In need of help...

<p>Way to go Mom! My son was in a similar boat -- the grad night speech was given by a lovely and talented young woman -- but my kid got some nice accolades and was clearly loved by his peers. He's gone on to a school he loves and is making me nuts with some of his choices -- but he also knows we love him unconditionally. We love HIM -- not his report card. Tell your guy that you are GLAD that you now know he has a Clark Kent side to go with his Superman routine. He'll smile and feel relieved too.</p>

<p>This is nothing to worry about at all -- it will not affect his college admissions. At our high school, this first semester grade wouldn't even change his GPA, which is determined at the end of junior year. By the way, in the state where I live, any grade of 90 or above is considered an A (both in high school and college.) I grew up in a place where 92 was a B, but this is not the norm.</p>

<p>Good luck to your son -- by any measure he's a success and will be fine!</p>

<p>My D and her friend had higher gpa's than a couple vals in their class, but they weren't allowed the distinction ... no B's allowed. Her friend was widely considered the smartest kid in their class. So much so, in fact, that the principal called him down with the rest of the vals at the end of the year. When he said, "Is this for vals? I shouldn't be here. I got a B," the principal turned pale, they tell me. Maybe he had a moment of reflection on the policy? Everyone knows the really amazing students!!</p>

<p>This thread just brought back a memory to share with OP. When I was in high school, the top ten ranked seniors got a front page article in the local paper, with yearbook headshots. The top two ranked students got extra text and bigger photos. The article always took up almost the whole page and was was read by everyone in town. People would be gabbing about the "top two" for days. The students were ranked on the basis on their unweighted GPA's. In my senior year, I was edged out for one of the top two slots by a boy who, though very bright, had quite deliberately avoided all honors classes throughout his high school career (our backwater didn't even offer AP's). Of course he had a perfect GPA. I was mildly upset, but got over it quickly. My Dad blew a gasket, and until the day he died the mere mention of the kid's name would send him off on a rant. Decades later, I find the whole thing pretty amusing. Lesson here? Chill.</p>

<p>I get the feeling the OP's son is only applying to merit aid schools as they have a high EFC and aren't prepared to pay the full cost. He should do just fine attracting lots of $$ if he's applied to the right schools.</p>

<p>hmom, I'm pretty new here and don't know what an EFC means?? And actually my son has already made his mind up on WHERE he wants to go to school, but he will be applying to Vanderbilt before the deadline just in case there is a change of heart. He has already been accepted to his first and second choice. His teachers tell him he could do so much better than his first choice, but I am a firm believer that if he doesn't go to a college he believes he'll be happy in, it would be a very long four years. His hope is to be able to do well enough to get into MIT eventually, but he has applied for Honors scholarships at his first choice. He will hear from those in the next few weeks.</p>

<p>This is what concerns me:
"Will his merits be considered if he is ranked at #20? We make enough money to help him with college but have not prepared to do so."</p>

<p>I don't know where your son is applying but this makes it sound like you're counting on a full ride. Those are long shots. Your sons stats could get him good merit aid at a lot of schools-- but it might not be a full ride. </p>

<p>(EFC is the amount the federal financial aid process estimates your family can afford. So if you have a high EFC, it means you will not qualify for any or much financial aid based on need.)</p>

<p>EFC = Expected Family Contribution</p>

<p>EFC is your Expected Family Contribution based on the calculations for NEED based aid. These calculations are done by formula either based on federal guidelines for the federal programs of need based aid...or using institutional guidelines set by the colleges. The information provide on the FAFSA, Profile (if required), and school financial aid form (if required) are used.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info. He is already guaranteed 1/3 of the costs at his number 1 school, and probably COULD get a full ride at his #2 (even though it's a smaller, private school with tuition almost twice the cost as #1...but not with as good of program in his major). </p>

<p>With son #1 our EFC was #137.00 per semester due to scholarships but it was a smaller state school and that was five years ago. I know we will have to help with some costs, but we've always told our children that college costs will be partially their responsibility too. We feel it is more motivation to work harder to keep the scholarships.</p>

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<p>Do you mean that your costs were $137 per semester? EFC is usually not affected by scholarships. EFC is a calculation made that determines what the family can pay each year based on their financial need. Scholarships, when awarded, usually reduce the NEED based aid, but not the EFC.</p>

<p>May I say something? Be glad that your son had this nice opportunity to be upset and whine about his grade and e-mail the professor. Since he doesn't sound too entitled to his As, he should be well-liked by his college professors who will make sure that he does well (but no guaranteed As here!). Tell him that he should relax, be happy that he had this opportunity to screw up a little while still at home in comforts of his family to support him rather than experience the breakdown alone in college as a freshman. And once in college, he should really, really try not to focus on the grades too much as professors really don't appreciate students who insist on getting As all the time. His love for learning will win his professors' attention and they (usually) will make sure he does well for himself in college.</p>

<p>
[quote]
be happy that he had this opportunity to screw up a little while still at home in comforts of his family

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Are you serious? You think this is screwing up? I am beginning to wonder at some of the stuff I'm reading here.</p>

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<p>I do hope that you are implying he is not entitled as in his A's are "gimmes". I've only listed a few of his accomplishments here, not even mentioning being student government president, ect. so you are right only if you are saying he has earned every grade he has made. If he were being "given" grades I would think his final grades from a teacher would just be A's instead of averages of above 100 in his classes.</p>

<p><<<do you="" mean="" that="" your="" costs="" were="" $137="" per="" semester?="" efc="" is="" usually="" not="" affected="" by="" scholarships.="" a="" calculation="" made="" determines="" what="" the="" family="" can="" pay="" each="" year="" based="" on="" their="" financial="" need.="" scholarships,="" when="" awarded,="" reduce="" need="" aid,="" but="" efc.="">></do></p>

<p>I meant to say that was our portion per semester. The rest of his education (books/room/tuition/meals) was paid for by college scholarships and the Hope Scholarship and General Merit Assembly Scholarship.</p>

<p>Well all the worry we had with OP is over. Son got into his #1 choice. The ones that said he will do fine were right. Dean’s List all the way thru, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.97 and and on the plus side with all scholarships, and no loans. He is currently working on Masters with a reseach/TA tuition waiver. That B didn’t really matter at all. It’s all good.</p>

<p>Just now realized this thread is five years old . . .</p>

<p>Thanks for the update-- and congrats to your son!</p>

<p>Yes, thanks for the update . . . what a great outcome!!!</p>

<p>For a 4.0 (or 3.9) HS GPA student with 35 ACT, there should be plenty of merit scholarships available:</p>

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