The Importance of Being “College Capable” Before Being “College Ready”

The Importance of Being “College Capable” Before Being “College Ready”

The Importance of Being “College Capable” Before Being “College Ready”

By: Jonathan Steele

Let’s begin by stating the obvious: Any student who has a high school diploma or a GED

certificate in hand is college-eligible. In addressing a room full of high school graduates just

weeks away from starting their community college experience, this statement is the one

general truth that can be spoken and agreed upon. Interestingly, this is often the end of what

the students have in common.

As a college and career success coach and a college planning consultant, I like to assess how

ready my students are for their first experience in higher education. College is a wonderful and

often expensive investment that is best made when student, parents, and supporters agree

that the student is ready to take on college with a strong chance of purpose and success. I

myself jumped from “college-eligible” to “college-ready,” believing that there was nothing to

talk about in the middle. Engaging all too frequently with students who struggle with their next

step has informed me that I need to define and assess the meaning of the term “college-

capable” before moving forward.

So what does “college-capable” look like? I’d like to offer a short list of questions to ask that

might better determine a true capability to find success in higher education.

• Is the student prepared for a new environment outside of high school? Whether

attending a community college down the street or a prestigious four-year university

halfway across the country, the view, lifestyle, and expectations will be very different

than experienced even during the most successful high school career.

• Has the student proven an ability to self-manage a schedule and to determine

priorities? This does not exclusively refer to a class schedule and a research paper

deadline. Self-management in the truest sense involves maintaining a healthy sleep

schedule and meal plan, a genuine interest in leading a well-rounded college life that

includes time for both academic achievement and social interaction, and a certain

amount of independent living skills. Any student journeying to college needs strong

executive functioning skills or coaching to help provide that.

• Are the student, parents, and any supporters aware that two-year college capable is

not the same as four-year college capable? Being capable at a four-year college can

consist simply of having the capacity to take a placement test that will deliver accurate

results and matching those results with either credit or non-credit (developmental)

courses. A four-year college most often requires that a student has the academic

maturity and interest in handling college-level material.

According to Jordana Bischoff of College Unlocked, “More than 36% of first-year college

students end up dropping out or transferring. Surprisingly, the No. 1 reason is not college

readiness (academic issues), but lack of being college capable. Lack of capability often results in

lower grades because the student is unable to balance their newfound freedom with the

responsibility of managing their own lives.” Simply put, being college-capable is a very key

component of being college-ready and is a strong predictor of college success.

Bischoff continues: “What we typically find is this is the place where most students, even those

with straight A’s and extensive academic readiness, really begin to fall down, as there hasn’t

been enough time spent making sure that they are college capable.”

So how can those of us surrounding college-eligible students do our best to ensure that they

are as college-capable as possible? The best possible plan is one that unfolds over the entire

four-year period of high school—if not earlier. For example:

• Students should grow into developing and using independent living skills. Can the

student cook a simple meal, do a load of laundry, self-monitor a healthy bedtime, set a

morning alarm to get out of bed, establish a thorough morning routine that involves

good hygiene and some form of breakfast, plan and prioritize a daily schedule, and self-

regulate a social life with friends?

• Students should take charge of their homework assignments, paper writing, and test-

taking. Their study habits should be deeply ingrained and largely self-managed by

senior year.

• Students should be thoroughly tested in managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Class assignments, part-time work, social engagement, and healthy living all come to

mind as pressing areas of life in the world of a young adult. Keep in mind that sports,

volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and other commitments can substitute for

part-time work.

Really no student or family is exempt from taking the time to determine true college capability.

Getting a handle on this can help in choosing the correct path for students: either a thumbs-up

that indicates readiness or the exploration of options to become more college-ready.