<p>I have a daughter who will be majoring in engineering and who has ADHD. Her grades are decent but not terrific and her SAT scores were not strong. She has a choice of two schools and I am afraid that the more "prestigous" one is going to be more than she can handle. Anyone have any advice?</p>
<p>It’s hard to say much without knowing which schools she’s choosing between, but in general the kids I know with ADHD find time management a challenge. I would look at how many classes she will be expected to take per term - fewer is better from a time management perspective. Also, how does she feel about project-oriented, hands-on classes as opposed to the traditional lecture format? She may find that the teaching style at one school is a better fit for her than the other. </p>
<p>Take a look for other threads regarding LD’s; other parents have recommended contacting the disabilities office and finding out what type of support they offer. She should visit both schools if possible, sit in on some classes, and talk to students there to get a sense of what the workload is like. Some highly regarded engineering schools, Cal Poly SLO for example, provide a high degree of support for LD’s; other schools not so much. I wouldn’t necessarily expect that the more prestigious program will be less suited to someone with LD’s.</p>
<p>DS has Asperger’s but has faced some of the same kinds of challenges that ADHD students face; although not hyperactive he can become easily distracted by various sensory stimuli and faces numerous social/communication challenges as well. He also had decent but not great grades in hs but did have a high math SAT score (yet still had difficulties getting through calculus during his first 2 yrs at college). He ended up choosing not to apply to any reaches partly because we were both concerned about his ability to handle a more rigorous academic curriculum, given his disabilities and learning style - he is not into academics/intellectualism so much and is more of your typical kinesthetic hands-on learner. As a result he ended up choosing a school where he will have opportunities to do co-ops and alternative taking classes with working full-time. He is currently in his 3rd yr at a less prestigious top 100 university where he had received a nice merit scholarship. He had a very difficult first year socially and academically and ended up losing his scholarship when he dropped below the required GPA at the end of freshman year, but has been able to maintain a pretty solid B average since then (another consideration if merit aid is in the picture). </p>
<p>I think since he was able to “get by” academically in hs with relatively little effort, he never developed the kind of study habits or organizational and time management skills that suddenly became much more important in college than they were in hs, and especially with a demanding engineering curriculum. The first year can be difficult for any engineering student but especially for those with LDs, and so unless they are truly up to working extra hard, a more rigorous academic program may not be the best place for them since they WILL have to work hard no matter what. It really depends on the work ethics, maturity and personality of the student, as well as the kinds of services or accommodations they will receive. If possible, a reduced course load during the first year might also be a good way for LD students to transition to the demands of college. I would also advise any engineering students with LDs - no matter what kind of college they attend or whether they are receiving accommodations or not - to really work on developing good study and organizational skills before they begin college, and to take advantage of professor’s office hours, seek out tutoring services, and meet regularly with academic and/or disability advisors and staff.</p>
<p>Good luck to your D!!</p>
<p>Thanks Scansmom-your note reflects a great deal of what I am thinking. The prestigious
school does have many formal supports but is fast paced (quarter system) and strikes me as more impersonal for lack of a better term. The state school is two semesters (and summer courses are available), is much smaller, and comes across as more personal.
My daughter is not one to reach out well on her own.</p>
<p>My thinking is that it is one thing to get admitted, it’s totally another to be able to make it through (and make it through while still having some sort of life).</p>
<p>I welcome more thoughts from all !</p>
<p>I would suggest, if you have the documentation to support services she may have had in HS, have all your reports ready and work on this BEFORE she gets to her choice, and or investigate thoroughly what is available to her once she is there.D has a dorm friend that had all the supports well in place during the summer prior to starting, the separate testing room/extra time accomodations it is better to be overprepared than trying to scramble after school has started and she runs into difficulties. Even if she never needs to use the extra time/room it would be there if needed. I know daughter had 3/ 3 hour finals all on the last day, one after another. Her dorm friend was able to arrange it that the 3 exams were given over 2 days. The quarter system maybe too intense, it depends, if she is a procrastinator it wont be good, if she is one that needs a flame under her at all times (some do better with the threat of an imminent deadline) you know your child and how she adjusts to new situations i have a child that has always had a warm up period when returning to school, the quarter system would drown her. It will be an adjustment no matter where she chooses, but seek out the support services and what is available at both schools. The academic enrichement/tutoring centers would be the best places to ask at each school to see what they offer. I would suggest low course load, study skills classes, engineering schools will sometimes have study skill classes specifically for engineering students. Good luck.</p>
<p>Modern technology can do a great job supporting the ADHD student or adult with systems that remind students of what they have to get done but the transition can be rough.</p>
<p>my step daughter will be in this boat two years from now. We fear her transition to any college will be rough as her mother does a lot of her work for her</p>
<p>My son is ADHD inattentive type, going into engineering at a very well respected/difficult school, and I am hopeful he can handle it but not really sure. His SATs were stellar, grades OK but not great. He is planning to request extra time on tests, which is the same accomodation he has in high school, and then we just let him sink or swim…</p>
<p>I think you need to consider all the elements - the semster/quarter system, the available support (and whether the student will take advantage when she is on her own), the difficulty of the curriculum (engineering is difficult at all schools, and leaves little room for electives), etc. How will your child fare with all these stressors, and deal with the ADHD on top of it? What does she do with her free time now? Is she eager to attack a problem with a class or teacher?</p>
<p>It is so important not to get stuck in engineering if its a bad fit, because her first year GPA will be abysmal, and make transferring much harder, as well as shaking her self-confidence.</p>
<p>Truly, I think engineering is not a culture that supports ADHD. Its challenges are not solved by quick fixes. She will be paddling against the current day after day. If she is talented in math and science, a major in either of these allows for a great deal more free time and fewer class requirements. I tell everyone who is unsure about engineering to go through the required classes, which are roughly 80% of a student’s schedule, and see if they can deal with the restrictions.</p>