<p>I am thrilled to say that D’s apps are essentially done! WOO HOO! Now, she still has some theatre specific pieces to complete and the interviews/portfolio reviews all have to be scheduled. She will need to do one in state safety app, but there is no rush on that one. Given her awful ACT scores, we are going to go over the test optional school list to see if one of them offers the kind of degree she wants and has the kind of theatre program she desires. If we can find one, she may go forward with that app. It feels good to know most everything is done. It will take forever to get answers, though, because theatre schools generally don’t make decisions until all interviews are complete. That will be mid March-ish for most, so we’ve got a while.</p>
<p>Bad GPA - 3.6 UC Weighted. But 2250 SAT. Do I have a chance at a good school? I have big upward trends…(3.2 Soph → 4.2 Junior).</p>
<p>Hi All, have been reading a number of the posts - and I just want to say thank you for taking the time to jot down all of your experiences. I could really use some advice - any thoughts or directions would be highly appreciated.</p>
<p>I have a S who is a senior in High School this year & is very intrigued about going to a top tier college. His GPA doesn’t reflect his ability (quite frustrating) - and has a solid SAT profile 800m, 710cr, 680w. 770 on SAT subject test. 3 AP tests with 5’s. No super scoring. He has some interesting ec’s immersion Arabic for 3 summers - no one in our family has a background in that area. He is at a magnet school that has a high profile in our area.</p>
<p>His achilles heel in college applications is two fold- underwhelming GPA and he is an aspergers kid.</p>
<p>As a 3.1 freshman his grades started dropping and he was diagnosed as with asperger’s with high functioning spectrum disorder. 18 months ago he started on therapy and medicine but his sophomore year grades suffered combined 2.5. In junior year he rebounded back to his 3.1 average. Part of the challenge of his “condition” is that he only wants to focus on what he likes… History/Economic/Politics… he dislikes math and science but is in AP calc & physics and is getting A’s in these classes as a senior - this is something he only ever has done for History type classes historically.</p>
<p>I’m a public servant and we don’t make a lot of money so college aid is important.</p>
<p>With all that out of the way - he wants to go to a top tier LAC - as an alternative he actually has been talking about going to Oxford as he meets the minimum requirements and he knows exactly want he wants class wise from college and career - pursuit of History at a high research level. Alas, we don’t have those resources as Oxford doesn’t grant aid. </p>
<p>re: LAC’s how will he be reviewed by an admissions committee with their holistic process with a relatively low GPA and 1510 m/cr SAT? Are there any schools outside of the CTCL that he might consider. He is super driven in what he intends to study and will be an excellent student for the right smaller to mid-size school that have strong History departments.</p>
<p>Thanks all!</p>
<p>@ehmanges - What area of the country are you looking at? What’s the maximum/minimum size school? </p>
<p>In my absolutely unprofessional opinion, I think many schools will look at the situation holistically. As a parent, I would want to make sure there are support services for his needs. Also, with a career in history, probably as an academic, you are looking at a PhD. Many, many solid LACs send lots of kids to graduate school - find the fit without worrying excessively about the ranking. Don’t go into lots of debt since you’re looking at years of graduate school in a profession that likely won’t pay much. Instead of looking at the ranking of the college as a whole, look for a professor that might be a mentor in his particular area of interest in History (European, American, or whatever). Try to meet with professors and see if your son will have the opportunity to do research with them as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>Ehmanages, I would suggest at Earlham College for your son. I know that you are asking for schools other than the CTCL, but it just seems a very good fit for him.</p>
<p>It is NOT a top tier LAC (like Middlebury which has such excellent language programs). However, SUNY Binghamtom has a good Middle Eastern studies and language program (including Arabic and Turkish). As a state school often they have good disabilities support programs but I don’t know their particular program. It and Geneseo are considered best of the SUNYs and I think he could possibly get in with his scores even with a lower gpa. As a fall back maybe you look into it? (I also heard there was a good Middle Eastern/Turkish/Arabic studies program at Indiana Univsersity in Bloomington but that is even further afield from your request for a top tier LAC- but just throwing it out there.)</p>
