As a mom, former UVA admissions insider, and a professional college counselor, I’m often asked where I hope my children will go to college. Well, I have quintuplets, so my college tuition bill will grow at precisely the rate my need for a five-seater stroller did in 2017: rapidly–and supersized. That means when it comes to college, my goal for my kids isn’t prestige.
My aim is value (which is also my only hope for financial survival). Joking aside, my days are spent analyzing the ever-changing world of college admissions. I’m thinking hard about how these changes shape our relationships with our children. So in my debut article with CharlottesvilleFamily, I’m sharing the things parents can do differently as the family gets ready for kids to head to college. These small changes can dramatically improve your teens’ experience with the college search process. Here is my advice for college readiness in Charlottesville: beyond straight A’s.
AT A GLANCE: College Counseling in Charlottesville & Albemarle
- Small changes in how you approach the college admissions process can change your relationship with your kids.
- Curiosity makes students stand out, so parents should cultivate a learning mindset in the family by focusing on creativity and exploration.
- Kids are compared to their peers in college admissions. Showing dedication to a particular interest, activity, or job will help them stand out more than resume stuffing.
- Starting college visits in late middle or early high school can be fun family bonding, as well as taking pressure off the application process in junior and senior year.
Three Ways To Help CvilleKids Get College Ready Beyond Resume Stuffing
1. Foster a Family Culture of Creativity and Curiosity
I get it: families are busy, and grades are easy to focus on. But, hear me when I say grades aren’t everything they used to be.
Studies from the College Board (2023) indicate that the share of students reporting GPAs in the A range has grown much faster than evidence of college readiness. Grade inflation is accelerating, which means classroom marks are less connected to actual performance.
Colleges know this. They complain about it. They long for the good ’ole days when students wanted to learn for the sake of learning. In 2025, curiosity is the true marker of an exceptional student.
So, what can you do about it? Don’t stop encouraging your kid to work hard in school; grades do still matter. But even more than that, encourage curiosity in your child.
Share in the excitement of learning something new in your own life. Download educational podcasts for road trips. I personally love Smash Boom Best or Brains On! For older kids, try some of the many offerings on Radiolab.
Another way to help your kids develop into lifelong learners is to remember the importance of letting kids do hard things.
Audiobooks are also great for road trips. Or, you can put them on for younger kids during their calm-down time at night.
Weave learning and discovering into your family travel plans. I know this might sound exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re planning a trip to the Outer Banks, include a trip to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse & Island Farm for some reflection on times long ago. Or, if you’re going to visit grandparents in Florida, consider visiting the Space Center and discussing the history of the Space Race as a family.
Learning is exciting for kids, but it needs to start with the parents. Make learning and exploring part of the way your family enjoys your time together to cultivate curious, creative kids.
2. Remember That Context Counts
We have a wealth of outstanding educational opportunities here in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. No high school is “better” than another, and the right one will depend on your kids. However, it’s important to remember that in college admissions, children are compared to their peers from the same high school.
Not sure which school is going to be best for your child? Read our research-based advice on picking the right school for your child.
What Charlottesville Parents Need to Know about college readiness: If nine students from your child’s school apply to the same college, the college will review those applications together in the same evaluation pool. If the college is a school that admits about 30% of the applicant pool, it would admit the top three of those nine students, waitlist two or three, and then reject the remainder.
This can become a challenge if your child is interested in one of Virginia’s outstanding in-state colleges (like my children will be). Most likely, a lot of the kids from their high school will also be applying.
How can your kid stand out in the context of their school? If they’re top of their class, sure, that will probably help. But being valedictorian isn’t the only way to excel. Instead, look at what your kid is already doing and exploring, then help cultivate those interests.
- Extracurriculars: Has your kid shown dedication to a particular sport, art, hobby, or musical instrument for years? Help them experience different forms of what they love. If it’s music, could they try a symphonic band and rock band? Or maybe marching band? Or if it’s art, could they try charcoal instead of pastels? If it’s cross-country, could they also try track?
- Service: Does your child volunteer or take on positions of leadership in their community? Are they politically active? Colleges really value sustained commitment. Help your child find something they love and encourage them to stick with it. Check out volunteermatch.org–their recent merger with Idealist has created a great resource for parents.
- Family: Some families need their kids to help out at home, rather than having time for activities. Have they held down a job for years? Cared for younger siblings or older relatives?
Don’t pressure your child to be a high achiever in every field possible. Colleges have caught on to the resume stuffers. Instead, watch where your child already wants to focus their time and enthusiasm. Your job as a parent is to support that as much as you can.
