What Can Be Learned From The School Shootings In The College Admissions Process?

In the wake of yet, more recent school shootings, including most recently at a K-12 school in Denver, Colorado and the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, I wanted to provide insights from the perspective of a mother and college counselor.
As a parent myself, I have many conversations with my own children about the shootings. After each shooting, they always have lots of questions and want to spend time discussing what happened and how they feel. Often after a shooting, they ask if they can miss school the following day. My children have told me that kids are constantly talking about the shootings at school and that teachers frequently lead conversations letting them know that they are safe. I noticed that my children feel more relieved when we acknowledge the occurrence and they are involved in open-dialogs at home and with their teachers at school.
I did research on what we can do to support children and teenagers through the national epidemic we are facing. What I discovered is that many of these principles can be applied to the college admissions process.
#1 – To prepare young people for the world as well as to reduce violence, mental health professionals are encouraging children to learn to problem-solve, remain calm when things feel overwhelming, take a step back in order to avoid overaction, and learn to work through intense feelings. When students are going through the college admissions process, it can feel like a rollercoaster of emotions. The intensity of the process can generate a great deal of stress for students. When they are able to move through their feelings and reflect on the bigger picture, then they are able to ride the wave of life and the admissions process with more ease.
#2 – Talking with your children about these acts of violence allow them to process their feelings and will help to assure them that they are safe. When students are going through the college admissions process, so many feelings come up for them. One of the best roles that parents can have to support their children through the process is to be a shoulder to lean on.
#3 – Students in K-12 schools around the United States are used to lockout and lockdown drills. Teachers walk through safety policies with students and parents are typically notified by schools of updated security protocols. When students are looking into colleges, it is not a bad idea to read about the institutional policies on discipline, violence, hazing, and bullying. Is there a zero-tolerance against violence on campus? How does the school promote safety within the campus community?
Continue reading- What Can Be Learned From The School Shootings In The College Admissions Process - The Best U
Location: Colorado, USA

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