<p>Ah yes; ADD and late bloomer. Got one of those also. Does not care one bit about the grades.
I totally agree with Colleges That Change Lives. It’s not too early to start discussing “what do YOU want to study?” There are many schools that allow you to largely choose your curriculum with few required courses. It was suggested to our DS that yes, high school was a drag, but when he got to college and could study what HE wanted he would just thrive. He really internalized that concept.
You know your son best but maybe he could talk about large vs small, what part of the country, what would he like to major in? Start a list from there.
Yale probably is off the table, but there are great, great schools out there. Don’t be discouraged by his grades; he is clearly at a challenging school and I’m guessing will test very well. In our experience, boy + out-of-state + high test scores - even with Bs and Cs - yielded better than expected results in the admission process, including merit aid. So don’t give up - you have time. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Good luck!</p>
<p>I think that I will re-read Pope’s book. I read it when DD was about in ninth grade, so perhaps it is time.</p>
<p>Bflo, from another thread it looks like things are looking up! Yayy!</p>
<p>You already know this, but my son has been on medicine, and fairly good behavioral strategies since he was five and STILL ended up with about a 2.0 first semester sophomore year. As you also know, second semster of junior year he pulled a 4.0, finally earning me a spot on the 3.0 parents thread. Honestly, for him, it was all about finding the motivation ( for example, he earned the privilege of driving my new car by having no more tardies , which meant he didn’t get kicked out of class, which meant fewer zeros for classwork, and he knew what the homework was. Tests were never a problem.) SINCE then, he sees himself as a good student, and seems to be doing it for pride now. Even in senior year second semester!</p>
<p>Bflogirl, there IS hope!!!</p>
<p>Hey Shrinkrap, thanks for that. Great news about your S!! I do think finding the motivator is key. And you don’t really know what that is until you, well, try everything you can think of. And/or until they mature a bit. </p>
<p>I’m hoping pride will eventually become the primary motivator. I think it will, because at the part-time job he has at the local pizza joint, he does everything he can to do a good job and impress the boss. And he loves it when I go in there and the boss tells me what a great job S is doing. “Boss” also tells S to keep up his grades and do well in school, bless his heart!</p>
<p>Keeping my fingers crossed that grades stay high this semester. If they do, he will be in great shape. Hoping…hoping…praying (even though I am not religious)…</p>
<p>My DS is also one of those REALLY bright high test scorers who might be labeled as “lazy” or an under-achiever… although most teacher’s rave about him and say things like, " he is the brightest B student that they have ever taught" I really have given up trying to understand my take on it. I know he is NOT lazy… he is an Eagle Scout, First Responder, rescue diver, volunteer fireman, beach lifeguard, holds a leadership position in a national organization, and has over 800 hrs. community service. He does really well in classes that are run more like college classes… discussions, and sharing of ideas, with not a lot of busy work assigned. We recently visited Dartmouth and I said to him as we were leaving the tour, " I bet you wish now that you would have just turned in your homework so that those B+'s were A’s., and he said “Ya, kinda”… sigh…</p>
<p>I LOATHE the word lazy! It is such an unhelpful word!</p>