<p>My son is very different from my daughter. He had PDD-NOS and tends to be apathetic about things. But he is also smart. He isn't CC smart..but he is smart against "normal" crowds, (LOL, College Confidential is not exactly the norm, at least, not those who regularly post their grades and scores and such).</p>
<p>He is planning to be a computer science major, but an LAC with a student body that really interacts and supports each other is important. He does much better in school when he feels a connection. He is actually considered smart. He used to be in the gifted program. He has taken all AP and preAP classes whenever available. But he has earned mediocre grades. He is retaking the SATs this weekend. He did not study at all before the first time he took them and got 600's basically. So, this time, he has studied and is retaking them</p>
<p>Suggestions? </p>
<p>Do you think if he brings up his SATs that he might be more competitive for some schools we have just passed over for him?</p>
<p>Not all gifted kids get straight A’s or test well, for a variety of reasons. This doesn’t mean they won’t be successful. It could mean he doesn’t care for a competitive environment. Small LAC’s are a wonderful place for students who just want to learn without all the fuss. And yes, if he brings up his score, that will help and will make him more competitive for merit aid.</p>
<p>Missed the boat in terms of what? What is the goal in terms of what type of school? I think he actually has TONS of options.</p>
<p>For example, I have a friend who went to a Tier 2 regional university as a computer science major, loved it there, did exceptionally well, and went on to get a Masters at University of Hawaii. He now does QUITE well for himself. At the tier 2 regional, the minimum criteria for honors is a 1220 on the SAT and top 10%. Admissions to a similar school would be no problem for your son - right now, and he MIGHT qualify for honors and scholarships with a little extra work.</p>
<p>You didn’t miss the boat - he’s just a smart kid that didn’t kill himself studying for school or the SAT. He’s certainly not alone, and it’s CERTAINLY not anywhere near off the boat! :)</p>
<p>The school my friend went to is an AWESOME school too. There are a lot of regional universities with beautiful campuses, great programs, lots of school pride and great social interaction.</p>
<p>You might want to re-think the LAC part. One of the goals of an LAC is to produce well-rounded students. They generally require students to complete a broad range of gen ed requirements. </p>
<p>Lots of students on the spectrum tend to not have a “well rounded” mind. They can have very pronounced strengths and weaknesses.</p>
<p>With a student with his condition, it’s important to find other ways to “fit” into a school. Exceptional cognitive skills are great, but being successful in school takes other functions, like interpreting social cues, reading comprehension, and executive function- things that kids with PDD-NOS are not as good at. This does not mean you discount his abilities- but that the school he attends is supportive and he is likely to succeed there. PDD kids tend to get anxious, and when this happens, it affects cognitive skills.
I know of some kids on the spectrum who are very capable, but have done better in schools near their homes, schools that challenge them but are not excessively competitive.
