<p>Thanks, calmom! That was helpful! Really interesting point about schools that want to build up the male population. I never thought of that as a factor. </p>
<p>Interesting too about schools wanting to build up their science/math depts. Son is looking askance at schools that don’t have much of a computer/science dept (e.g. in his view – Swarthmore, which we visited) but true–maybe it doesn’t have to be ‘the best’ to get the job done very well. Plus, son says he likes computers – but it’s not like he’s been one of those kids building his own computer games since age 8 or working in the tech dept of a corp at age 12 (friend’s son did that). I guess those are unrealistic comparisons, though..! I just feel he should have some academic latitude beyond computers in the school he attends, should he want to explore other avenues. </p>
<p>Excellent thoughts, thank you very much!</p>
<p>Mythmom–thank you also – we will definitely look into Georgia Tech! At this point, glad for direction other than randomly picking things on the map..very useful to know!!</p>
<p>My S didn’t want Oberlin, although he wants music. He did not want to be at the very bottom of the barrel as a music student. He is well placed at Williams at about the middle of the talent pool – a good place to be.</p>
<p>So the best department is good for the real whiz; not always the best for mere mortals.</p>
<p>Good insight, mythmom…helpful in assessing things – thank you.</p>
<p>Wonder, though, w/my son–seems to have potential to be quite good at math/science – although not necessarily genius level like some kids (high SATs in 8th grade, top of school in math for years (w/almost no study), multiple math awards) but because of his no-effort 9/10 grades he looks on paper like an average student. Of course— what’s on paper is what matters – we now stress that intelligence is all in what you do, not just in what gifts you have. Nobody’s IQ is on their transcript or in a job application. That alone has almost been worth the heart-aches! lol</p>
<p>But, I guess I’m trying to find a place where he could have room to amp it up to speed should he decide to kick in w/the whole potential thing. Although, maybe that’s all irrelevant, since grades will limit admission to a certain category of school.</p>
<p>My head is spinning from all this, but the best insights I’ve received so far have been here…! (sorry for the long, off-original-topic post…!)</p>
<p>I have a close friend with a son with almost the same situation…so-so grades, high-test scores & IQ wanting to study astrophysics. Now that all my D’s apps are done, I’m trying to help him. I just told him to apply wherever he’s interested in, but be realistic that he may need to go to a safety to start, hunker down & get good grades…then transfer. </p>
<p>It’s really frustrating that the current competitive situation doesn’t leave room for kids that didn’t mature as quickly as others. I’m really worried for my own D, who had a brain tumor removed her freshman year. Thankfully she’s fine now and back to straight A’s, but her grades suffered when she was on anti-seizure meds. She put this in the special circumstances sections on the apps, but she’s concerned with so many kids with perfect stats, she won’t stand a chance even though she still has a good GPA and ACT. She’s applied to a good range of schools she likes and I’m sure she’ll get accepted to several, but it’s hard for her that she has one school she loves above the others that is the most difficult to get into (of course!)</p>
<p>So anyway, I’ve rambled way off topic, too. But somehow it feels therapeutic.</p>
<p>Wow, 2forcollege–that is so great that your daughter is okay. What an incredibly stressful thing for your family to go through. Certainly, as Stickershock said, that’s something that (hopefully) colleges might take into account.</p>
<p>Appreciate the thoughts re: slow maturing boys…!</p>
<p>Although, I just talked to a relative whose son transfered from a state school to Georgetown --although it was none-to-easy and seemed to hinge on 1) perfect gpa at initial college 2) parental connections to Georgetown administration and 3) (at least in part) full, sticker-price payment of Georgetown tuition (I think). </p>
<p>Given that, I’m hoping for a freshman school that would be a fit throughout the four years… (not counting on transfer).</p>
<p>Thank you. Yes, her Principal wrote a beautiful letter on her behalf to the colleges about her recovery, so we have tried to communicate with her schools what happened, but you just don’t know how it will affect the ad coms. Ultimately, things have a way of working out the way they are meant to.</p>
<p>True transferring would be a worst case situation, but I have heard of kids who did eventually get to where they wanted to go, even with some merit $…but it’s not an easy process. And then, there’s always grad school!!!</p>
