Students moving from high school to college in the United States typically confront a bewildering set of largely unstructured options. In the absence of clear signals about how to get the most out of college, they often choose pathways that involve limited academic rigor and engagement. In this article, Richard Arum describes a study that followed 1,666 students through four years of college and beyond. Arum and his colleagues found that these students' critical thinking, complex thinking, and writing skills (as measured by the Collegiate Learning Assessment, or CLA) often did not grow much through four years of college. Those who did score well on the CLA at graduation--and who took advantage of internships, apprenticeships, or formal school/job placement services--had better early labor market outcomes. Arum advocates that high school counselors and teachers, instead of focusing on getting students into college, adopt a life-course perspective. High schools can better prepare students to thrive in college by encouraging them to take more advanced placement courses, helping them understand the choices they will face in college, and building their sense of purpose and meaning.