<p>My d’s Common App is done. She will hopefully be coming home this weekend with feedback to allow her to finish final draft of essays. Short answers to all supplements are complete so that just leaves supplement essays. Not bad. First deadline is Nov. 1 but she has set goal to have all applications in by then and it seems like she is easily on track to do that. Remembering her lack of enthusiasm and urgency six months ago, I never would have believed that would be the case this Fall! She has really taken ownership and gotten through the application process with only minimal help from me. I am still nearby nagging about checking emails, staying in touch with colleges, etc. but now that the college visits are finished, I am happy to report she is handling most of it!</p>
<p>TheNexus - A 3.6 is not a bad a GPA. You should have no problem getting into a great number of schools.</p>
<p>Nice Joisy! Having all apps done and in before Thanksgiving makes for a wonderful holiday season :)</p>
<p>@Joisymom, that’s great! Wow!</p>
<p>edited to add this for:@ Nexus, if that’s a weighted University of California GPA, you should have some excellent options (high scores, kid, and a SIGNIFICANT upward trend!). Try not to stress yourself out. Reading CC will do that to a person ;). Go to the UC site and make a list of the campuses that interest you. Sort by possible major, and use the Common Data Sets of each school to give yourself an idea of whether you are within range (or use College Data dot com site which uses the Common Data Sets). UCI, UCD, USSD, UCSB…just go through the list and start getting the apps. filled in. Just make up your list of schools, meet with your counselor at school to confirm and get other school ideas too. Your deadlines are right around the corner, so get started on the apps. this weekend. </p>
<p>(side note: my son looked similar to you on paper. He had a 3.47 in 9th grade then a 3.82 W by application time (2300 SAT’s). He was admitted to UCSB honors and offered Presidential from UCSC. Your upward trend is excellent and I think you will do really well in admissions, so try not to worry!)</p>
<p>@Kinderny, I was suggesting Earlham because of the acceptance from other students, and for the challenging academics. The other main reason is that “top” LAC’s are not likely to be offering merit money in this case with the lower GPA (Middlebury is an uber-reach). I was trying to be realistic and suggest an LAC that would be likely to offer this kid some merit and a decent need-based FA package, on top of being an accepting community for his Aspergers. I have a D with ADD and this presents more important criteria in her college search then the rankings, so that “colors” my thought process a great deal when making college suggestions to other posters.</p>
<p>Plus Earlham has a great language program, esp in Japanese (not sure about Arabic but worth a look). And study abroad program. And is generous with merit.</p>
<p>Apologies if I’m bragging. Ok not if, I am bragging - but this feels like a safe place to do so. Most of the kids we’re discussing here have had a real struggle and I know I love to hear about their success and celebrate with you. D got that feedback on her essay today and the English teacher told her it is one of the best he’s read. So proud.</p>
<p>Congrats, Joisymom…all of our kids’ successes are hard-fought and worth celebrating.</p>
<p>Thanks to all for the feedback thus far! </p>
<p>His grades are unweighted that I posted before and nearly all his classes have been honors or AP level since he began high school. His STEM school doesn’t grant extra weighting - pretty rigorous curriculum. He tests so highly that it seems almost like a parlor trick and teachers and counselors have been confused with his struggles… and his reluctance to turn in homework or explain anything in detail beyond the exact facts… unless the question was on Economic theories of the 18th century or military strategies of the senior Prussian Army War Staff during Imperial Germany or similar. </p>
<p>We only discovered this when a physical therapist in evaluating his unusual walking gait - asked if Andrew had been diagnosed as having Asperger’s. That this caught us by surprise is an understatement. We always thought he was really bright but maybe a bit less focused on school. The therapy and related treatment methodologies have been incredibly transformative. He’s at a 4.0 this year with a tough schedule and is thriving. Truly, kids are pretty amazing and can blossom with the right support.</p>
<p>Common app completed, with the exception of the essay. Nothing else is finished. </p>
<p>However, my DS casually mentioned in the car the other day that if it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t know anything about the college search and application process. Can’t remember what we were talking about at the time because I was so shocked, and quite frankly, thrilled, that every thought left my head. This is the first acknowledgement that I’m not just a nagging mother who is driving him crazy!</p>
<p>Joisymom, that just made me smile! :D</p>
<p>Leacoop, oh I wish my DS would have ever said that to me! Or DD for that matter. 
