Help! My kid is a generalist!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is the same. Never developed a passion. Happy now at Brown.

Mine is the same too and hoping to get into Brown!!!

OP, I'm hoping that the renaissance person comes back in fashion. My kid is in a stem program but is serious about theatre and music and loves history and literature. She's applied for music programs where she can get enough APs to pick up a double major, theatre programs at schools with strong music and academics, and schools that allow for crossover.

She has good safety options and hoping for some more options by the end of the month. Even the safeties will be great places to learn, grow and hone interests and skills.

Everyone seems to value early specialization, but I think there is a lot to be said for crossover talents, skills and interest. And, that's who my kid is. Maybe yours too

Our neighbors' son went to Brown, majored in biology and comparative literature, and studied four languages. He wants to go to med school but is taking a few gap years in consulting (that Ivy League pipeline lol), so we'll see if he continues to medicine. Another friend's daughter is studying Classics at Brown and also intends to enter consulting (gotta love that on-campus recruitment).

PP here and loving this diverse range of studies of these kids. This is going to make the next 3 weeks of waiting even harder!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't pointy all the rage now?! From the Admission's offices: we want to see breadth and depth, they say. Whose BS is it? It's the colleges that are driving this bus!

Nope. Many of the colleges DC applied to had specific essays looking for how a student would work across disciplines and take advantage of all of the varied opportunities the college offered. Several top schools have an open curriculum and what people interested in lots of different areas.

Pointy has had its 15 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't pointy all the rage now?! From the Admission's offices: we want to see breadth and depth, they say. Whose BS is it? It's the colleges that are driving this bus!

Nope. Many of the colleges DC applied to had specific essays looking for how a student would work across disciplines and take advantage of all of the varied opportunities the college offered. Several top schools have an open curriculum and what people interested in lots of different areas.

Pointy has had its 15 minutes.

This is interesting; I have have not heard that there is an explicit switch. Do top schools make this cross discipline study explicit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was generalist in school, and have come to see all the value in it as a professional. There is a ton of demand for left brain/right brain thinking in fields like architecture and marketing. Everyone wants to hire the engineer who can actually write and explain his process. Or the writer who can understand statistics. These are the people who rise to leadership positions. Plus, people with diverse interests are pretty fun at cocktail parties.

I actually get a little suspicious of teens who know what they want to do for the rest of their life.

Agreed. My kid claimed since middle school to have a set career goal. That makes me nervous because it can’t be based on much.

(I think it takes more courage to explore and retain an open mind)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't pointy all the rage now?! From the Admission's offices: we want to see breadth and depth, they say. Whose BS is it? It's the colleges that are driving this bus!

Nope. Many of the colleges DC applied to had specific essays looking for how a student would work across disciplines and take advantage of all of the varied opportunities the college offered. Several top schools have an open curriculum and what people interested in lots of different areas.

Pointy has had its 15 minutes.

This is interesting; I have have not heard that there is an explicit switch. Do top schools make this cross discipline study explicit?

Juniata lets you create a “Program of Emphasis ” (basically a major that combines your interests). Of course it has to pass muster in terms of cohesiveness and rigor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't pointy all the rage now?! From the Admission's offices: we want to see breadth and depth, they say. Whose BS is it? It's the colleges that are driving this bus!

Nope. Many of the colleges DC applied to had specific essays looking for how a student would work across disciplines and take advantage of all of the varied opportunities the college offered. Several top schools have an open curriculum and what people interested in lots of different areas.

Pointy has had its 15 minutes.

This is interesting; I have have not heard that there is an explicit switch. Do top schools make this cross discipline study explicit?

Juniata lets you create a “Program of Emphasis ” (basically a major that combines your interests). Of course it has to pass muster in terms of cohesiveness and rigor.

Allegheny College requires all students to major and minor in completely different disciplines. Another good place with students with varied interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't pointy all the rage now?! From the Admission's offices: we want to see breadth and depth, they say. Whose BS is it? It's the colleges that are driving this bus!

Nope. Many of the colleges DC applied to had specific essays looking for how a student would work across disciplines and take advantage of all of the varied opportunities the college offered. Several top schools have an open curriculum and what people interested in lots of different areas.

Pointy has had its 15 minutes.

This is interesting; I have have not heard that there is an explicit switch. Do top schools make this cross discipline study explicit?

Top colleges take both kind of students.
They are trying to make well rounded student body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine is the same. Never developed a passion. Happy now at Brown.

There's an answer, open curriculum. Brown is one, Vassar is another.

I'd rather let high-achieving kids be who they are rather than trying to mold them to what ad coms says s/he should be. Ad coms have their own agenda that's constantly shifting for reasons parents may not care for.

[Anonymous]

Rounded kids look for: Open curriculum schools, most liberal arts schools, other universities that publicize their cross curriculum studies (these are being advertised more prominently now, and likely in response to every applicant trying to look pointy, when schools know they want and need well rounded kids too), and schools that have essays asking things like "how will you take advantage of all our shcool has to offer" (e.g. Cornell's essay for Arts and Sciences is asking how are your round, while the Art and Architecture school's essay asks how are you pointy?).

[Anonymous]

Mine is extremely intelligent, ADHD, dabbled in all sports and other activities but never was a star. Grades were good, but not amazing. His amazing SAT scores got him into a really good school.

[Anonymous]

Your 9th grade son hasn’t declared a major yet? I am shocked.

Seriously for now focus on high school and stop worrying about getting your DS into college. I am sure plenty of parents here can comment on their kids changing direction in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do I get my DS 9th grader to focus: he likes to dabble in a variety of things (theater, math, history, science, lit) but can't seem to find his passion in any one thing. He has straight As in school but has not really shown a true passion for any ONE or TWO things. I am truly stumped with this kid! I'm searching through my memories to see if he was passionate about any one thing in ES or earlier, but he's always been a very happy, well-adjusted kid who was always game for anything: math workbooks? sure. writing games? why not. science museum? sure. theater camp? sure. soccer? sure. baseball? sure. chess? sure. Aaargh! The result has been that he's very adaptable and switches modes easily. A little too easily.

It's time to start thinking of college, and I need help to guide him forward and find some passion. How do I do that if he doesn't know what he's truly passionate about? How have you kindled this in your high schoolers?

Sorry to interrupt the college decision season and TiA!

Calm down! It should be absolutely normal for kids to explore their interests in their youth. This post screams of your own anxiety and issues and you are going to 100% push that on your kid if you don't chill out. You can keep a eye on the long game - college admissions - but don't wrap your 14 year old up in that yet. Even then, it's not the end of the world if your DS goes to college undecided. As a parent of 1 kid who knew early and 1 who didn't. It all works out - and for the best if they're allowed to find what they enjoy instead of it being forced on them.

[Anonymous]

I don't know. I'm a lawyer and hate being one. I'm envious of my colleagues who are passionate about their work. I was a generalist and never passionate about one thing in particular in college. Think life is much better if you have a passion for what you are doing.