Getting into the Honors Program

<p>Thank you all for your support. S has decided he is going to call. It is not a dealbreaker but just odd. His tution is covered for 4 years by an AU scholarship and an NMF corporate scholarship. A great opportunity and he will most likely go there. As I said he was admitted to five other schools all with good money and all in the honors program.</p>

<p>He is very disappointed about not getting into AU honors and as his parents we are also but for a different reason than the recognition, inclusion in special classes, etc. S has Asbarger's Syndome and we felt that socially he would do better if he had an immediate group to hang with as he will be five states away from home. He was in special education until second grade and really has a remarkable story. It was HIS choice to not share this in his college applications, as he wants to fit it and be normal. We have always treated him this way, and we support that choice, so we are not going to pull out that card here at this moment. If his record is not good enough, it is not good enough.</p>

<p>His ECs are: three years SC and class officer, four years academic teams, French, Social Studies, Government, and Fine Arts, voted Most Active in his High School class by peers, newspaper staff three years. Outside of school he is an Eagle Scout, Order of the Arrow Brotherhood member, many leadership positions within troop and council, worked at servant camps in summers on Habitat and other community projects since jr high. He will turn eighteen in a few weeks and has been asked to become a Scoutmaster which he is applying to do, because of his mentorship and service to younger scouts through camping and community activities. He is an active member of our church, been in choir since seventh grade, usher, lecture, etc. While he has hundreds of community service hours, most of them fall under Scouts or church. For example, if our community has a local fish fry, the Scouts would go in and work it but we would not report it as a Kiwanis activity, rather a Scouting activity.</p>

<p>Also our school has 7 AP classes and he has taken four of them with success (As). Plus all the honors classes. He did not take AP physics, chem, or calculous, but had advanced chem. His highest math is trig so I guess that's the problem.</p>

<p>I agree with you that things have become super dooper competitive. And we talked with him about this, it is a taste of the real world and what college is going to be like. We are trying to keep all this in perspective, he has already overcome many things in his life. He was shoved in lockers in elementary school by the very same kids who later became his "brothers" in Scouts and he gained the confidence to accomplish the things he has with great success. </p>

<p>I am so proud of him that HE wants to take this on, and wants his parents not to be involved. That willingess to have the initiative to take on his own battles is a bigger victory in the end than getting into any honors program. (While I'm rationalizing, I think it is true.)</p>

<p>Thanks for listening and thanks for all the support.</p>

<p>He was overlooked and has been admitted. We are so happy for him! AU is a great fit for him and I know he will be happy there. He is very excited.</p>

<p>Any other parents have kids who use the video game NationsStates and are going to AU BTW?</p>

<p>Thanks for listening to me. God is good.</p>

<p>Nervous Mom</p>

<p>Hi..i was admitted into the honors program with a 1320/ 1960 on the SAT and a 31 on the ACT if that helps anyone at all...maybe it's possible that they are just looking for other things than scores and grades, but that seems odd.</p>

<p>big congratulations, tunkertech, to you and your son!!!! i am sooo happy for you! ( i just attended an Asperger's seminar the other day! ) WAY TO GO! :)</p>

<p>Tunkertech, does AU have living/learning housing? Many schools do, where students with same majors or general interests are on the same floor. S also has AS and is 1500 miles from home. He was on the engineering live/learn floor his first year and this helped him hook up with other engineering students outside of classes.</p>