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10 Massive Problems Faced by College-bound High School Students

I've got something important to share with you today, and it's been weighing on my mind lately. It's about our kids, their futures, and how we're not quite getting it right.

Author

Bryan Besecker
October 02, 2024

I’m Bryan, Co-Founder of PathSpark. We empower high school students through self-assessments and coaching to gain purpose and clarity on what life looks like after graduation. 🎓

Know a high school student struggling to figure out next steps? Respond to this email, I’d love to talk to you.

We've all heard the mantra: "Go to college, get a good job." But here's the thing–it's not working out for a lot of people. In fact, it's causing some real problems.

Beats get em up

The data speaks for itself: skyrocketing student debt, declining teen mental health, skill gaps, elevated dropout rates, and widespread graduate dissatisfaction.

While I’m not anti-college at all, I can say with 100% confidence we need to do better, for both students and educators. 

What I’ve heard and learned is really not ok.

What would you do if a 10th grader told you she was a failure because she didn’t know what she wanted to do and how to figure it out?

How would you feel if educators from an under-resourced school told you “so we’re honestly just trying to get the kids to graduate.” 

Hearing and learning these things changed the course of my life, and I just couldn’t walk away from it.

I explain why it’s time for change in a blog post called  "10 Massive Problems Faced by College-bound High School Students.”

Some food for thought: 

  • Did you know that 3 out of 4 high school grads feel like they're stumbling into the dark after graduation? That's because we're not giving them a real roadmap.

  • And get this–most only have a handful of conversations about their future with their school counselors. How are they supposed to figure things out? Our counselors are overwhelmed and need help. 

  • Meanwhile, we're spending less than 1% of our education budget on career and technical education. Talk about missing the mark!

  • But here's what really gets me–the toll this is taking on teens’ mental health. 58% of young adults lack “meaning or purpose”. The anxiety, the stress, the feeling of being overwhelmed and lost... it's not okay.

I'm not just here to point out problems.

At PathSpark, we're working hard to change this story. We want to help teens find their spark, figure out what they're passionate about, and build a future they're excited about–whether that includes college or not.

If you know a student who's feeling lost or overwhelmed about their future, send them our way. We're here to help.

I'd love to hear what you think about all this. Drop me a line, share your thoughts. Together, we can make a real difference for the next generation.

Thanks for being part of this important conversation.

With gratitude, 

Bryan