The Reality of Teenagers, 2009

This is a reprint of an article by Teressa Sink, that will appear in the Estates at Cullen Park Newsletter this month. I got this article and can totally relate since I have a senior at MCHS this year.

My experience with getting into college was this: I decided I wanted to go to A&M when I was a Junior at Stratford. I was in the top 1/2! :( of my class. I applied only to A&M early in my senior year. Had no volunteer hours, no extracurricular activities except riding my horse and working at Whataburger, no resume. Did not have to write an essay. Took the SAT. My next concern was having enough recs to get in a sorority. Then, the day we got out for Christmas Break I received my acceptance letter! That's it. The rest of my senior year I coasted, graduated and hit College Station and my own apartment 1 week before I turned 18! Thus started the best 5 years of my life...

Read below and see how things have changed! The girls below attend MCHS.

The Reality of Teenagers in 2009

Teenagers these days seem to have more responsibilities, expectations & pressures than they did in years past. As a parent you’d like to see them being productive, not sleeping their summer away and with any luck earning some of their own money so they will get out of yours. However, since most parents aren’t total slave drivers you’d also like to see them have some time to be carefree relax & enjoy their youth. Contrary to popular belief, we CAN recall what it’s like to be young.

I live with 2 of these teenage creatures and I can tell you they carry much more on their plates at 15 & 17 than I ever did at their age. I’m amazed at what they juggle.

Their reality is this: If you want to go to college and aren’t going to be automatically admitted by being in the top 10% of your class or acing the SAT/ACT you have to have a glowing resume, yes resume, to increase your odds of being accepted to the university of your choice. Things are VERY competitive for these kids. They are expected to be involved….play a sport, join clubs, be in the band, drill team, cheer squad….and that’s just at school. In addition, the universities want to see they’ve put in time volunteering and working some paid jobs too. Oh and don’t forget they are expected to have above average grades too in challenging classes.

Morgan, my 17-year-old senior, is working very hard to meet these challenges. She has played varsity sports all 4 years of high school & is currently focusing on volleyball where she holds the position of outside hitter. Her jobs of choice have been life guarding, babysitting and most recently being a red cross certified swim instructor. Some of her most interesting experiences, however, have stemmed from her over 200 hours of volunteer work she has done during the past 4 years. She is currently a Junior Volunteer at Texas Children’s Hospital where she gives 12 hours of her week to entertaining children seeking medical treatment there. Some of her other volunteer experiences include a mission trip to Matamoras to help build a small home for a family, going to Colorado to help at an Easter Seals camp for disabled children, working booths at the annual Children’s Festival & painting parking spaces @ the high school to name a few.

Erin, her 15-year-old sister, is right behind her taking notes and attempting to align herself in the same manner. Her sport of choice is cheerleading. She’s currently on the JV squad @ MCHS. In addition, she’s the Vice President of her class, a member of the sign language club and takes dance lessons outside of school twice a week. Even as a sophomore she has accumulated over 70 hours of volunteer service.

Both girls do all these extra things while taking challenging classes and somehow manage to make the honor roll. Neither, however, is currently in the top 10% of their very competitive classes & therefore will not be automatically admitted to a university of their choice making all this extra stuff critical.

I don’t know about you, but back in the dark ages when I was a high school senior, I woke up one day, late in my senior year, & decided which college I would attend. My ability to attend college wasn’t hinged on how many activities I was involved in or how many volunteer hours I had. I wound up in the top 25% of my class and that alone was enough to write my ticket anywhere I wanted to go. In fact, had I been required to assemble a resume at their age my main accomplishment would have been being social. It was a talent I mastered well I might add. It just isn’t that way anymore.

So, sometimes when I want to mount my broom & nag at them for not cleaning their room or sleeping too late, I take a step back & think of all the things they’ve juggled successfully at such young ages. More often than not I take a deep breath, exhale and let them be. They deserve some down time.