I don’t know what schools you are looking at, but the discrepancy between his intellectual skills and his performance tells me some other cognitive function is working at a more average level. This is common. Kids on the spectrum have higher skills and average skills at the same time. A school that fits him academically, and is small enough to support him and let him excel at his best skills is the best fit, regardless of how competitive it is. If you want to consider more competitive schools, there’s no harm in applying and see what happens. I agree that he should not be underestimated because of his disability, but in the end, choose carefully, for too much stress and inability to succeed can spin a PDD student into anxiety and loss of self esteem pretty quickly.</p>
<p>By missed the boat, I mean, have not found a school that really excites him. Also, he wants to double major in political science, but computer science is his first priority. I feel like we have now found something my daughter loves, but my son is just not that excited.</p>
<p>I was hoping people would have suggestions of colleges that would be a good fit for my son.</p>
<p>lmkh - have you looked at University of Rochester? They have a very flexible curriculum and only around 5000 students. It’s on my son’s list who has Aspergers and is also interested in studying computer science. The primary constraint with him is that he doesn’t want a large school. The crowds, noise, and constant activity would drive him nuts. He also does better socially with people who are more familiar to him. 5000 or so is the upper limit of what he’d be comfortable with.</p>
<p>What one really has to be careful with LACs and other small schools is to see that the CS course offerings are sufficient for the student intending to major in the subject. Even some “prestigious” LACs have limited CS offerings (e.g. Amherst).</p>
<p>“By missed the boat, I mean, have not found a school that really excites him.”</p>
<p>Most schools’ application deadlines aren’t for another couple of months. You are right to view this as a short time frame, but you haven’t missed any boat until deadlines have passed.</p>
<p>You said he tends to be apathetic about things. On top of that, he’s a teenager. So it isn’t surprising that you haven’t found a school that “really excites him.” Frankly, I don’t think that that is your job. It is your job to lay out some good, practical options and resources with additional information (like college guides), and to be available to support him and answer his questions. But you can’t make him care more than he does. Some kids just do not get worked up about this.</p>
<p>I second the recommendatios for both RIT and U of R. Straight Liberal Arts for kids on the spectrum (especially those who are very math/science oriented) can be challenging.</p>
<p>I have a couple of thought on this. My older son is very bright, but not particularly socially mature, and very quiet/introverted. He is definitely a STEM kid. He is a math major, but he will likely dual major in computer science. We figured he might not do as well at a very large public school. University of Maryland Baltimore campus is a strong up and coming technical school, and it’s not that hard to get into. My son is at RPI in New York. His other potential schools were Case Western and Georgia Tech, but GT may not be a good fit for your son. I agree with checking out RIT and U of R also. maybe you could hit them all at the same time, or have him check them pit, apply, and visit once he sees if he’s accepted. I know Case is EA, and both Case and PI are common app. Schools. I don’t know about the others.</p>
<p>How far away do you think he should be? Is he managing completely on his own, or will he need to have a family member visit sometimes? If he is far away, how close to an airport will he be, and will travel be easy. Kids on the spectrum can be brilliant in some areas, but navigating every day things may be a challenge. You know your son the best, but his readiness to be far away is a factor to consider. There are two of the colleges that change lives in Texas: Austin College and Southwestern. I don’t know much about them, but they may be supportive environments. Even if he is strong technologically, you want him to have a happy college experience in other areas too.</p>
<p>I wonder if the challenge for your son, given some of your other posts, is that your vision for him, in terms of college, isn’t what he is ready for right now. Lots of bright kids, with no diagnosis and who breeze through high school, struggle through college. Add in learning challenges and the situation can be much more difficult. As Pennylane asks, how far from home do you think he really should be?</p>
<p>I have very different children and their paths are and will continue to be different. For my husband, this has been very difficult to accept. While I don’t have the answers, or a crystal ball of what the future holds, I am much more realistic to the facts as they are than he is.</p>
<p>As I’ve begun to think about college for my D, who’s similar to the OP’s son, I’ve come up with several smaller state schools in geographic areas where the people are known to be really nice and down-to-earth. These schools aren’t difficult to get into, but can have some stronger programs or specialties. A cosmopolitan place wouldn’t suit D, since she is the polar opposite of sophisticated.</p>
<p>I hope the OP won’t mind if I ask you all what you would suggest for a kid just like the OP’s son, but who excels in subjects like Latin, history, and social studies? A computer science major, maybe at a techie school, seems to be the most common recommendation for kids on the spectrum. Unfortunately, my D does not excel in math or science or anything highly analytical, so that wouldn’t work academically, though it might be very good socially. She much prefers boys and their interests, to girls and their interests.</p>
<p>“Also, he wants to double major in political science, but computer science is his first priority.” - That is darn near impossible for even the most gifted, organized, driven students. There just is not much course synergy. Perhaps one could be a minor. </p>
<p>Aim for someplace fairly close, with a good fit and strong support system. (We did that, and things still didn’t work out… but since we were close we are not left with any doubt about distance complications.)</p>