I recently read a book on teens that I found very compelling, and I knew right away that I wanted to use it to explore how I work with students. It’s called “The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better” by award-winning journalist Jenny Anderson and education expert Rebecca Winthrop. Based on five years of research and interviews with over 100 students, the authors identify four distinct “modes” that students use to navigate high school: Passenger, Achiever, Resister, and Explorer. 

Over the course of this four-part series, I’ll examine each mode through the lens of college admission.

The Misconception That Keeps Parents Up at Night

I can spot a Passenger from across the room during an initial consultation. They shrug when I ask about their interests, describe extracurricular activities with the enthusiasm of someone reading a phone book, and respond to questions about favorite classes with “I don’t know… they’re all kind of the same.”

Their transcripts look fine—solid B’s, maybe some A’s. Their activities list has the requisite number of entries. They’re not in trouble. But they’re not really there, either.

“They’re doing everything they’re supposed to do. They have decent grades, they’re in some clubs, they play a sport,” is what I typically hear from parents. And then, they often ask: “They should be fine for college admission, right?”

The technical answer is, yes—these students will likely get into college. But here’s what nobody tells you: Passenger Mode creates the most forgettable college applications I review.

Why Passengers Disappear in the Application Pool

Anderson and Winthrop describe Passengers as students who “do the bare minimum, often procrastinate, and disengage from learning.” In the college admission world, this creates a devastating problem: applications that look generically “fine” but completely lack the spark that selective colleges seek.

Passenger Mode applications have a distinct signature. The activities list is long but shallow—multiple clubs where the student simply “attended meetings.” The essays are technically competent but emotionally vacant. The letters of recommendation use polite but lukewarm language: “adequate,” “satisfactory,” “completes assignments on time.”

These applications don’t fail any academic test. They just don’t pass the authenticity test.

The Invisible Cost of Going Through the Motions

Students who coast through high school arrive at college without having developed the internal motivation, curiosity, or self-direction that college requires. I’ve watched Passengers get admitted to good colleges, only to struggle once they arrive because nobody is there to keep them on track.

That’s why the college application is actually the least of my concerns. The real issue is whether a student is prepared to thrive once they get there.

From Passenger to Explorer: The Transformation That Changes Everything

Anderson and Winthrop’s research shows that students aren’t stuck in Passenger Mode forever. The key is helping them find what actually interests them—not what looks good on an application, but what genuinely sparks their curiosity.

I’ve seen this transformation happen. A student discovers environmental science after a family camping trip. Another finds their voice through a creative writing elective. A third gets pulled into computer programming and suddenly spends weekends coding for fun.

When this shift happens, everything changes. The college application transforms from a checklist of obligations into a genuine reflection of who the student is. The essays become compelling because they’re authentic. The extracurricular activities have depth because the student actually cares.

What Admission Officers Actually Notice

Admission officers aren’t looking for students who did everything they were “supposed” to do. They’re looking for students who show genuine intellectual curiosity, authentic engagement, and the ability to pursue something because it matters to them—not because it looks good.

A Passenger’s application signals that the student has been going through the motions. An Explorer’s application signals genuine excitement about learning. And admission officers know which one of these students will thrive on their campus.

The Path Forward

If your student is in Passenger Mode, the solution isn’t to add more activities or stress more about grades. The solution is to help them find something—anything—that genuinely interests them, and then give them the space and support to pursue it.

This might mean fewer activities, not more. It might mean supporting an interest that doesn’t seem “academic” enough or “impressive” enough for college admission.

But here’s what I’ve learned after years in this field: authentic engagement always wins. A student who genuinely cares about something—even if it’s video game design, skateboarding culture, or baking elaborate cakes—will create a more compelling application than a student who’s racking up activities they don’t care about.

The goal isn’t to game the system. The goal is to help your student discover what makes them come alive. When that happens, the college application takes care of itself.

—

Over the course of many years as an Independent Education Consultant, I have gained expertise in helping students move from disengagement to authentic curiosity. If you’re concerned that your student is in Passenger Mode and you’d like guidance on how to help them find their spark, please contact me.