The Case of Sophie

The Case of Sophie
Introduction
Sophie is about to graduate from high school. She applied to eight small liberal arts colleges and was accepted to all of them. Although everyone else thought she would be accepted everywhere she applied, she didn�t think so. Now, she has an unanticipated decision to make and she has no idea how to go about figuring out where she will go to college.
Sophie is a very bright student and has always been involved in gifted and talented programs in elementary and middle school and then in Honors classes and AP courses. She did well in all her courses and when being honest with herself, she acknowledges that she does well in all subjects and sports (she could have lettered in a sport each season if she wanted to). Sophie has not only taken just about every advanced program at her high school but has also been taking courses at the University during her senior year. Again, she took a variety of subjects� math, foreign language, and genetics and she loved all of them.
Her friends and brothers have always envied her but she doesn�t see it the same way. Being good at everything makes life very confusing for her. How does one decide what to give up and what to pursue? Someone told her to stop whining and be happy that she is a success but her problem is that she has never thought about her preferences� what does she like best? What kind of work would she enjoy? What does she want to study? Although others can�t understand her worries, they feel very real to her and she is experiencing quite a bit of stress. The deadline to reserve her space in the incoming freshman class is looming.
First Meeting with Sophie
During your initial interview, Sophie expresses confusion about her impending decisions. She did say that she had made one small decision that eliminated two of the possible eight schools. She decided to stay in the Midwest so that she could drive back and forth between home and school. That leaves the following choices: Macalester, Beloit, Carlton, Grinnell, Earlham, and Lawrence.
Question Set #1:
Now that you have read a brief bio of Sophie, how would you work with her during your first meeting together? Where would you begin? What would your goals be? Summarize the important issues. Is there a theory that would provide direction? If so, describe the theory and why you think it will be useful during your work with Sophie. If not, what will you use as your �road map�? (Don�t forget to use the resources and ideas that we have discussed in this class as you put together your plan.)
Second Meeting with Sophie � Five Days before she needs to decide which college she will attend
Question Set #2:
I�d like you to build on the work that you completed during the first session. I�m expecting that during the first session, you somehow helped her to find out more about herself, her interests, her passions, her vocational self-concept, and which college will provide the kind of environment and education she is looking for. How would you follow up with her to be sure that she is ready to decide?