<p>Anybody know (other than Test-optional colleges) how to help my son (who is a Senior in high school and has looked at over 13 colleges in the Midwest) get into a good school with a lousy "18" ACT composite? When I say a "good school," ideally I mean one with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter (most State Schools are PBK), and even my Alma Mater (Miami of Ohio) would be great, but my son's scores (having taken the ACT in April and again in Oct) are woefully low. His downfall was the "reading" (scored in April at 14, then the October score was 16). I feel as though his high school missed testing him for dyslexia or some sort of reading disability. His end-of-Junior year unweighted GPA is about 2.9 (but it was 3.29 unweighted at the end of his Sophomore year). I'm thinking "junior college" or Associate's Degree first now for him, rather than
a 4-year State or Liberal Arts college. He loves to write (Journalism or Creative Writing), and he's a good singer/musician, but not good enough to become a music/performance major. We looked at 13 schools already during the past 3 years, but this is before we knew how low his ACT score was going to be. In our Midwestern State the average ACT score is 21, and my son didn't even
score that high (which would have gotten him into a good state school at least). Also his public high school (the largest one in our state) has an ACT average of 21. So somehow my son has fallen through the academic cracks in reading comprehension, which has probably also affected the rest of his academic grades during the past 3 years. Also now he doesn't want to leave home to go to college, so I'm having trouble trying to find a school where he can be accepted which he can drive to/commute locally. Financial considerations are NOT a problem (we could afford an Ivy League School if my son were qualified).
Now I wish that my son would just go to trade-school and become a plumber!!
Any advice out there, or is my son out of luck (too little/too late)?</p>
<p>Has he taken the SAT?</p>
<p>Hello to cjgone (asking about whether my son has taken the SAT) - No, he hasn’t. My own experience with the SAT (I only took the SAT once over 40 years ago when I was a Junior in high school) is that I actually scored a little bit better on the Math section than on the Verbal Section, and I’m a real dunce when it comes to Math. My opinion to the SAT was that (1) more people were really, really dumb (dumber than I was) in Math than I was on the day that I took the SAT for me to get a better score on the Math than the Verbal (since I was always better in English/grammar skills); and/or (2) I must have guessed well (lucky guesses???) on the SAT. I only went as far as Algebra 2 in the 11th grade (same as my son), and I didn’t take AP English in the 12th grade way back then (our high school only offered AP English during the last bell of the school-day, and I was in the marching band and the band was only offered during the last bell — thus, I stayed with band). But I did take AP European History and scored a “3” on the test (enough to get out of one full year of Western Civilization/core course at my Midwest State School). Right now my son’s not taking any APs (nor did he take any during the past 3 years). My husband (also my son’s father) died in 2009, so this is also an emotional factor which is in the mix of issues here.
My son’s high school has refused to test him for a Specific Learning Disability (probably it’s reading/dyslexia), and here I am as a former teacher becoming really upset with the local high school in “dropping the ball” academically – not helping my son, and now it’s probably too late. My son is looking at a college (locally, where he can commute) which has special helps for LD (teaching study skills/reading prompts/allowing more time for test-taking), so this might be the best option for him, even though this small college isn’t a Phi Beta Kappa institution like my Alma Mater is (large State School). Right now my son would rather go to a small Bible College (which isn’t very well accredited but it gives you a “piece of paper” to say that you’re now “ordained” to preach, so I’m not crazy about that option for him, even though my son is a good Christian kid). The “Bible College” accepts anyone with as low as a 14 ACT and a 2.0 GPA (so anyone with a pulse is accepted, as long as you have the $$$ to pay the tuition). I don’t want a college education/diploma to become a “worthless piece of paper” after graduation, so I’m very hesitant to have my son go to college at all when costs are over $14,000 per year. Also he doesn’t want to go into the Services, so that option is out (i.e., ROTC). Even though he’s very patriotic, going to war is not his cup of tea (and he’s my only child), so I’m also on his side with this option. So what’s a mother to do, especially when my son doesn’t have the goal to become a “doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc.” but rather he wants to become a songwriter/lyricist (to become the next “Bob Dylan” or so he says)? My son even says that "it doesn’t take a college degree to become a “songwriter” (and he’s right!!!), and right now my son doesn’t see himself staying in college for more than a year anyway (not a good sign).
