<p>D was a very strong student in high school, scored a 2300 SAT, and in taking algebra and geometry in middle school she had entered high school 2 years ahead of the normal track. But her high school math dept. seemed weak to me, and I suspected it was particularly weak when compared with the strong prep schools I knew her college peers would hail from. So although her performance was fine (A’s), I was not convinced she was well-prepared for college math. Her brother, who had been a stronger math student, nevertheless struggled a bit too at an Ivy. Friends told me I was nuts for worrying, that she’d be fine because she’s smart, etc.</p>
<p>Well, after midterms in her first math class freshman year, the department dropped her, and half the class who had also done poorly, down to a lower level. So while this was not ideal, the school was obviously used to the problem and so essentially provide a quasi-remedial level. Math has continued to plague her greatly, however.</p>
<p>I know her case is different from what you’re asking, because there’s no documented disability. However she did have a weakness. The good news is that colleges do have provisions in place for handling academic problems. This family should assemble information in advance about what services are available. I was the lone, allegedly nutty, voice warning D she might have trouble and telling her she’d need to invest a whole lot of time in math. But I think that helped shield her from some of the shock of not doing well at first. This boy may need to have you or a successful college student warn him in advance about the difference in intensity and difficulty from high school. Also, someone who knows his academic issues can perhaps help him plan a strategy for if he fails an exam, etc. If he is armed in advance with tools and information, he will be less likely to simply shut down and panic like a lot of kids do.</p>