Being in this role is a bit of a roller coaster. I can’t do the FA myself as I don’t have the numbers. A and his friends seem to think it’s cool to act unconcerned about it all. So, I am playing a game of offering info (which A likes as long as it’s not too overwhelming) and sitting back and seeing where to go next. I think, for now, and in light of him taking 3 AP classes and a dual credit course at the CC, it might be time to back off a bit. His decision is to take a gap. He’s struggling a bit with his AP literature class because he doesn’t ‘get’ poetry. (Interesting in light of his rather lyrical bent in writing). Likely he will say no to REA at Stanford for which the app deadline is Nov. 1. And I think that is probably the best choice. Better to take the time to write a very good app for RD. A’s hs counselor will be giving a class on the whole application process starting mid October. This will be when the real work will begin for him. First up will be UC/CSU applications (deadline Nov 30) I know he will put good effort into it as he does for all his classes.
Questions:
FA will have to be redone after gap year, right? Interesting choices about applying after or before the gap. At first I thought it would be a big disadvantage to apply after but from what I’ve read this may not be the case. If you get a deferral for gap what happens if you choose not to attend after the gap year? Can extend? Do the colleges black list you? What ??
Lastly, I must get it through this thick skull of mine, that my grandson is going to do this his own way. I will offer what I can, but he’s the one that has to do it.