You have a great S. :)</p>
<p>No essays finished here. D started over last week and has a much better start, but she’s been struggling with it. She has such a hard time actually writing an essay - either it comes off cheesy because she writes what she thinks she is supposed to write, or it’s disjointed because she second-guesses along the way and stops and starts. I don’t know how to get her over that hump - writing came very easy to me and she rejects my suggestions.</p>
<p>Joisymom… that is just awesome!! My son was not the best writer and I think it hurt him in admissions. To all the rest of you 2013’ers… take a breath and know everything will get done and one day soon you will just be able to sit back and wait… exciting times!!</p>
<p>ehmanges… I would definitely shoot for the moon, but have some realistic safeties that your son really likes as well. My DS was similar to your S… he had around a 3.5 W from a VERY rigorous private prep, with 5 AP’s and 2200 SAT. He also had some pretty heavy EC’s. Eagle Scout, 1500 volunteer hours, and spent a semester at a school on an organic farm in VT. He did not get into any of his reaches or matches… but did get into all of his safeties with tons of $$$. He ended up falling in love with one of them after he went to accepted students day and that is where he will be going next August after a gap year. I was hoping for some holistic reviews as well, but after it was all said and done… I think GPA is IT… unfortunately for my S. He was one of those kids who would get A’s on all of his tests but not turn in HW… so tons of B+'s… no C’s though.</p>
<p>My last thought… if you are full pay it will help A LOT at the smaller LAC’s… my S was not:-((</p>
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<p>5boys, I respectfully disagree with this. I’m glad your son found a great place, because I remember you from the Whitman message board. My son was full pay, with an unweighted gpa of 3.44 and a weighted gpa of 4.02, and with SAT scores and extra-curriculars very similar to your son’s, including Eagle Scout. Those high SAT scores did gain him admission to UC San Diego and Emory University, but he was turned down by the reaches – Whitman and Middlebury – and also by most matches.</p>
<p>He went to Willamette University, a safety that he fell in love with during a campus visit. And so all’s well that ends well. We’ve been very impressed with the education he’s getting there, and the internship opportunities are amazing.</p>
<p>@anniezz
The ad com (is that the right term?) at Wesleyan came to my D’s school when she was a senior and gave this advice about the essay:</p>
<p>to thine own self be true</p>
<p>Encourage your daughter to write from her heart and tell a story that has meaning for her. Many drafts may be necessary, but the writing must be her own true feelings.</p>
<p>My S’s essay is weak, I think, and needs a stronger conclusion. But he loves it and it’s HIS story about a time a teacher noticed him and complimented him. So, I let it go because after all, I want colleges to see him for who he is and where he is right now. </p>
<p>BTW, we are one app complete-and met with addmissions counselor from the school at his HS and she confirmed, plus one official visit to another school down (that was great!) and is now motiviating S to complete the second app even though its not due until December 1. We will wait on the safeties until we hear from the EA schools. Most have later deadlines and we didn’t qualify for FA (although we need it!) with our D.</p>
<p>Good luck everyone! Just think, soon we’ll posting our acceptances and we’ll be obsession over the decision of WHICH school to choose!</p>
<p>Happy to hear of progress on the Common App by so many of your kids! That’s great! Quick update on DS.</p>
<p>Common App almost done-- he needs to copy the essay into the common app but he says it’s done-- no more drafts, edits, no more changing. Which is fine because I think it’s his best effort. He needs to add one more Award-- student of the month at his HS (minor brag by me!) He has never won this before over 3+ years at the HS-- while his brother and sister won several so he was quite happy even though he won’t admit it.</p>
<p>He is flying back today from a visit to 3 LA area schools---- LMU, Whittier and Redlands. He sounded positive about all of them over the phone but we will see what he says in person. These are his last visits before sending in applications. I think he doesn’t want to say which schools are his top choices in case he doesn’t get in. That’s fine with me although I am curious. He is applying to 8— already in at MTSU which doesn’t use common app. I think 6 have early action so I am pushing for him to get those in by Nov 1st or whatever the deadline is</p>
<p>I will be very happy when it is Nov 1st-- hopeful that the applications will be done and then we can wait-- which is stressful as well, but at that point there is nothing more he can do</p>