Does anyone have experience of how elite colleges evaluate “Most Demanding” course selection for kids with learning disabilities? My son has an LD (dyslexia) so opted not to take any AP classes with heavy reading loads. He took 6 out of 7 AP science courses offered by the school (couldn’t fit the 7th into his schedule), 3/3 math APs, and AP Spanish (10 total). The school offers 22 APs and the valedictorian usually takes 16 or 17. With straight A’s, son’s in the 7th percentile GPA-wise, taking the most demanding classes he thought he could handle. Only applying to engineering programs, only one Ivy (Cornell). Counselor and colleges all have the info about his LD so we are hoping he doesn’t get dinged too badly if she reports his schedule as Very Demanding instead of Most Demanding and the fact that he’s not in the 5th percentile. We really didn’t know until this year how much his LD has held him back, because from his perspective it hasn’t at all! Thanks in advance for any information from folks who have gone through this process with an LD.
Have an open conversation with the school counselor about this. They are most likely very impressed with his drive and goals and will use language that highlights his strengths in taking the most rigorous courses that prepared him for success in college.
How were the scores on the AP exams he is self reporting on the Common App?Those will help the colleges know more of a holistic picture, as well.
Remember, all colleges will make some accommodations if needed and requested ahead of time - usually the summer before first semester. Finding the right fit for him is important and the school counselor should have some excellent recommendations for places he will thrive like he has in high school. RIT and University of Dayton both seem to excel is this area with Engineering.
Thank you, this is helpful. APs: 3 on AP CS Principles, 3 on AP Chemistry, 5s on all the rest. 800 Math, 740 R/W SAT. He feels weird about talking about his disability because he thinks he’s being “whiny” to complain about “only” getting a 740 on the SAT, “only” taking 10 APs, etc. Hard for me as a mom to be objective because I watched him struggle to learn to read in 3rd grade, but he’s never experienced life any other way so he doesn’t think he’s had to overcome any particular challenges. Anyway thanks, I’ll talk to his counselor. She’s always been very helpful and responsive.
Those are fabulous scores. He has so much to be proud of and he will end up in the right place for him.
One of my brothers has dyslexia, so I grew up seeing him struggle, but also find his strengths. He took AP classes at a time when it was more discourged, but he did better than others because he had learned how he needed to study and learn.
The colleges will not know if he had extended time or other test accommodations during the admissions process.
Take the time doing the work to find a place with the real supports he needs. Some will say they have a process or supports. Other colleges are much clearer with their professors about expectations of how they need to need the needs of different learners. Ask a lot of questions this year as decisions are made and make sure he advocates for himself - it is not whining at all. He will need to make the requests with professors prior to exams or due dates and have documentation on file with the college in the appropriate office. They can not do anything after the fact. Too many kids get to college and try to make it without any supports and then get to mid-semester and are struggling.
Thank you. My son has worked hard and will have many fine options for college and beyond. I just wanted to know how elite colleges respond to LD applicants to help manage expectations during the application process. Glad to hear things worked out for your brother.
So I am assuming you have already decided to disclose the dyslexia during the admissions process? While legally colleges can’t discriminate against your son because of his disability, they also aren’t going to give him a pass for a less rigorous schedule because of it.
In your son’s situation, I don’t think there is anything that needs to be explained in his academic record. 8 to 10 APs is plenty for even the most elite colleges. Kids taking 16 to 17 AP classes sounds absolutely insane to me.
FWIW, I also have a gifted dyslexic son applying as a STEM major this cycle. He is not disclosing his disability in his applications. Like your son he has high test scores, and will have taken 9 APs plus multivariable calculus and linear algebra by the time he graduates. He chose not to take the AP English classes but did take AP history classes. We don’t see any reason to disclose his dyslexia. My fear is that it might call his accomplishments into question. I know there as are differing opinions on this, but I’m not really sure there is anything to be gained by disclosing.
That’s a very good point. I agree there’s no legal requirement for a college to give him a pass for a less rigorous schedule. It sounds like your son is bright and extremely well prepared, so his dylexia won’t be an issue. The 10 vs. 17 APs is relevant in our context - it’s a crazy competitive public high school and he is one of at least three in his class applying ED to Cornell Engineering. He already chose to disclose because it’s an important part of who he is, and why he does the volunteer work that he does. If a school decides they don’t want him, then they don’t, and he probably wouldn’t be happy there anyway. Good luck to your son, and congratulations to you for all you’ve done to get him to this point!
It sounds like your son has a compelling reason to disclose. It is definitely a personal decision, and I don’t think there is any one right answer here.
I understand your concern about his high school schedule being “less rigorous” compared to some others in an Uber competitive school. Most admissions folks I have talked to do not encourage loading up on 18 AP courses. 8 to 10 APs seems to be the sweet spot that checks the box for adequate rigor and they then move on to the rest of the application. I would suspect that many of those kids have very little time for any meaningful extracurricular activities. ( And if they do, they get no sleep and are under an inordinate amount of stress).
I don’t know how Cornell will view your son compared to other applicants from his school. But it definitely is not going to be a matter of the one with the most APs wins. Your son has an amazing SAT score and has taken advanced coursework relative to what he wants to study. He should be a competitive applicant. Let him take his shot at Cornell. If it doesn’t work out, he will have a lot of other great options.
As far as my son ( and probably yours too), dyslexia is always going to be an issue. Mine is paying attention to gen ed requirements at his colleges of interest and leaning towards schools where his AP credits can get him out of humanities and foreign language courses that would require lots of reading.
Congrats to your son on all he has achieved. I’m sure he will have a lot of great college options.
Cornell engineering has a ton of out of college requirements, including freshman writing seminars and six more courses in the humanities. Without AP credit in those areas, your son will have to take them all. I would encourage your student to look at the 4 year plan of study at Cornell to see if it aligns with his interests.
Yes, he knows. But he loves history. In his HS, the honors history classes were paired with honors lit classes. Couldnt do the one without the other. As long as he can do his college writing on history and poly sci and not have to analyze jane Austen and tennessee Williams he’ll be fine. (One FWS at cornell last year was even called “Robotics”, which has been his main “thing” since second grade.)
Yes about dyslexia will always be an issue. All his teams use Slack and the mobile version doesn’t have spell check…
I will caution you that there is no guarantee that your son will get the Freshman Writing Seminar he wants. They are capped in terms of size so he needs to be prepared that he could get stuck in a seminar he’s not happy with.
Good to know, thanks.