<p>What do I do about a son who is an AP Scholar with Honor, has a 29 ACT and a 1320 SAT, with a 2.6 unweighted GPA? He got senioritis early and had a disaterous junior year, but I honestly didn't realize his GPA was that bad until I spoke with his GC last week at open house. To his credit, he realizes he messed up big-time and is trying to get back on track, and the fact that he didn't get to play football this year due to grades has helped impress this upon him. I'm hoping he'll be able to bring his GPA up to the 3.0 required for our state scholarship program, but he's also required to have a 3.0 in each of his core subjects and math is his downfall. He's taking college prep math this year but isn't doing so well. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Big hugs, footballmom104. The consequences at this age are so out of proportion to the behavior. I think you are on the absolute right track by encouraging him and believing in him.</p>
<p>My one other suggestion would be for him to set up a regular time with a math tutor starting today, if possible. I know back when I was in high school, my peer math tutor made a huge difference for me and my grades.</p>
<p>At my son’s high school, the National Honor Society kids have to put in X number of hours tutoring and the offer walk-in hours before and after school. Perhaps your son’s high school has a similar program? </p>
<p>Keep in mind also that sometimes students and tutors just don’t click. That’s okay, he’ll need to politely ask to work with someone else. If not available at his high school, check with your local community college. I’m sure there are some kids there who would love to make a little extra money tutoring in a subject they like. Or just ask around. My husband has tutored friends children short term and really enjoys it. And, of course, it’s free!</p>
<p>I wish your son the very best of luck. He has such a bright future ahead of him, this is just a bump in the road.</p>
<p>I second PMK’s suggestion for a peer math tutor. My S is a peer math tutor and he works by appointment, or sometimes just on the fly. He’s a student athlete so he’s helped out teammates on the water polo/swim team. He also helped students in his photo class, when there was down time while the dark room was occupied. He just genuinely likes to help students out, when he has the time. I hope your S can find such a peer tutor.</p>
<p>footballmom104 - Don’t despair.</p>
<p>Even if his GPA does not improve, there are still quite a few colleges out there for him.</p>
<p>Now, the problem may be getting a scholarship. How good is your son’s football playing? Is he a division 1 material? If so, there may be athletic scholarships somewhere.</p>
<p>There are also other sources of scholarship out there that are not tied to GPA’s. Sign up with Fastweb (fastweb.org) and see if you can find scholarships he may be eligible for.</p>
<p>Now on to his math. I was good at math in school, and I assumed my kids would all be good at math. I was wrong. It took me a while to accept the fact that a few of my kids needed help in math. This realization came when some of them were already in 8th grade and in high school. When I sat down with them, I realized that the reason why they couldn’t do some homework problems is not because they just didn’t understand the homework topics. It was much deeper. The fundamental grasp was just not there. I had to go back to the basics, sometimes all the way back to arithmetic and fraction. </p>
<p>While reviewing the fundamentals, I made sure they understand them. I don’t move forward until they understand the basics. In most cases, when we look at the homework problems again, they were able to apply the fundamentals and solve these problems on their own.</p>
<p>My point is this - may be a tutor or a teacher should review the fundamentals with him, starting with arithmetic. The tutor needs to make sure that he understands the basics before moving on to higher level subjects. If you take this approach, you’ll need to find a good teacher. If you son’s school has a math team, contact the team coach and tell him/her about your son’s situation and ask him/her to recommend a tutor that can take your son through the steps that I described earlier. Check the references before hiring one.</p>
<p>Best wishes to you and your son.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all the suggestions. I just found out via Edline that he has an F and chose not to do an extra credit assignment. I’m e-mailing his teacher tomorrow to find out about a tutor …</p>
<p>footballmom104,</p>
<p>I’m going through the same thing w/my S. Senioritis hit early in jr. yr and his GPA fell. My suggestions follow the previous posters w/one more thing - a calendar. It is so important for our boys to see that they are now dealing with important deadlines, some of which will dictate what they’ll be doing in the next four years. </p>
<p>We entered all important assignments and deadlines on a BIG desk calendar. He’s also added the amount of time he estimates it would take to complete the assignment. So far, he’s getting work in on time and getting full credit. Unlike yrs. past where he would turn them in late - or not at all. </p>
<p>Like your S, he’s accepting responsibility for his mistakes and it has made it a little easier to guide him.</p>
<p>This is something I should’ve done long ago. “Shoulda, coulda, woulda…”</p>
<p>Good Luck, and I’m praying that in a few months we’ll be posting on the thread “Where did your 3.0-3.5 child get in?” :)</p>
<p>I’m wondering what he really wants? What’s his dream and ambition? How does he think people can help him? He sounds like he may be unsure. There are many paths to success at college and beyond - I’m wondering what he wants his plan to be? It seems from your writing that he wants to get on track, but needs to get a plan - with a plan he’ll achieve a good result. He’s lucky to have a supportive parent!</p>
<p>I have a junior son as well. Never had senioritis hit because he has never gotten ramped up. He is a bright kid; with a minimum of studying he does well, but I have to nag him for everything he does. His main concern is texting on his phone to his zillions of friends; if he has something going for him it is that he is very likable. But I sure would like to see him have some dreams and ambitions. I want him to have his own dreams and ambitions and not ones that I would impose on him. So rest assured, you are not alone! BTW, take a look at College of Wooster in Ohio. Don’t know what level of football your son would want to play, but they are more understanding when looking at kids with not so perfect records. They would see the potential in your son’s test scores, and they are able to reach a lot of kids and turn them around. The school is definitely on both of my kids list. Good luck!</p>
<p>Something else about tutors - sometimes kids are embarrassed to use the peer tutors at their schools. They don’t want someone looking down on them, even though the tutor does not necessarily do that. If your son is adamant about not doing peer tutoring, look for an outside tutor. I have had good luck with finding tutors on Craigslist.</p>
