This is solid advice. Some kids need a summer dishing out frozen yogurt and reading a book in the backyard to decompress from junior year!
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Not sure I 100% agree with this - depends on the school and the parents finances, etc. Some schools want to see it or base or increase merit because of it.
But given the student isn’t interested, I do agree with laying off (said that in my initial posts) and getting a job is a great thing!!! What I found out is my student - eventually came around - took a while but she eventually did get back to it.
And the student has a 28 believe - and that’s already strong enough if it’s the worst case scenario - in the 88th percentile. The score is very solid.
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That’s what I meant, the ACT doesn’t really matter for this student. Considering the mental/motivational state the student is in, the existing good score, the family’s decent budget, the possible major of interest, and the focus on some very reasonable schools… she’ll be fine. If it were my kid, I wouldn’t breathe a word about retaking the ACT at this point unless she brought it up.
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I just wanted to add a note that it will all be OK. I just wanted to share a bit of my D22 experience. We “forced” test prep and she was miserable. She didn’t get the results she wanted from SAT so we switched to the ACT and while she did improve a bit to a 27, she only submitted her scores to schools that required them. I wish I could undo the hours she spent on 3 hour zoom calls prepping, the tears and frustration!
Realizing this is a sample of 1, but her no scores, 3.97 GPA, and good but not overwhelming ECs (HS/Club swimmer year round, special olympics coach, girls on the run coach, leadership on some school clubs etc) yielded very positive results for her. I will list the schools she was accepted to for Nursing…I think you may be interested in based on your replies:
Pitt
Delaware, Presidential Merit, Honors College
UofSC
JMU
Clemson (pre health, not nursing)
Temple
I think you have received great guidance to pull back on the conversations for now. She has some time. She will get into strong schools with a 28. And others that she feels the 28 isn’t strong enough, she can go TO.
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This student already took the ACT and got a 28. The message she is getting with the continuing tutoring is that this isn’t good enough. Imagine how you would feel if someone was telling you that what you have isn’t good enough!
There are tons of colleges where a 28 ACT will be just fine, assuming the rest of her application aligns with that. And as noted, there is always test optional.
My opinion…the whole discussion about college, and test prep need to stop now. Give this kid a break. Assure her that she is terrific just the way she is. That’s an important message.
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I studied for the SAT and got a good score and submitted but I had friends who couldn’t get a good score or who didn’t want to study and didn’t even take it and we’ve all had similar acceptances. I honestly don’t think the colleges care that much about the standardized testing anymore. I would say if your student isn’t self motivated to study (either on their own or with a tutor) then it’s not worth the time or money and the student should just apply test optional.
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I’ve read about 2/3 of the thread so far. Some thoughts/ideas/suggestions to consider:
- don’t waste your time on pushing for more test prep. Be like Elsa and let it go. Our HS’s senior counselor used to work at an elite boarding school (also as a counselor there) and her advice is that unless your SAT is 1500 or above (or the ACT equivalent), apply as test optional. The testing landscape has totally changed in the last couple of years.
- by comparison, our D24’s highest SAT so far is a 1200. She took the ACT one time in early April, took it cold w/o any prep, and got a 25. Our kid has always not been a good standardized test taker. This doesn’t mean that the kid won’t succeed at college…just means that they’re not as good as others with taking certain types of tests.
- Your D24 is probably burned out and stressed out. AP exam season is upon us all starting next week. Final exams are not that far behind. If you’ve heard of spoon theory, your D24 has only so many spoons and right now, there’s none left to devote any effort to SAT/ACT test prep.
- Stop talking about test scores.
- Instead, start maybe praising her periodically for behaviors, things she’s doing which promotes good grades, taking care of yourself, etc. The message needs to be one overall of “You’re more than a test score.”
- UT-Austin is extremely hard to get into as an OOS student.
- You need to work some more on the potential college list. You have too many reaches. You need to find 1 or 2 schools which she’d be a shoe-in to get admitted to, that you can afford, that offers major(s) which she might be interested in, and are places which she could see herself happy living at for 4 yr.
- re: GW’s CLEP program: many colleges give college credit for passing CLEP exams. It’s not just GW University.
- it’s ok if she doesn’t really know yet what she wants to major in.
- she should try to figure out what sort of vibe she prefers…urban, surburban, rural, big football school, big Greek life school, 30k+ students or 1500 students or somewhere in between, etc., etc.
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@sbinaz , thanks for your advice!
CLEP program at American is not the test for credit. It’s an academic program in their school of communications and public affairs called Communications, Law, Economics and Politics (CLEP).
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Re: your D24’s interest in politics:
Willamette University in Salem, OR might be something worth considering. It is literally across the street from the state capitol building in Oregon. It’s also about an hour’s drive to the Portland airport and Portland is also accessible by Amtrak train.
Willamette University is really great at poli sci/public policy internships…pretty awesome, in fact. The “Your College Bound Kid” podcast did an interview some time last year with one of their senior admissions directors (which is how I found out about it)…it was really informative.
