In this episode, I sit down with college admissions coach Kim Duckworth from Bridge Education Center to talk about helping kids expand their options after high school. Many of my listeners are parents and professionals of K-12 kids, and many of them often wonder if they're doing the right things to prepare kids for young adulthood. That's why I thought Kim would be the perfect guest to discuss this topic, because she's helped hundreds of kids successfully get in to their "dream schools". In this interview, Kim and I discuss: ✅The importance of having a plan A, plan B, and plan C when thinking about the post-high school years. ✅Common options to consider post-graduation (not just college) and how to help your child decide which one is for them. ✅The right and wrong way to do a "gap year" if your child is considering it. ✅The ONE habit your child can do to expand their options when it comes to life after high school-especially if they're considering college (spoiler alert: it has to do with vocabulary and books) ✅Why the post-high school on-ramp starts in middle school, and what you can do at each age to help children have well-rounded high school experiences. If you have a child who is considering college as a post-high school option, you don't want to miss this interview. Kim Duckworth is the author of “Parents, Are You Ready? The Practical Guide to Launching a Successful High School Student”. She is a graduate of Stanford University, where she received her B.A. in Communications-Journalism. She was the first woman in her family to attend college. She worked in Sales and Marketing for IBM in Silicon Valley and White Plains, NY for over 10 years. She has called Arizona her home for the last 25 years. Currently, Kim is an independent college admissions coach and member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. She personally consulted with over 7,500 high school families as the co-owner of Scottsdale Education Center (a college preparatory center) for over 12 years. She’s been married 35 years, has three daughters and three grandchildren. She enjoys hiking, Labrador retrievers, travel, and Telluride, Colorado You can learn more about Kim's services, including her college admission coaching services on her website here: https://parentsareyouready.com/about/ Also, I highly recommend checking out her book here: https://parentsareyouready.com/books/book/ Finally, don't forget to check out the Ultimate Guide to Sentence Structure, which helps kids build the vocabulary and syntax skills they need for strong reading comprehension and written expression. You can grab a free copy of that guide here: https://drkarenspeech.com/sentencestructure The De Facto Leaders podcast was formerly the “Are they 18 yet?®” podcast. As of November 2022, the name of the show has changed, and we’ve shifted from a focus on parenting to a focus on supporting clinicians and educators to design effective services for kids (but parents are still welcome to listen). Episodes published before November 24, 2022 will still contain some of our old branding. 
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