Building Confidence
Sitting in the “kids room” at Crux Climbing Center in the suburbs of Austin, I can’t help but compare my 4-year-old daughter’s growing excitement for rock climbing to the energy many of my students have felt during their college admissions journey. Just last week we joined the climbing gym with the primary goal of providing her and our 2-year-old son with another outlet for confidence building and movement. While she has scaled her fair share of playgrounds, trees, and the occasional Revolutionary War fort, suddenly being clipped into an auto belay system staring up at a 40 foot wall felt insurmountable. I had seen that look countless times before—curious, excited, yet uncertain about the daunting journey ahead and as a college counselor, I had seen it in nearly all my students at one time or another. Much like my approach to college counseling, I knew that access and exposure with support would pay dividends for her.
Fast forward a week later and after daily morning sessions, her confidence in the climbing gym has skyrocketed and she’s developed a sense of independence that we’re thrilled to see. And while this is certainly awesome – it’s not by coincidence. The increase in exposure has reduced uncertainty and made it easier for her brain to process the setting of the climbing gym, which is essentially perceptional fluency. Perceptional fluency is the ease (or difficulty) a person feels when processing stimuli (information that triggers a response). As it relates to our 4-year-old rock climbing, it is the sight of the 40 foot wall and the reality that she is surpassing her once perceived limits. With structured exposure, increased access, and supportive coaching, her ability to process the accompanying stimuli has dramatically improved.
College admissions counseling is no different.
Students with access to resources like comprehensive college counseling programs are exposed to opportunities that align with their personal interests and intellectual strengths. Through effective college counseling programming, high school students are able to navigate their academic career with a sense of familiarity and connection with their purpose, interests, and strengths as the driving force for when it is time to begin their college search and admissions journey. The ability of processing stimuli throughout the college admissions process can be greatly impacted in a positive way through the presentation of information, activities conducted, and the re-framing of stressful moments as opportunities for growth.
Whether you’re a 4-year-old staring up at what feels like El Capitan or a high school student feeling overwhelmed by the "college thing," repeated exposure, increased familiarity, and growing confidence all play crucial roles in pursuing your interests and post-secondary goals. The magic happens at the intersection where access and exposure meets information and connection!