In Catholic education, the phrase “college preparatory” is more than a label; it reflects a tradition of academic rigor, faith and moral formation, and a commitment to excellence. Our schools have long been places of transformation, shaping not only minds but hearts. Yet in today’s complex educational landscape, we’re invited to deepen that promise by ensuring that transformation includes the skills students need to thrive in college and beyond.
The big question to ask ourselves is: Are we preparing students to be successful throughout college, or simply to get in?
The distinction matters. While Catholic schools boast impressive graduation rates and college enrollment figures such as 99% graduate, 86% enroll (NCEA, 2023), these metrics don’t tell the full story. Nationally, nearly one in four college students fail to return for their sophomore year and among part-time students, the retention rate drops below 60% (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2023). These numbers reveal a troubling gap between readiness and persistence.
So what’s missing? The answer is twofold.
One lies in executive functioning, which is a set of cognitive and emotional skills that allow students to manage their time, regulate their emotions, advocate for themselves, and adapt to new challenges. These are not soft skills. They are survival skills. And they are often assumed to develop passively, rather than taught intentionally.
The other lies in the will of school leaders to transform the high school experience to reflect the needs of young people entering college today versus forty years ago.
The Myth of Passive Development
Too often, schools operate under the assumption that executive functioning will emerge naturally through academic rigor and structured environments. College presents a radically different reality. Students must navigate unstructured schedules, complex social dynamics, and high-stakes decision-making, all without the scaffolding they’ve relied on in high school.
Consider daily life: Are our students consistently managing their time, completing tasks independently, and making thoughtful decisions? Or are these skills masked by external structure and adult oversight?
Academically, we celebrate high achievement. But beneath the surface, are students truly equipped to organize complex assignments, sustain attention across multiple modalities, and retain information under pressure?
Socially, we emphasize community and character. Yet college requires emotional regulation, self-advocacy, and the ability to navigate diverse relationships. Are we creating environments where these skills are practiced and refined, or merely preached?
And when it comes to long-term goals, do our students know how to set meaningful objectives, adapt when plans falter, and persevere through ambiguity? Or are they entering college with a transcript full of achievements but little experience in personal strategic planning?
Catholic Education’s Unique Opportunity
Catholic schools are uniquely positioned to address this challenge. Our mission is not just academic, it’s formational. We aim to develop the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. This holistic vision provides fertile ground for cultivating executive functioning in ways that align with our values. This requires intentionality on the part of the school.
We must move beyond the assumption that structure equals skill. Instead, we need to embed executive functioning into the curriculum, advisory programs, and spiritual formation. That means teaching students how to plan, reflect, regulate, and advocate-not just in theory, but through lived experience.
It also means tracking what matters. Graduation and enrollment are important, but they’re not enough. Catholic schools must begin monitoring alumni persistence, transfer rates, and degree completion. Only then can we assess whether our preparation truly endures.
A Call to Action
If we want “college preparatory” to mean more than a marketing label, we must interrogate our practices. Are we cultivating executive functioning intentionally, or relying on tradition and structure to carry the weight?
We need school leaders, boards, and counselors to rethink the growing employment opportunities and career paths available for students in the 2020’s and to the future in the 2030’s. What exists for students to build a successful life, one with a sustainable family income, growth potential, as well as personally fulfillment?
Let’s teach our students to manage their time, regulate their emotions, and advocate for their needs. Let’s prepare them to set goals, adapt to change, and persevere through uncertainty. Let’s ensure that when they walk across the graduation stage, they’re not just ready for college, they’re ready to build a better life for themselves.
In the end, college readiness isn’t about acceptance letters. It’s about formation. And Catholic education, at its best, is formation that lasts.
-Dan Heding