<p>Actually for a kid like you’re describing one of the alternative schools like Hampshire can be the ticket, especially for science, math, CS. These schools attract a lot of humanities type kids who aren’t at the top of the credential pile but who are bright. The schools also have ample resources for science and are just waiting for kids to use them. The structure of these schools makes it very easy to hunker down and excell when one didn’t before.</p>
<p>Good friend’s son was accepted at MIT but Hampshire was on his list.</p>
<p>Jolynne, keep in mind that a large state university may be easier to get into, but may offer very high end math & sciences to students with the ability. So your son’s best fit may be a public school – which is also the kind of place which may tend to place higher value on test scores in the admissions process. </p>
<p>But also keep in mind that if your son hasn’t really “caught fire” in terms of his math/computer interest, then it may not really be his thing. Once he starts exploring other options in college it may turn out that his focus shifts to something very different – so I wouldn’t advise focusing too narrowly on major for a kid who seems content to take things easy in high school. (Of course he may also be happy to take things easy in college – another reason to look seriously at the state U).</p>
<p>Thanks so much, mythmom & calmom. I’m definitely putting Hampshire on the research list, now! </p>
<p>Agree, calmom, I’m thinking broader academic choices would be better. But, I’m hesitant because son’s lack of effort in 9/10th seemed tied to desire to be cool (took his photo down from the school wall after he won a science award) and fit in w/ laid back peers (natural, I guess..). </p>
<p>Just dreading the thought of frat house parties (all week long) and the other, large U social activities that could be a distraction to a kid whose fire of ambition is just starting to flutter…! Somehow thinking there’s more party atmosphere at a large U than smaller school.</p>
<p>A mom I know whose kids go to a $30k a year, small private HS swears that smaller is so much better for HS/college for kids who might ‘fall through the cracks’ & won’t send her kids to a big U/school. Of course this makes my head spin, not knowing how to weigh all these factors.</p>
<p>Jolynne, my math-smart, very laid back, take-it-easy son went to a very small LAC which I thought would be more supportive and where he pretty much faltered and fell up to his eyebrows in his own self-made cracks. He took a few years off from college, found his mojo in the real world, and is now finishing at a state u. where he simply is now too self-directed and disciplined to have time for the partying and distractions – his first semester back at school involved combining a maximum-level course load with a half time Americorps position. The LAC wasn’t bad for him but it wasn’t good either, and in the end he never would have found his motivation there; he might have done better with a larger, more diverse university in the first place … though maybe his hiatus from school was a necessary ingredient in any case. </p>
<p>So I don’t know. I’d be very wary of a school like Hampshire for a kid who is not very strongly self-directed, though – external structure can be a good thing when internal drive isn’t all-consuming.</p>
<p>Thank you so much, calmom, for that insight from your son’s experiences. I guess maybe a small LAC isn’t the be-all, end-all for nurturing the laid-back students. That’s good to keep in mind (before we spend thousands upon thousands to send son to one, vs. a cheaper state U). </p>
<p>I totally agree re: the external structure (didn’t read carefully enough at first to see that Hampshire lacked that..). I’m one who does well w/structure so understand that value.</p>
<p>JS - one other suggestion. Some other web sites have a great feature … if you enter one school they will list other schools applicants to this school typically apply to … so they list schools with many similarities. I find this especially helpful the more quirky the school … the lists highlight other schools with many of the same quirky attributes. The Princeton Review website has this feature.</p>
<p>“A kid who thinks too much will not fare well on the SAT verbal because the questions/answers are often not well conceived and over thinking will reveal their flaws.”</p>
<p>Once again, mythmom, I find myself hopelessly in agreement with you.</p>
<p>epiphany - D would agree with you. It is the reason that she found the ACT easier. She said ACT is clearer and more straight forward. You either know the answer or don’t and are not penalized for getting it wrong. (she got a 34).</p>