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predictions The Way There KEITH BERMAN helps make college prep mean more than flling out forms Could we at Options for College preparatory program devise a curriculum that goes beyond simply helping students get into college to helping them discover who they really are and what they want to achieve? Could we create a real defnition of college preparatory in a world where package and match seemed to be the buzz words instead of grow and achieve? And so was born The Way There, a program that not only helps students gain admission to the college of their choice, but also allows them to get the most out of the application experience. We began with the Collection Phase, in which students took self-inventory, and learned to articulate their true interests. We found that by counseling students to drop electives and activities they didn't enjoy and focus instead on those that they genuinely liked, they achieved great success. From there, we moved on to the college Selection and Application Phases (yes, those forms are important!). The results were remarkable, as many students who were written of as lazy or not smart enough, increased their grades and SAT scores, gaining admittance to a roster of colleges that included Yale, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Brown and Harvard. One B student switched from electives and clubs she didn't like, and was by the 10 | SUMMER 2013 | FAIRWEATHER next year speaking Vietnamese and getting A's. Another went from keeping a diary to publishing its contents online, winning editors' choice awards and creating a regular readership of more than 15,000 teens. In recent years, we added a component for students as early as eighth grade that helped steer them away from randomly picking up a tuba or studying dance, to helping them realize success before the college admissions process begins. It all starts with the same question: "Why not our kids?" KEITH BERMAN is founder and president of the preparatory program, Options for College (optionsforcollege.com). He holds degrees from Harvard, Yale and the Bank Street College of Education. courtesy of options for college Years ago, at a National Association of College Admission Counseling conference, a speaker suggested that the group change its name to the National Association of College Application Completion. Listening to the laughter, I wondered how the challenge of guiding our future leaders, artists, thinkers and innovators had become a clerical process.