B student being realistic

Applying to College
1

<p>OK, so my rising junior son is a B student at regular accelerated courses. Average. Looking toward education. Likes science. May participate in a Research in Science program his next 2 years. Does average at sports. Will sing in the chorus 4 years. But has done a lot of community service -- over 300 hours per year working with under privileged kids. He's very social, loves people and making friends. Might join a fraternity.</p>

<p>Is an adopted Hispanic child from South America.</p>

<p>Let's be realistic. What schools (obviously not Ivy league) should he NOT apply to in the Northeast, New England, VA, DE, MD, SC, NC, TN, FL?</p>

<p>Or better yet -- which schools for education would welcome a profile like his?</p>

<p>And what tips do you have for him in his junior and senior years?</p>

<p>Thanks for your honest, realistic advice.
A realist mom.</p>

2

<p>My feeling is he shouldn't apply to schools he doesn't like.</p>

<p>There is no reason to NOT apply to any ivy league or other similarly ranked schools, there have been cases of people getting lucky (well, its not really luck I guess... they must have something the school wants).</p>

<p>However, if you are trying to put together a list that is under 10 schools (advisable), I'd say keep the super competitve ones at a minimum, just the ones he really likes.</p>

3

<p>He sounds like a kid I'd like to know!</p>

<p>What kind of school would he like to attend... big, small? Would he want to play a sport at a small school if he could?
It sounds like he is a rising Junior. Don't be surprised if he really blossoms academically in his last two years of high school. Many boys do.
It sounds like a liberal arts college might be a very good fit for him. They don't necessarily have fraternities, but their size makes the social aspects of smaller colleges very conducive to friendships and camaraderie. He would also be able to continue with the things he likes to do, like singing, service and probably even his sports in a smaller school. Bates, Davidson, Colby, Bowdoin, and Vassar, all come to mind.
Being a minority student and a male are both pluses at liberal arts schools, so don't sell him short!</p>

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<p>Liberal arts colleges generally do not have education majors though of course someone with a degree from one can get certified as a teacher in some states or try to join Teach fo America. If he is serious about getting a degree in education he might do better with a state school, either flagship university or good state college (what used tgo be called teacher's colleges). But if he might change his mind about education as a career, he might do better to keep his options open and get an academic degree, then pursue education via an M.A.T. or something similar.</p>

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<p>I've actually seen quite a few LACs with education majors - Brandeis, Muhlenberg, Vassar, U Richmond, to name just 4 - so I wouldn't necessarily count them out. Look at schools that might match his profile in size, location, etc. and then check their websites to see if they have an Ed major. That can keep his options well open.</p>

6

<p>D has a friend who just graduated from Lebanon Valley College in PA with her degree in elem. ed. and already landed a full-time position near her home in northern NJ (very competitive area for teaching positions, so I assume an LVC degree is valuable.) Univ. of Scranton has a large education major and we have at least 2 grads from there teaching at our local HS.</p>

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<p>Chedva, Brandeis has four education minors for undergradutes, but not a major. It also offers a graduate program leading to an MAT. The school's Web site is excellent, incdientally, providfing good information about just about any academic area of interest.</p>

8

<p>IMO, you're asking the wrong question. Most colleges in the country would welcome your S. The questions you need to ask are what kind of college experience does he want to have, what are you willing to pay for it, and how far away are you willing to let him go. </p>

<p>Is he probably going to want a large college, a small college, a place known for nurturing students, a place in an urban area, a place in a rural area, a place in a warm climate, a place close to home, a place that would cost you $40,000 a year out of pocket because it's expensive and has little financial aid, a place where your costs would be very low because he'd qualify for excellent need-based or merit aid? Would he be comfortable going to a college affiliated with a religion, a college that's liberal, a college that is known for a party atmosphere, a college where he'd be one of the few students from underrepresented minority groups?</p>

<p>When you answer those questions, then you can look for colleges that would be good fits for him and that also would welcome him as as student.</p>

<p>He and you probably can't answer some of these questions now. He probably has no idea what the difference would be in going to a college with 35,000 students and one with 1,100 students, so making some visits just so he can compare campuses and see what attracts him would be a good idea. The idea is not to find now the perfect college for your son, but to help him find out what he finds appealing and not appealing.</p>

<p>As for what he needs to do junior and senior year: Keep his grades as high as possible (He doesn't need straight As to go to college, but it sure helps not to have Ds and Fs!) and pursue his academic and extracurricular interests (including sports, arts, religious, job, service-- whatever he cares about) in as much depth as he is able to.</p>

<p>If he finds out he doesn't like an interest any more, it's fine to drop it, but don't let him drop everything and become a couch potato. High school is a time for students to discover their interests and to dive into them. The more students learn about themselves and their interests, the better they'll be at selecting a college that allows them to continue developing their talents and interests and to flourish.</p>

<p>As for tips his junior and</p>