<p>Ok my brother will be entering the 9th grade next year. </p>
<p>He seems to be a pretty smart kid, smarter than me? I don't think so... but in any case he's motivated. :D lol</p>
<p>I've always regretted the choices I made in high school. I'd never do my homework (I'd ace the tests though), let my grades slip to Ds and Cs, then in the last month of a semester I work my butt off to raise my grade. I never did extracurriculars or anything that might have padded my college application. So I can't help him or guide him towards good choices or advise him on what to do.</p>
<p>I don't want my brother to do what I did. If he's at all motivated then he should be able to go way beyond where I'm going.</p>
<p>So what are some good summer programs for a kid his age that really stand out in a college application. I can't remember how old he is exactly but he's in the 8th grade right now, will be in the 9th grade next year. Got a 4.0, not that it means anything since middle school. Reasonably smart imo.</p>
<p>Some areas of concern. We're kind of poor, so nothing where you have to pay alot for tuition if there is not financial aid. But I don't think this should be a big problem, because I assume any program that requires you to pay is not very prestigious and won't do any good on your college app.</p>
<p>Another thing is that he has OCD, like me (I don't know if it's genetic, I haven't read up on it. If OCD is an anxiety disorder then it could just be that we are exposed to the same environment, or it could be that we are disposed to anxiety. Ugh I hate the sceince). So if he is anything like me then he won't be testing well. To give you an idea: If you give me a book of SAT questions and ask me to just mark up the answers in the book as I go along I can get 1400+ CR/M. But you give me that same test, a scantron and tell me to sit down and my OCD goes into full effect. Not that it's not in effect when I'm not under pressure, but less so. My highest single sitting score is a 1310, only 1890 when you count in writing. I don't know the extent of his OCD, but his Tourettes' is worse than mine, but I don't know if that's any indicator of his OCD.</p>
<p>So what is there? I'm actually thinking he might be past the deadline for programs taking place this summer. Is there anything he can do next summer? Or the next school year? </p>
<p>I'll take any other advice you have.</p>