<p>footballmom, hang tough. Parenting is leadership and you have to find a way to lead this kid who can knock out great ACTs and SATs with middling high school course focus. Calendars and contracts. There is a lot at stake. Is he the kind of guy that will want to move on with his class to college and not want to be left behind in his home town? Or do you think he needs an extra year to appreciate college…perhaps a gap year to mature?</p>
<p>A kid with that natural ability not doing his work is a challenge but does he want to “stay with his peers?” Does he have ability to look that far ahead and realize that a lot of his friends will leave? Can you appeal to him by pointing out to him that he will get “left behind” socially re college if he doesn’t change? Demonstrate this by taking him to a WVU football game and pointing out to him that the other thousands of kids in the stands may not have been blessed with his aptitude but they towed the line and now enjoy four years of time together in college? Does he love the idea of big football college scene…or would he do better in a smaller school and smaller classrooms?<br>
In VA we have a program where two years of successful community college equals access to our state universities…look into these options too. Have you been on a college tour of two or three schools and had him present you with the odds of admission based on stats of each school. Some kids have to see colleges to get motivation going.</p>
<p>Found a math tutor that made THE difference to my S his Junior yr through the local state college’s tutoring program–called and got some names and made at least 5 calls before I found the man who could impress my S. Good luck, I would find someone other than a peer.</p>
<p>S’s dream is to be an anchor on ESPN, so he wants to major in broadcast journalism. He also wants to go to what he calls a “legit” school (one that people have heard of) and an “insane” sports school. We’ve looked at the University of Kentucky, Ohio University, and Marshall University and are planning on going to the University of Dayton in October. He turned his nose up at OU, loves UK and can live with Marshall (a fourth-tier no-name, but one of the best broadcast journalism programs in the country.) All of his friends are planning on going away, most of them out of state, so the peer thing is an angle, Faline2. Although instead of a WVU football game, I think I’m going to have him tour WV State, a small HBCU that is now a majority-white commuter school. This will show him where he’s going to end up if he doesn’t get it together!
I’ve also got an e-mail in to his math teacher to get her thoughts on the matter. I’m not sure a tutor would help - his test scores show that he can do the work, he just doesn’t want to!</p>
<p>Is there any chance he’d volunteer his time to “anchor” local sports events like Pop Warner games. Special Olympics events, or local basketball. Our league is always looking for someone to announce the plays. This would help him “give back” his talent and try out his career goals. It would also connect him to other positive adults in the community who could possibly serve as mentors.</p>
<p>Also, our local papers are always looking for students to write sports articles. Would he be willing to do that? One of our local students who has become a broadcaster started out that way. It’s possible he could also do some of these activities as a school project or assignment.</p>
<p>Getting involved his future career choice might help motivate him in school and demonstrate that he’s serious about “trying on” his future choice. Good luck! It seems like you’re asking all the right questions and getting a tutor is awesome.</p>
<p>One more thought - a gap year internship at ESPN or a local radio or television station might be another option for your son. Then he could apply to schools with a year of experience and maturity under his belt. Just a thought.</p>
<p>“He turned his nose up at OU, loves UK and can live with Marshall (a fourth-tier no-name, but one of the best broadcast journalism programs in the country.)”</p>
<p>Let’s see, a child who slacked off and has a 2.6 GPA, who “turned up his nose” at Ohio University because its not “legit” and “can live with” his parents paying private school tuition at Marshall. What’s wrong with this picture? Number one message to this child: “Grow up.” Kudos to the parents for taking away football.</p>
<p>It is still early in the school year and he might snub his nose at this, but it might be in his best interest to drop down a level in math. Last year my son struggled and the teacher made the above suggestion. He wanted to stay with his friends and not have to deal with the embarrassment of switching classes. About a week after the deadline, he went to teacher and asked if he could move down…too late…so he stuck it out and destroyed his GPA.</p>
<p>Did the parents take away football or did he not qualify for the program based on grades jr year? A kid who did not play senior year does not have a very good shot at playing college football, let alone at a DI.</p>
<p>Personally speaking, I suggest getting the tutor but I also really think preparing him for the possibility of a gap year would be wise. And more importantly a positive step. There are two kids in my son’s suite who took gap years. One traveled abroad and the other did an additional year at a boarding school. There are also several kids I know who took a gap year for sports and/or academics. My own oldest D is now back in school full time at the age of 24, but was not ready to focus and do the work straight out of HS failing her freshman year. I look back now and realize how much we pushed her and in the end, it wasn’t under her own steam and without the constant pushing, the work ethic wasn’t there. A gap year would have been a good middle step.</p>
<p>I know it seems that the general timeline is to go to HS then straight to college, but there are many routes to success and I honestly think that clamping down on a kid and “making” it happen will not do the kid any favors in the long run.</p>
<p>Unlike high school, college is a huge expenditure or investment for most of us. If your son has 2.6 GPA now, and he is bright, is he mentally ready for college. There is only going to be more distraction and freedom in college. I would have him prove to me he is ready for college before I throw my money away. A way to do that maybe have him go to a community college first, have an agreement that he’ll need to get a GPA X before you’ll pay for his 4 year college.</p>
<p>Marshall University isn’t a private school. It’s part of the University of West Virginia system and the in-state tuition is $5,300 per year. Community college wouldn’t be much cheaper. And he’s already at the lowest math level he can be. He did turn in his extra credit and take his tests over Friday, though, so we’ll see what happens.</p>
<p>Community College is an ideal place to address all these issues. I teach at one and we have sent kids on to some very prestigious colleges. We have a decent football team, too.</p>