Who Do You Think You Are? Three Crucial Conversations For Coaching Teens To College And Career Success

Who Do You Think You Are? helps parents, guidance counselors, and administrators get students thinking about—and interested in—their future careers. Success in college and beyond relies on thorough prior preparation; by identifying interests and passions early on, students are better able to plan for the career they want by mapping out the academic path to support it. This book shows you how to guide your students along on this journey, and how to stick with them until they reach the goals they've set. From helping them discover just what it is they're interested in, to finding the institution that will help them flourish and setting out a clear "plan of attack," this book provides invaluable insight from an expert in student success.

No one expects every student to have a definitive life plan by high school graduation, but having some idea of direction is critical. Nearly 3.3 million students will graduate high school this year, and most will head straight to college—but less than 30 percent will complete a two-year degree within four years, and less than 60 percent will earn their bachelor's within six years. Those who do succeed have done so because they've planned their work and worked their plans. This book shows you how to help your student be one of the success stories.

• Map out an academic plan to support the student's field of interest
• Identify the best-fit institution to get them where they want to be
• Balance support and independence throughout your student's journey
• Help your student be prepared for college so they can succeed far beyond

Adults know that success in life comes from plenty of hard work and thorough preparation—but for your students, that lesson is just now beginning to hit home. Who Do You Think You Are? helps you guide them through the transition successfully, so they can come out the other side exactly where they want to be.

STEPHEN M. SMITH is CEO of Intellispark, an education technology company. He is vice chair of the board of College Possible, a member of the board of the National College Access Network, and a cofounder of Naviance. He previously served as president and chief product officer at Hobsons, where he focused on helping students achieve college and career readiness and success.

SHAUN FANNING is chief product officer at Intellispark and a cofounder of Naviance. He previously served as vice president of research and development at Hobsons, where he led new product initiatives focused on improving student success. Earlier in his career, he held a variety of roles in business analysis, finance, technology, marketing, and product management at AT&T and The Thomson Corporation (now Thomson Reuters).