Crafting a College Narrative: Tips for Helping Your Teen Stand Out

Welcome to another episode of Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You! Today, we’re breaking down the college narrative. What it is, why it matters, and how to help your teen craft one that stands out. We’ll dive into how a college narrative differs from their school achievements, why it’s crucial to back up their story with real experiences, and how to make sure colleges see them for who they truly are. Plus, we’re sharing plenty of tips to make the process less stressful (for both you and your teen). We unpack the importance of authentically representing themselves to an admissions committee before discussing how to assist kids who are coasting along with no real specific interests or sense of self. Finally, we remind listeners that college admissions aren’t looking for impressive stories but rather, are looking for meaningful experiences in college narratives. Thanks for listening! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:01:48] Today we are talking about building a college narrative.
• [0:02:35] How to define what a college narrative is.
• [0:05:27] The difference between what they do and who they are.
• [0:10:05] How you can provide evidence of your kids’ college narrative in their application. 
• [0:17:08] The importance of true authenticity and how that appeals to colleges.
• [0:18:20] Why parents aren’t objective about their own children.
• [0:20:12] How to build a narrative when the child doesn’t really know who they are. 
• [0:26:30] Why you shouldn’t try to be impressive in your narrative, but rather, authentic. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You

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