We asked our parents to share their advice, guidance and feedback in order to provide valuable insight for parents who are considering College Excel for their young adult.
Following are a set of questions we asked our parents to answer. These are the answers given by one parent who currently has a student enrolled in College Excel.
What advice would you give to new College Excel parents? Make sure this is what your kid wants!
What resources would you advise new CE parents to use? Parent weekend seminars in Bend. Meeting in person with other parents is great, we share a common bond, know the same depth of care, struggle, and concern for our kids and their future.
What surprised you most about your student’s or your College Excel experience? We really noticed how strongly he wanted to be independent, to take responsibility. He had never verbalized this desire, but leaped at the opportunity. His room was remarkably neat and organized, and he jumped right into owning cooking his meals, grocery shopping, cleaning. etc.
In your opinion, what did your student like most about the CE experience? Independence and an opportunity to succeed. And, as he became more and more involved in the community the more he felt like he belonged.
What did you like the most? His independence, the quality of the staff support, especially coaches and tutors.
What were the most challenging parts for you? Initially, just the concern that he wouldn’t make it past the first week (which he did easily).
What were the most challenging parts for your student? Roommate issues were pretty rough with his first roommate.
How did you interact with your student during their College Excel experience that was helpful? Reassuring him that we were behind him, encouraging when concerns about failure arose, redirecting him to use CXL coaches and staff to work out the rough spots, and letting him know that College Excel was not going to kick him out of the program (which he thought could happen).
What was unhelpful? Pushing class choice too quickly, instead need him to be in the right place, at the right level, at the right pace.
What would you tell parents considering College Excel? The independence coupled with the coaches is a unique opportunity. It’s working for our son! And, three is a real opportunity to be part of a community where each is accepted.
What did you learn about yourself during your CE experience? It was good to back off and ease off on the tendency to overprotect.
What would you tell a student about being a parent? We are here to protect, guide, and our goal is to provide our children, to launch our children to the best of our abilities.
What advice would you give a student about relating to their parents? Keep the dialogue going! It takes respect, honor, and hard work, but it’s worth it.
What was the most important change you made that had the biggest impact on your student, yourself, your relationship with your student? When one course path wasn’t working, explore new paths, and find one that resonates with your student. Don’t wander, choose, but be willing to adjust if it’s not a fit. One other item to bring up which was very important was maintaining the therapy sessions (remote over Facetime) with our son’s therapist. It provided continuity, and complemented what CXL was providing.
What appealed to you about College Excel when you considered it as an option for your student? Independence, a chance to be in college with great support, independent of parents. A track history of over 15 years serving kids.
What in your mind was a highlight of your student’s experience while at College Excel? Working with events coordinator to set up events he came up with.
What was the boundary or incentive that created the biggest motivation for your student to change? When he honed in on the major he wanted to pursue.
Looking back, what questions would you ask during the admissions process? I can’t think of any questions that we did not ask.
How do you feel your students coach impacted their experience? Huge, huge, huge
What do you wish you had known before your student started College Excel? A better understanding of where his niche would be in the academic setting. Myer-Briggs and other assessments helped identify his strengths.