The Journey

Rooted in humorous stories distilled with bits of sagely honest advice, The Journey goes beyond the well-chronicled college admissions madness and cuts to the core of parental angst with concrete suggestions for preparing children for a competitive and rapidly changing world. Young people face an increasing medley of challenges as they pursue higher education—rising tuition costs, daunting prospective student debt, and a talented and competitive applicant pool. After a decade of preparing students for the ever more difficult admissions process, college counselor Greg Kaplan wishes parents would stop thinking, “What should I do to get my kid into a good college?” and instead ask: “How can I best prepare my child for what comes next?” Having practiced law and worked in investment banking early in his career before pivoting to working with students, parents, and educators, Kaplan knows what the world—and its population of college admissions officers—is looking for in today’s youth and tomorrow's leaders: Grit. Leadership. Passion. Emphasizing these fundamental tenets of successful adulthood, The Journey paints a realistic picture of the lack of preparedness among today's youth. Using stories of parents and students who have struggled and succeeded, Kaplan pushes students to consider: What do you want to get out of your college and work career? How can you jumpstart your journey into the real world? He asks parents: Are you preparing your children to attain a life of health, happiness, and financial independence? He asks students: What do you want to get out of your college career and work career? How can you make the most of the college journey to jumpstart your journey into the real world? He asks parents: Are you preparing your children to attain a life of health, happiness, and financial independence? This book is designed to support today’s youth in identifying their passions and developing the grit and leadership skills they will need to make the most of future opportunities. The Journey calls on parents to both act and refrain from acting to help their children develop into capable and independent adults and calls upon students to take control of their own futures through easy to implement steps.