I’m surrounded by stretchers. Sorry, that sounds way too serious. I mean I am surrounded by a lot of people who stretch.
My wife is a physical therapist. If you’ve never been to a PT (or lived with one), good for you. We were married before she went to Physical Therapy school and I work in college admission and enrollment, so I feel qualified to make up statistics and say 50% of that degree and 75% of their advice/work surrounds stretching.
And this woman practices what she preaches. Every night. Literally… Every. Night. She stretches. On vacation, while watching the Super Bowl, inside, outside, in hotel lobbies (slightly embarrassing), when she is 100% healthy, and even when she had Covid. She’s stretching agnostic/stretching committed. I’ll give it to her- after 23 years of marriage- no days off. Cobra, child, all the dog types – she is a pro! Naturally, this positive, healthy, and consistent lifestyle has rubbed off… on my daughter. She’s also a stretcher/contortionist/masochist. I present to you Exhibit A.
Additionally, I use the Peloton app regularly. If you are part of “the Peloton family,” you know that at the end of each biking or strength class, they not only lead you in stretching, but also refer you to other instructors who lead longer and more targeted stretching classes. One click and you’re in.
Plus, with two teenagers who have each played multiple sports, I have been watching my kids, and their teammates stretch before- and often during and after games- on a weekly basis for years. Point being I have seen all the options, modifications, and variations for basically every body part.
And over all these years, what do I do while my wife stretches? I watch. Let me clarify—I watch TV. Occasionally, I’ll glance over and briefly consider how their wrists or head maintain those positions, but generally I’m focused on the game/episode/movie. What have I done when the Peloton classes end, and the stretching segments begin? I close the app- no stretching, no cool down, no exceptions.
As a distance trail runner, a middle-aged dad, and someone who has access to Google, I know flexibility is critical. Check out a few benefits provided by the Mayo Clinic:
- Improve your performance in physical activities
- Decrease your risk of injuries
- Help your joints move through their full range of motion
- Increase muscle blood flow
- Enable your muscles to work most effectively
- Improve your ability to do daily activities
Increased performance, decreased injuries, improved range of motion, flow, effectiveness and abilities? C’mon. Who wouldn’t want all of that? Well, I can think of one guy based on my historic behavior…
So, this December I took a hard look in the mirror, decided to make a change, and then gave myself another month to make a clean start.
But 2025 is here and I’ve changed both my mentality and behavior. And when it comes to college admission, you should too. Why? Flexibility is the Future!
Students, Follow The College Model.
The good news is that colleges are modeling this for you. It has been well-documented that due to the slowdown in the American birth rate during the Great Recession, the annual number of high school graduates is declining (aka The Demographic Cliff). Additionally, more students are exploring post-secondary options other than college, and other countries (Spain, Netherlands, Japan, etc.) are aggressively competing to not only to keep their own students, but also to recruit students for university.
With shrinking demand at the “top of the funnel” both domestically and internationally, US colleges are reassessing their traditional, first-year, fall semester enrollment models. As a result, a wide variety of schools are creating various transfer options and pathways, offering online and hybrid options and standing up accelerated bachelor’s degrees and bachelor’s/ master’s programs. In recent years, universities in high demand such as NYU, Northeastern, Temple, and others have created capacity by offering students the option to start in the spring or summer semesters versus the fall term and created programs that allow students to begin their career in Europe, Central America, etc. before returning to the main campus to after a semester or two.
College is a BIG word.
As a student, what does this mean for you?
Be flexible. Challenge your concept of what your first semester or year might look like. The next time you visit a college, or one comes to your high school or city and talks about an alternative route (i.e. a different campus, semester, or location), do not look the other way or shut down like I did for so long with the great models in front of me.
Instead, if a school’s interest form or application offers you the option to learn more or be considered for their “Spring Start” or “First in France,” don’t be so stiff and rigid. Expand your concept of what college looks like. Stretch, friends. COLLEGE IS A BIG WORD!
As an example, Georgia Tech, has increased its first-year class over the last five years by 1000 students (33%). We could never have grown like this if we tried to start everyone in the fall as first-years. Why? Class sizes, course offerings, residence hall capacity, Chick Fil-a lines, and the list goes on. Instead, we now start 500 new first-year students in either the summer or Europe. But students have to be open to those alternatives. And the truth is that some are not. They see the option, read about the benefits, and turn away much like I did when both my wife and Peloton instructors invited me to stretch. So, stretch!
In recent years, creative options like Verto Education have launched. Verto helps over in demand 50 colleges from Lehigh to SMU to CU-Boulder enroll talented students they do not have the space to accommodate as first-years. Students study for their first semester, or a full year in one of five foreign countries and then transfer back to their sending institution. But “accepting that offer” from William and Mary or Baylor or Indiana will require some flexibility. Instead of the mountains of Colorado or the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia, your career might start in the mountains of Italy or the Atlantic looking west.
Remember the Mayo Clinic and all the benefits of being flexible. Stay curious, my friends. Stay open minded. Let’s be honest. It is those exact qualities that will make you a successful college student anyway. Start stretching now, people.
Parents, Don’t Stress Out… Stretch Out
When we went to college (cough) years ago, showing up in the fall and expecting to be there for four-ish years was the norm. While it may not always seem like it, your student takes their cues from you (despite the occasional eye roll). So, I am imploring you to expand/flex/stretch your mindset about what college- and college admission- looks like now.
And let’s be honest- basically everything has changed –the way students search for schools, the format and content of applications, the volume and competition, and the reputation and brand of many universities.
Then:
“The University of X? Where the kids from our school went if they could not get into…?”
“If you drove slowly down Main Street with your window open, they’d throw a diploma in.”
“On Tuesdays people were already tailgating for Saturday’s game.”
Now:
So, when your student brings you a brochure from The University of X, I am hoping you will consider it with a fresh set of eyes. That college town is now consistently written up in major national magazines as a great place for food, family, and culture; the university has invested heavily in student support and programs; their students are winning international competitions for research and prestigious scholarships and fellowships. Expand, challenge, stretch. Good old U of X may be a great match. Don’t dilute their excitement with preconceived notions.
A common question parents will ask is what role they can or should play in the college admission experience. I think it’s unrealistic and unhelpful when I hear colleagues respond that the student should fully control or drive the process.
Instead, after watching this cycle repeat itself since the late 1900’s, I think parents should focus on being the champions of perspective. You have life experience and earned wisdom. You have seen friends, colleagues, family members, and neighbors take many routes to success, fulfillment, etc. Coaching flexibility means it is also your job to help them remove phrases and words like “dream school” or “top choice” from their lexicon. Instead, perspective. Choices and options- that’s our goal. And, ultimately when it comes to college and college admission, perspective is synonymous with flexibility– a wide aperture, an open mind, and an unwavering desire to grow, learn, and explore—that’s what makes you an invaluable partner and trusted coach for your student in the college admission experience.
What are the benefits of flexibility, stretching, and expansion in your perspective of college and college admission? As previously covered– increased performance, decreased injuries, improved range of motion, flow, effectiveness, and abilities. You got this!