Parents and students often experience the college application process as a stressful and uncertain time. When the goal of the admissions process is simply to get into the best college you can, students miss out on a valuable opportunity to learn what their talents and values really are. But what if instead, the application process could be the key to discovering a student’s authentic self? Are applications the finish line or the start of a student’s best life? Is it the end of a marathon or the start of an exploration?

Anjali Maazel, a college counselor in Austin, TX, advocates that we foster teens’ skill development and workforce readiness through the lens of discovering and developing their authentic passions – and that the college application process is the perfect vehicle.

“Changing the conversation around college admissions is vital. Instead of focusing only on ‘getting in’ to a narrow list of schools, we should guide students to discover their mission, their source of joy, and their ability to make a difference,” Maazel told Cirkled In.

Maazel explains that many parents and students believe children must become doctors, lawyers, or engineers to succeed. This belief, combined with pressure to attend a highly ranked college, often pushes students into a “check-the-box” mindset. They focus only on getting into a good college instead of exploring who they truly are and what makes them feel happy, inspired, and connected.

Instead, citing a 2017 McKinsey study, Maazel shows how the skills developed through the arts and humanities may actually give students an edge in our automated, AI-driven future. Skills like creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and communication are all vital and highly desired by employers. Therefore, the opportunities for students to study what they love AND create a financially viable career are much broader than they typically think. Armed with this knowledge, students can then freely discover and develop their talents.

In the video above, Maazel shares her “3 D’s of Talent Development”: Discover, Develop, and Demonstrate. “This Ted Talk was designed to begin shifting the way we think of counseling teens and to provide a roadmap to connect with passion at any age. Portfolios and journaling play a large part in this process, so Cirkled In can become a valuable tool for reflection in the journey to college,” she says.

By using the application process as an opportunity to discover students’ talents and passions, connect them to their communities, and help them give back to others, we can help students develop a sense of purpose and deep connection to their authentic selves, which leads to happy, stable adulthood.