Do you have car insurance? Probably. Did you wake up this morning thinking, “well, there’s a good chance I’m going to be a wreck today.” I doubt it, but by buying car insurance you nevertheless took steps to protect yourself and cover your bases in case something bad happens. We do this in many facets of our lives but when it comes to protecting a child’s academic interests, too many people throw caution to the wind.
One way students do this is by not approaching graduation cautiously. Let’s say a student who has never taken an AP class before chooses to take a graduation requirement at the AP level during the last term before graduation. What happens if that doesn’t work out? Where’s the protection? What if a student waits until the last possible SAT or ACT administration before graduation to take those tests before a college’s deadline to receive scores. What if the student comes down with the flu the night before? What if that is morning your car won’t start?
We can’t plan the specifics of if and when these things happen, but we can be aware that sometimes life doesn’t break quite the way we expected. Murphy’s Law tells us that these crazy things occur when the stakes are highest as well. You have to be aware of their possibility and find a way to insure yourself a second chance in the event they do.
Perhaps the best known way we seen this in academia is through the concept of a safety school. Too many times, I have a student say, “My preferred college’s middle range of excepted SAT scores is 1000-1400 and GPA is 3.3-3.6. I have a 3.3 and a 1010. I’m in. I’ve got this college thing all wrapped up!” Well, it doesn’t work like that. Those aren’t minimum thresholds that guarantee admission once they are achieved. Those are ballpark numbers that give you an idea of what kind of student is getting into that school. There are many additional factors that figure into the admissions process. I think the above student would be a fool to only apply to one school even if they had a 3.8 and a 1700. Crazy things happen and what if you didn’t get into that school of your dreams? Then what?
Then you look at your safety school, assuming you applied to one and bought some insurance, so to speak. If you didn’t apply to a safety school, you’re left empty handed while your friends celebrate and discuss their futures.
Applying to a safety school doesn’t mean you’re too dumb to get in the school you really want. Unfortunately, that is the message many students and parents take away from me when I tactfully try to have this same conversation. Suggesting we don’t put all of your eggs in the basket of a particular class or test is not a knock on your intelligence. Instead, it is a way to protect yourself from the unforeseen just like you did when you bought your last insurance policy. We always hope things will work out the way we plan, but….do you smell something burning?
