College coaching is a broad term, encompassing many kinds of support that are available to students. As of yet, there is no widely accepted definition of what college coaches do, no agreed upon standards of practice or required credentials. For parents, this can be confusing and frustrating. Different people who all call themselves college coaches, or college consultants, offer very different services and employ very different approaches.
It is helpful to begin with what College Success Coaching is not. It is not subject-specific tutoring. It is also not mental health counseling. And it is not strictly primarily executive function support.
College Success Coaching is a holistic approach to supporting your student in college that looks at all the dimensions of your student’s life (academic, social and emotional) to help them navigate whatever challenges they may be facing. And sometimes, even absent specific challenges, students just benefit from regular check-ins with someone who can help them set goals, reflect on their progress, hold them accountable, make good decisions, and generally get the most out of their college experience.
Because College Success Coaching is holistic and multi-faceted, there is an almost endless list of potential things that emerge in coaching sessions: study skills and executive function issues; issues with anxiety or social adjustment; roommate conflicts; figuring out what to major in or how to apply for a summer internship; problems accessing the right support services on campus; recovering from a lengthy illness that disrupted the student’s academic progress; dealing with health or family issues that are preventing the student from doing their best work, to name just a few.
There is no single, “typical” coaching session; conversations unfold organically and the coach and student explore whatever may be on the student’s mind at any particular time. Frequently, a conversation that begins with one issue (“I’m frustrated that I studied hard for that test, but didn’t do as well as I expected”) but evolves into a conversation about other issues (the student’s relationship to the subject, feelings about the professor’s teaching style, sleep habits, or time management questions).
Your College Success Coach is experienced in working with college students of all backgrounds and interests. The first and most important benefit of working with a coach is that you have someone in your corner who has the time to get to know you and offer guidance no matter what issues may arise, or when. And because your college success coach doesn’t have hundreds of other students to deal with, you never have to wait for an appointment or for a response to your inquiry.
In addition, your College Success Coach will work with other professionals, both on campus and in the community, to support your student if he feels that additional expertise is needed. This could include referrals to others with expertise in mental health counseling, subject tutoring, career counseling, or executive function coaching. One of the key benefits of working with a College Success Coach is that you have one “point person” who is keeping an eye on all aspects of your student’s experience to ensure that they are getting the support they need when they need it. Think of your college coach as your “primary care provider” who will refer you to specialists, as needed.
In general, students will complete an extensive intake survey before the first meeting with a College Success Coach to gather the information that will guide the coaching relationship. The coach and the student together will determine a schedule of meetings, generally by Zoom, to ensure consistency of communication. The student, his or her parent, and the coach will review and sign a coaching agreement to ensure that everyone is aware of expectations and guidelines for a productive coaching relationship.