I know that’s on the opposite coast of where you’re targeting, but like another poster said, take a look at some of the schools on the Colleges That Change Lives website because many of them have a lot of great internships and other programs for all different types of majors.
Re: 'looking for colleges like…"
UMass, UDel, UCONN, GWU, UGA, American, IU, Purdue, Villanova, UT-Austin, Fordham, NEU, George Mason, CMU, UPitt, Temple:
What is it specifically about these different colleges that had you put them on the list? Is it:
- location
- cost
- prestige factor
- something specific about a major or other program
- kid wants to go somewhere urban?
What sort of stuff does your D24 like to do in her free time?
Is there anything that she really loves? Anything that she thinks is cool and likes to talk about a lot?
any extracurriculars that she really enjoys?
What type of college WOULD suit your D24’s purposes?
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MORE important…what colleges would your daughter put on her application list…when she decides to make one. That really is the important metric.
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@hello06 please you have done nothing wrong! I really hope you can understand that. Whether depression, ADHD, learning challenge or just plain loss of motivation and burn out, those are NOT your fault. In fact, often the school environment and social media are big factors in teen distress these days. And some of the problems cited are brain-based, not related to home environment at all.
You came on here asking for help, which shows a lot of insight and caring. When my kid was having similar problems I actually saw a counselor myself for support. If you feel yourself overwhelmed, blaming yourself, or depressed, that can be really helpful too.
You sound like a great parent with a kid going through what a lot of kids are going through these days. It is very difficult and I just want to send you my support and admiration for seeking advice.
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Excellent points! I am seeing a counselor myself, even though my child who is struggling is 30. My counselor helps me keep everything in perspective and reminds me to take care of myself, too.
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Yes, these were kind of prepared by the entire family based on location, diversity, accessible to city and the major. My D is interested in not too urban but close to urban for internships. Based on her interested she thinks she should be close to city for better access to the internships. That’s the reason for liking GWU till recently and I don’t now what’s going on in her mind. So we’re planning to take her to the tours of all colleges possible during Summer to make her a final list while working on other things.
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Kids do internships from rural, VERY rural, urban, and suburban locations. My kids were city kids- and wanted city campuses, but if the only preference is for internship convenience, I’d take that out of the equation.
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You should find the best fit for your kid. Job access excluded.
Most will try and intern in the summer. School is filling enough time wise with clubs, Greek life etc. if you’re very lucky you’ll find an internship after 2nd year. Many not til junior year. Yes some will work during the school year.
In DC, it’s more difficult as everyone is there for the same thing. And they are hiring interns from outside the city too, from all over the country. Think about every polo Sci, Policy, Intl Relations major who are all after the same thing.
My daughter will do her schools semester in DC in the fall. She needs an internship. It’s a full time working thing plus two classes. They told her it will likely be unpaid and if she can’t find one they’ll place her with the states congressional delegation.
She did land a government job for this summer - just two weeks ago and she applied for a boat load such as the White House, council for foreign relations. Probably 50 in DC and other places like The Carter Center In Atlanta . The one she got is not in DC but with our state (that it pays is lucky). Two days a week will be working from home.
Find the right school and environment for her. Big. Small. Urban. Rural. Whatever.
All my kids job interviews were done virtually. My son starts a full time job in two months without ever meeting anyone but on line.
And there are Poli sci or public affairs jobs all over - urban, suburban, rural. And more agencies than you can imagine.
So I would not factor it in school selection in any way - I would be focused on the best environment for the students personal well being.
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I do understand, we were thinking easy access to political internships is city. I may be wrong. GWU is highest advantage with that if her interest continues. I know it’s a hard reach.
@tsbna44 , thank you so much for such a detailed information. We just thought it would be more advantageous being close to city especially DC. Do you mind sharing where your daughter is going to and her major? you can PM me if you don’t like to share in public.
We are telling you that city and specifically GWU is not necessary for internships. Many of our kids did internships only after junior year (sometimes sophomore) and in the summer.
I suggest you look at the website Colleges that Change Lives Colleges That Change Lives – Changing Lives. One Student At A Time. (ctcl.org) Some of these might be great fits.
She might have more support at a smaller, personalized school where the professors teach vs grad teaching assistants in sections.
We loved Clark, as an example- on the CTL site. Goucher too. Lots of them!
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Working as an aide to a small town mayor can be just as valuable in understanding the political process as working on capitol hill (different issues, but both can be valuable). One of my kids wrote for a “muckraking type” alternative newspaper in a small city on the political corruption beat-- a college kid won’t be writing articles on corruption in the Washington Post (with a byline!) right out of the gate.
So there are advantages to NOT being in DC! As valuable as the DC experience is, most colleges have well connected professors who can facilitate those internships-- you don’t need to live in DC to get one of those.
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You think? What about colleges in state capitals? There are plenty of political things going on there. Every Congress person has offices in their home district. So…within your home state, there would be opportunities.