@consolation - May be they don’t need money but there are schools out there willing to pay a lot for his current resume which means he has done quite well by most standards. However, it was not one grade but his overall performance in 11th grade that will keep him out of elite schools. Whatever wall he hit is the issue, not one C.
The OP didn’t say she was native Vietnamese. Her language skills indicate complete fluency in the language, so I suspect she is a full American citizen born of immigrant parents perhaps. She only says herr son will be first to attend college. On rereading the first post and OPs responses, I am doubting the intention of this post. Her son’s stats are top notch and even the most clueless parent must understand how impressive the test scores are. I suspect the OP is looking more for an estimation of her son’s chances at elite colleges and if they have been compromised by an average grade, as opposed to total ruination of his future. In which case, OP might want to create a Chances thread in that forum.
I would doubt after 4 B’s and a C that the student would be 4th in a highly competitive class of 900.
That is what will close doors, not the one C.
I hope the OP comes and clarifies the question. My crystal ball isn’t working well…so honestly, I don’t know what the real intent was.
But if it’s “is my son’s future ruined” the answer is NO. If it’s “will my son still be able to easily get acceoted to these four elite schools” the answer is not probably as they have lots of top applicants. If the question is “will my son be able to be successful in the future even with these grades” the answer is absolutely. Because the vast majority of folks do NOT attend these colleges listed…and the do just fine.
True, getting an econ degree from someplace like UofM or Duke vs. an econ degree from Penn is going to make zip zero zilch difference in life. I do think this kid would be well advised to back off some of those APs senior year and finish off the senior fall with stellar grades…there are just so many things that zap time fall of senior year
@compmom – “The son got all A’s until junior year, when he got 4 B’s and a C. Ordinarily these are great grades, but it does show a change and I wonder why…harder class content, change in work habits?”
It could be both. In the Fall semester of our D’s sophomore year, the bad habits she had developed over the years finally caught up to her. She’s smart with a killer memory and the combination of the two let her skate through elementary and middle school with straight As. When she got to Accelerated Pre-Calc and AP Bio in 10th grade, where the material itself was much more difficult, her bad habits were exposed (and a bad attitude didn’t help). After the midterms and progress report, showing averages in the mid-80s, and many tears in Jan/Feb 2016, she finally woke up and started preparing for tests. She managed to get her overall averages to A’s for the year (barely!).
After all the comments, maybe the OP is not as freaked out now about son’s future being “RUINED” (all caps), because I notice that the title of the thread got changed to “Ruined”.
I changed it. I truly dislike headers with all caps.
@ everybody trying to help the OP, you can’t really help people with this mindset on an internet forum. trust me; I’m an internet psychologist. I know what I’m talking about.
Just a few things that people like this eventually find out in a few years:
- the country is full of business leaders who majored in Spanish at some liberal arts college.
- the Wall Street gig is not what it once was. while I'm reluctant to say "the party's over" just yet, it is wrapping up in that the really fun people have gone home.
- living your life vicariously through your children's educational achievements is morally wrong and indefensible. not to be confused with living your life vicariously through your children's athletic achievements, which is entirely appropriate.
- if money is the sole aim, which is fine, no judgment, there are easier ways that "elite'ing" one's way through life. frankly, get into sales, get good at it, and the money will roll in baby! do NOT become a lawyer. you'll be well paid, and you will give up more than a pound of flesh for it. trust me.
finally, for the thick among you, and you know who you are, 98.7% of this post was sarcasm. here is the sign you normally require to keep from freaking out: [SARCASM ALERT].
except for the very first thing I wrote, that is. You simply cannot help people like this, assuming the OP is a genuine person and isn’t here parading as some extreme personality for the entertainment value.
"The OP didn’t say she was native Vietnamese. Her language skills indicate complete fluency in the language, so I suspect she is a full American citizen born of immigrant parents perhaps. She only says herr son will be first to attend college. On rereading the first post and OPs responses, I am doubting the intention of this post. Her son’s stats are top notch and even the most clueless parent must understand how impressive the test scores are. I suspect the OP is looking more for an estimation of her son’s chances at elite colleges and if they have been compromised by an average grade, as opposed to total ruination of his future. In which case, OP might want to create a Chances thread in that forum. "
Yes, this. I always marvel at how quickly people respond to these posts with such genuine and heart-felt effort and with their best thoughts on the matter, completely failing to recognize the caricature nature of the OP’s content.
