When I graduated from high school I knew I wanted to go to a big university with good academics, fun sports teams, plenty of social options, etc. If I wouldn't have gotten into BYU I would have gone to one of the UC's in CA or ASU or something.

Now that I have kids, it's interesting to think about their futures, given their unique desires and needs. And now that I'm older, I realize of course that there are so many viable paths for all the different types of people there are.

My oldest son is bright and gets good grades, but not wildly academically ambitious. He's social and active and likes to be in the mix. My guess is he'll end up at a pretty big state school or university that has a good social atmosphere where he can make connections and he'll likely end up in sales jobs when he graduates.

My younger son is more ambitious and less social. I think he'll end up in a more technical, specialized field. After high school he'll probably go to a smaller college or a technical school and then I'm sure will get a graduate degree of some kind after that.

With the labor shortages in the US right now, I think trade schools and technical schools are a great option again. A lot of those jobs — especially if you're willing/able to run your own business — can make you a great living and provide a lot of career satisfaction.