<p>Re Rollins: It doesn't always work the way it apparently has for Northstarmom's son. A neighbor kid went down there a few years ago and came home a few years later with a police record, no degree, and a case of the DTs. He wasn't a straight-edge kid when he left home, but he WAS a recruited athlete who had always kept his "partying" in check to make certain he was performing in his sport.</p>
<p>I don't know how much of what happened to him could have been avoided. For all I know, he could have partied himself out of West Point. But I would look carefully before sending a kid to Rollins (or any LAC) with the belief that the safety net is really there.</p>
<p>Friends S was exactly like that - perfect SATs, brilliant, CTY every year, but BORED to tears in the classroom, and grades showed it. Apparently there is a niche for such a student at Hampshire College, he would have gone there if the finances were right, he did get into the public here and has his moments, but he is doing OK....</p>
<p>JHS-It is not fair to blame the college for this sort of behavior. College isn't like high school, there are new kids, new experiences, less supervision-etc. If a kid decides to make those type of choices, then they will be able to find them at any school they go to. It is more the person, than the college they attend.</p>
<p>Forgive me for not reading through all the posts, but a friend's son got a very nice scholarship from Occidental in LA. Very smart kid (bro at Reed)--but not as motivated in high school as he could have been. His parents were pretty surprised about the merit $$ (but didn't complain).</p>
<p>Stimulation often comes from the caliber and interests of the students at any particular college. If I were this kid's parent, I would shoot for the schools with the smartest students. For people even far up into the middle class income range, need based aid at the top schools can be very generous.
I have a co-worker whose daughter had a similar high school experience and aced her 2 part SAT- 1600. She attended Hampshire. After a couple weeks, she described Hampshire as "summer camp with homework". She spent much of her time taking classes at the other four colleges in the consortium. She liked her fellow Hampshire students. She just found the expectations there abysmally low.</p>
<p>In regard to being happier, challenged, I believe it is important to have EC's, get involved, being part of a group of similar intellectual level / interests, maybe minor degree for some, sport team for others. There are tons of ways, it is not just academics. In addition, Honors programs at most schools have relatively high caliber students. Most in my D's Honor's are HS valedictorians.</p>