Of several colleges we’ve toured (most before we knew of his low ACT score), the presumed choices were: Denison; Washington and Lee; Hillsdale; Miami; Ohio Univ.; Bowling Green; Wabash (my son’s former favorite — but now he says it’s “too far away”); Univ of Cinti; Hanover; Wittenberg; Hiram; Baldwin-Wallace, and other drive-bys. Now we’re looking at College of Mt. St. Joseph (which has an L.D./learning support-center for students), so this might work for him (even though he now wants to commute). He currently has a Boys’ State scholarship to attend Wabash (which is where I want my son to go to school), but now he has “cold feet” about that school (even after touring 3 separate times)! And no (the obvious question), my son doesn’t have a steady girlfriend here at home to stay true to during the interim. If only that were the excuse!</p>
<p>OP - isn’t there a community college near you? I’m assuming from your list that you are in Ohio?</p>
<p>Why don’t you have your son try the SAT? I think he can still sign up for the Dec. 4th test date and maybe you can get him some tutoring for the interim. My son has taken the ACT twice and the SAT three times and has scored considerably better on the SAT.</p>
<p>I think you should stop the college search, and focus on the learning disability that the testing may have uncovered. If you just push on to college, he may not be successful, or as successful as he would be if you took a gap year and tried to address the underlying issues.</p>
<p>But if you are committed to pushing on to college, then look at Earlham.</p>
<p>OP:</p>
<p>1) Since you are new to CC, some advice; break up your posts by statement or idea; reading long paragraphs doesnt work for the parents on here who would like to help you; we are all too old…</p>
<p>2) post this ( in a diff format) on the parents forum as a new thread…</p>
<p>Have you gone to fairtest dot org? It lists hundreds of schools that do not use the SAT/ACTs for admission. Good luck!</p>
<p>I agree with UT. You are putting the cart before the horse. Your senior son does not want to go to college and has poor grades and test scores. Additionally he may still be coping with his father’s death in 2009 and he may have a learning disability. So why the push to college? There are many other issues to deal with first. I would find out if the learning disability is real and then have specialists work with him on how to work with them. Then deal with the father issue. Maybe after a gap year after he learns how to cope with those 2 issues, then you can consider a junior college or trade college.</p>
<p>You do know that you can have your son tested privately, right? I wouldn’t battle the school district anymore, if they’ve repeatedly refused to test him. I’d take him in for private testing. There are often good testing facilities associated with major hospitals. If college costs aren’t a factor, then I assume testing costs won’t be either?</p>
<p>I agree with the others – focus on your son’s learning disability. Forcing him to go to college or even continue the college search at this point is going to feel like pushing rope.</p>
<p>Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Good news about my son and applications = accepted into Bowling Green State University & applied to Mt. St. Joseph/Ohio. His “unweighted” GPA is 3.26 (not 2.89 as I first reported), but 2 ACT attempts were “18” composite, but “ACT with Optional Writing” essay-score was “8” (the highest score is “12”). He’s at the top 32% class-rank (hasn’t taken many A.P./Honors, but his “weighted GPA” is 4.53 out of a scale of 8.0). But now he doesn’t want to attend BGSU. As far as possible “learning/reading disability,” High School re-tested him on the Weschler and he scored in “average” range, so the psychologist insisted he’s not eligible for special services/accommodations. I agree on “gap-year” after graduation (might help with the emotional/maturity issues).</p>
<p>Although he has some cold feet about Wabash, has he applied? It is a place that attracts high and low GPA kids with success. Other schools in Indiana that are worth consideration in Indiana would be Goshen and Franklin. Also, Hanover might still be an option since financial aid isn’t a consideration. A good friend of DS with similar stats just got merit aid to Goshen and was accepted by Hanover. He didn’t get into Wabash, but I have seen similar stats make it.</p>