My son didn’t get off to a good start in HS. First semester he immediately failed an elective class, and he struggled throughout freshmen year (Later found out he was bullied). During Sophomore year his performance improved, but his academic performance was still lackluster. Sometime early in Junior year he decided he was going to be a naval officer, and now studies extremely hard and follows a strict schedule and work ethic. He has joined two athletic teams, his academic performance has improved, but I’m still worried it won’t be enough to get him into a four year school.
He currently has four A’s, two B’s, and is failing a video-editing elective class (Due to a spat with the teacher, apparently). He will still have enough credits to graduate. However, the fact that he is failed another class will reflect poorly on his college transcript. All his academics are of extremely high rigor, with AP’s.
His ACT is 33, with flat 33’s in every category. We have the money to send him OOS for a full four years. He has considered CC and has decided against it; he only wants to go to a school with an NROTC unit, even if it is a less reputable one.
He wants to study Engineering Management/Systems Engineering/Industrial Engineering.
personally, I’d recommend a community college and then transfer to an excellent 4-year school with engineering.
btw: a ‘spat’ with a teacher is not a good thing to add to the resume of a cadet-wannabe. He needs to express some remorse and grow from the experience.
We had the counselor intervene and the teacher is willing to give him an extension on a final project that would boost his grade to a C. He has two weeks to turn it in and is currently working on it, but there is a chance that he would fail. There was animosity between him and the teacher that carried over from earlier in his HS career, and both parties already apologized.
@253Fas If your son’s weighted g.p.a. as shown on his transcript can be brought up to a 3.0 he can get a full tuition waiver at Ole Miss. Ole Miss has a NROTC program, and unlike some schools, the ROTC program enjoys general support from the university and students.
I’m sure you know you are dealing with some maturity issues. At Ole Miss, and perhaps most schools, you can access the student’s academic account and check on his schoolwork and whether he is attending class. If a problem should arise, you might be able to provide some phone motivation. Obviously your son would have to share his password with you, but I think you just need to make that part of the deal.
Your son seems to allow interpersonal conflict to derail him. That does not bode well for a career as a naval officer. Hopefully that is something he is also working on.
I think you need to stop making excuses for your son’s lackluster academic performance…and perhaps try to find out WHY he continues to have difficulties in some areas.
Why only OOS schools? What is the matter with your instate options?
This young man sounds like he would benefit from time off before he went to college. I’m not saying this to criticize; I’m speaking as someone who crashed and burned at college because I was not ready, and as a parent of a child who also crashed and burned at college.
Do not underestimate the bad effects of college failure. Your son does not sound like he is ready to study independently at college. Being smart is not enough.
Along with academic improvement he needs to be able to succeed with authority even if he disagrees with it. My brother dropped out of college decades ago when he apparently disliked the faculty in his major (was in criminal justice, worked in corrections as a guard for decades, couldn’t rise too far for lack of a degree). Your son needs to learn to get beyond personalities. He also needs good study habits. Many schools will look at the ability test scores show but fear he may not succeed due to not knowing how to study. Regardless of the college he attends both of these issues need to be addressed now. Improved grades junior year can make a difference to admissions.
Perhaps he is turning things around- great. Sounds like he has the academic ability to do well but he can easily become derailed without learning how to handle people skills. With his assumed IQ (test score) he will need to deal with many people less smart than he is his entire adult life. He may consider his bosses stupid but the reality is that they have the authority and power over him. They did something right to gain their position.
He may need a good grade college transcript to prove to the school with his major he can do the work. He also needs a school with students of his caliber to have an academic peer group and challenges. A good assignment for HIM is to research schools. It needs to be his, he needs to own the process. Taking charge of his life will serve him well.
You can get ideas for schools but you can’t do the work for him. Point out to him his future is in his hands. I think he is realizing this with his turn around in school now, but he still needs to internalize that he is the one, not any teacher or other person who controls his grades/performance. He may not agree but it is his, no one else’s, fault if things do not go well. This time he was bailed out but he should never expect that again (my own gifted son got bailed out by a HS teacher when he totally missed deadlines- a one time occurrence).
Perhaps your son now knows how he can misstep/fail and it will help him in the future. Emphasize it is in HIM, not the external world, to succeed or fail.
I’m not sure why a kid who is getting As and Bs in AP classes and has grown into a good work ethic, better study habits, and who has a clear goal in mind, would not be ready for college a year and a half from now.
Personality conflict with a single teacher aside, he sounds more ready than a lot of kids I know (my own included). No recommendations for schools, but good luck with your search. It sounds like he’s on track to pull his GPA over 3.0 this year, and that will open some doors.
I assume that you are looking OOS because the more desirable schools in-state would likely not accept him. In my state, the GPA needed for the better public options can be really inflated depending what part of the state you’re from.
Goucher College- They have a new application that lets you apply without sending a GPA or test scores. All you have to do is make a video and submit a graded piece of writing.
I sort of agree with @eh1234 . Son does seem to have matured some.
Son’s behavior is not inconsistent with the way kids with ADD sometimes act. Parent would know best about this, but if it is a possibility then it ought to be addressed.
Why is it so hard to get a listing of colleges with NROTC??
Anyway…if he had a list of schools that would accept him that also have NROTC and eng’g, what else would he use for his down-selection? Rural? City? Quiet campus? Rah rah? cold weather? warm weather? what else?