Then, when it comes time for college, help your kid brainstorm ways to showcase their dedication, enthusiasm, growth, and achievements. Essays are one way to do this. Many colleges will also let applicants submit additional materials, such as a portfolio of costume designs they made for the theatre department or a short film your kid has produced and directed on their own.
Let their interests and achievements take the spotlight, even if they don’t look like a “traditional” path, if you want them to stand out among their peers.
Looking for more ways to foster creativity and encourage your middle or high-schooler’s interests? Check out our guide to the best Charlottesville summer camps for teens and how to support every learning style.
3. Start Local College Visits Early
Many parents plan to start college visits once their child hits junior year. Don’t do this. It will be stressful, hot, and overcrowded. And most of all, your teen will be miserable. I say it again: don’t wait to start college visits during your child’s junior year of high school.
When I counsel Charlottesville families, I encourage them to start seeing colleges in seventh or eighth grade. This is meant to be a fun opportunity to learn. So as parents, your goal is to show your child all of the different types of colleges: big university, small liberal arts school, a college town, a rural campus, an urban campus… you get the drift.
If you start early, there’s no need to do week-long college trips. You can easily add a college visit to your family vacation every year.
- Going to the Outer Banks for a beach vacation? Take a peek at Davidson College or UNC-Wilington (an up-and-coming favorite!).
- Going to Northern California for a work trip? Consider taking your kiddo with you and visiting Santa Clara. They have some tremendous opportunities (think combo degree of engineering+business) given their placement right there in Silicon Valley.
- Going to visit the grandparents in New England? Go see the University of Connecticut (they love their basketball!) or Amherst College. They have a really interesting curriculum that has no requirements: students can take whatever they want!
College visits should just be that–visits. No need for pressure or judgment. Look around, eat at a local restaurant, and explore the list of majors. Ask your children their opinions (try to reserve your opinions for another time) and give them space to be interested in many things.
Making college visits a long-term plan, rather than a race, will give your kids a better sense of their options. And when they know what’s out there, they’ll be better able to define their choices and interests as they get older.
The Best Mindset for Parents During College Admissions
The most important thing for parents to realize during the college admissions process is that there are thousands—yes, thousands—of fantastic colleges out there. In state. Across the country. Urban. Rural. Small. Huge. International. You can find great schools all over.
Don’t let U.S. News & World Report rankings convince you otherwise. Those lists are more about exclusivity than outcomes. A harder-to-get-into school isn’t automatically a better place for your child to thrive.
As you cultivate a mindset of curiosity in your child, take time to be curious yourself. Be open to your child’s opinion. Follow their lead and interests, and you’re more likely to come out of the college admissions process with a strong parent-child relationship.
And remember that you’re not in this alone. Lean on other parents and true college experts to support you and your family during this exciting time.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PREPARING FOR COLLEGE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
What are local Charlottesville resources to help families prepare for their college search?
Starhill Pathways has wonderful resources for families as they approach the college process. The College Board’s planning website is also full of helpful information. Check out bigfuture.org. Many companies like mine, College Solutions, host free Charlottesville webinars about the ever-changing world of college admission. Get on the mailing lists of companies like this and benefit from their community education.
How much do SAT/ACT scores matter for college admissions right now?
During COVID, nearly all colleges were test-optional. Now, the pendulum is swinging the opposite direction and most colleges are trending back towards requiring either an ACT or an SAT score. I suggest that students start preparing for this sort of test in the summer prior to junior year. Magoosh is a great app that helps students with preparation. Khan Academy is also full of great resources.
What is the top quality that colleges look for in applicants?
Initiative. Colleges want students who are inspired doers. Whether it is academia, volunteerism, or athletics, colleges value students who pursue their interests and develop a strong point of view.
Ready to Help Your Charlottesville Teen Thrive in College and Beyond?
Explore more local resources for high school and college planning on CharlottesvilleFamily and Contact a Local College Advisor.
MARGARET BOLTON BAUDINET is a nationally recognized college admissions expert and CEO of College Solutions, where she has guided hundreds of students to top-choice universities domestically and abroad. A former University of Virginia admissions professional, she is known for strategic, personalized advising and innovative programming that reaches students nationwide. She has guided hundreds of local students toward their best-fit colleges, helping them build confidence, purpose, and standout applications. A UVA graduate with Highest Distinction and an Oxford Research Fellow, Margaret lives in Crozet, Virginia, with her husband, eight-year-old quintuplets, and their almost-two-year-old “bonus baby.”
