in their chosen career paths. This could lead to internships, jobs, and other unexpected and unique opportunities.
Enjoy this interview and share it with every person you know who has or will soon have a college-bound kid.
Guests
Matthew Tadeschi Hora, Lynn Perry Wooten, Pierre Gentin
Host
Michelle Harven
Writing and Production
Written by Keith Schumann with input from T.A. Frank, Miguel Padró, Felicia Davis, and the Business & Society Team.
Recorded by Ben Eyler and Amina Akhtar and edited by Jesse Krinsky.
The Business & Society team wishes to thank the audio technicians and everyone involved in the production of this episode, including:
Music Samples Featured in this Episode
Chad Crouch – Algorithms (Excerpted form of the track; used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 License)
Chad Crouch – Starlight (Excerpted form of the track; used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 License)
Ketsa – Capable (Excerpted form of the track; used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License)
Tobacco Road – Storyblocks Audio
Archival Audio
Mr. Rogers once said, “Look for the helpers.” What do you do when you know you want to help, but aren’t exactly sure what that looks like career wise? In today’s episode, Rachel and Nathan offer tactical strategies to help you navigate your way through the various helping professions and majors, and discuss how a 3 letter code might help unlock your path forward (Strong Interest Inventory).
Coming to college and choosing a major often feels HUGE. How can we prepare ourselves for this choice without going nuts? In this episode we discuss best practices to help you start to answer that age old question, “What do you want to do with your life?”, create resiliency in order to take care of yourself along the way, and gird some courage to get out there and try stuff out! Special interview guest: Andrew Bunger, Business Communication instructor at Kelley Business School, shares his journey about living his own truth, walking away from a profitable law career and his full circle moment.
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