Also, I would bet $50 the OP does not return. The veil has been lifted I think.
Agree with @middleburydad2. Talking to this person is like talking to a teenager (actually the teen can be more open). You cannot change them, they are lost. @pizzagirl asked if I laughed at the neighbor who said they weren’t raised to be happy, just to be content and the only way to achieve that was a top school - I didn’t laugh because I just had such pity and sadness for her and the kids. This has been a few years and I still shake my head at the thought of them and the conversation. (btw, Not sure about son, but the daughter hasn’t been home to see them in over 5 years.) For all the importance they place on achieving and how others perceive them because their kid got a B, I find it funny that their yard and house is the worst looking and unkempt in the entire neighborhood. Since the kid failed them by getting a B, I wish they made him clean it up as punishment. 
There’s always lessons learned. Some kids hit the wall in 11th grade academically, also, in terms of study skills and ability to pull straight As with ease so the OP, if reading, would be wise to open the mind to alternatives to the colleges mentioned in the post. Another good reason why NOT to overload a senior year.
Yet 5 pages and 70+ posts going strong…I almost feel like this kind of posts is what some posters need from time to time so they can get back to their “major theme”, which is to ruthlessly pound those prestige mongers out there. OPs of these threads are often times incredibly clueless about what they will receive on CC for what they are asking and unbelievably thick skinned to stick around until they are thoroughly beaten up… lol
Writing skills are in high demand these days. And finance isn’t the only way to make a good salary. I think this kind of narrow focus will end up limiting rather than enhancing opportunities. Let life happen a little.
“My guess is not a spoof, just crazy regular thoughts from a typical California parent.”
Clearly you jest. That is such an off-base statement.
The posters here are not bashing prestige. The posters here are challenging the OP’s narrow view that success in life is contigent upon attending a handful of schools. That is an unhealthy attitude, and no doubt puts undue massive pressure on son.
What on earth? What a grossly overkill statement.
We’re telling the OP that no, his/her son’s life is NOT ruined and there are lots of other options out there. Often these posts are started by immigrants who aren’t familiar with the US system of colleges and come from a home country where there really are only 1 to a handful of colleges that are truly worth attending.
@panpacific , you and I seem to see things the same way 9 times out of 10. This is that one time.
- this is probably not a parent, but one of those needy, neurotic, insecure kids who needs validation from strangers.
- if so, no doubt the kid comes from the type of parents who would hold views somewhere in the zip code of what was articulated in the OP.
- my point was that well-meaning people are wasting their time because this isn't the kind of thing that gets "straightened out" in the style of [fill in name of usual suspect prestige police poster here]. the content of the OP is, I'll just be blunt, stupid. this isn't one of those "I'm ok you're ok" relativism deals. some things, some people, some comments and some views are simply stupid and ridiculous and uninformed. that's this here.
- given my third point, the OP deserves nothing more than an internet beating, not internet therapy.
- we are agreed that there are those here who absolutely live for these and related kinds of posts. no doubt. and those people often WAY over-step their bounds. I probably do too. I may be doing it here. but with this OP ... yeah, just begging for it. no sympathy here on this one. I'm full Spartan.
- This has zero to do with "prestige pounding". You've seen me in those dialogues here and know where I stand. But for someone to list 8 schools and ask if a life's ruined because they or some kid went 0 for 8 ... is plainly idiotic. It would be stupid to judge a life ruined if they were admitted to ZERO colleges. it's just stupid. the whole thing. stupid.
@MiddleburyDad2 OP is either fake to elicit some entertainment or as you said simply idiotic. Either way didn’t deserve much attention. I feel some posters like to find “excuses” to repeat themselves… But, I just made a “casual” remark on this thread. This is not the type of thread I feel like to chime in…