<p>S2 is a junior in HS; he's very bright but has done almost no serious schoolwork for about five years. He usually scores from 95 to 99% on standardized tests. At his best he was accepted into the Johns Hopkins CTY program. Usually he fails one course per semester, but he failed three courses on his last report card. </p>
<p>He's generally a very good kid. He's not afraid of hard work. He puts in a lot of effort at sports, and is willing to read about athletes and things he's interested in.</p>
<p>I think a big part of the problem may be with my wife and me. We are incapable of disciplining him in any consistent manner. I think we were spoiled by S1 who was very motivated and is doing very well at a top college. And we just don't have it in us to deal with all it would take to figure out what S2's HW is, did he do it, etc.? Almost no help from the school. Some good intentions expressed by the teachers but no follow through.</p>
<p>I think it's worth trying someplace where they would know how to deal with his manipulations. Probably not too complicated, just simple stuff like: "Too bad you got a 64 on that math test. You won't be going to the football game. No Facebook either till you do better."</p>
<p>So here are the questions:</p>
<p>Could a private day school help out or does he need BS?</p>
<p>If a day school is OK, what are some schools in NYC?</p>
<p>I<code>m assuming you</code>re in NYC. There is Hackly and Harvey, both 5 day BS. The Masters school is full BS. They are w/in half hr. of NYC. As a strong word of advice, don`t consider all boys schools! If you are in Westchester/Fairfield co. Look into St. Lukes, a DS.</p>
<p>Why would a school tell a student that they need to skip socializing or Facebook if they fail a test? Why wouldn’t a parent say that, especially by the time a student is failing three classes?</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about Oak Hill in VA. You might start a new thread with its name, and it might catch the attention of someone who knows it. </p>
<p>Harvey has the reputation of helping students who need academic improvement or just some extra attention; they also attract some high aptitude students. They might have a shuttle van that picks up a train in Katonah, but I think 5-day boarding might be better because it is a long train ride. Sorry, I don’t know of any schools like that in NYC, but there probably are some. For boarding schools, you might search boardingschoolreview for schools with programs for ADHD. Your son probably doesn’t have this LD, but those are the schools that probably take pride in turning around an academic underachiever. Hackley is an academic powerhouse, and not a good choice for an underachiever. </p>
<p>Have you considered hiring an educational consultant? Find someone who specializes in secondary school placement, not college and therapeutic schools. You can find some on boardingschoolreview and [Independent</a> Educational Consultants | IECA](<a href=“http://www.educationalconsulting.org/]Independent”>http://www.educationalconsulting.org/) If he switches schools, it would be worthwhile to have him repeat 11th grade. I think it would also be worthwhile to have him attend a summer program that might help him appreciate life beyond FB and video games. An educational consultant might be able to help you there as well.</p>
<p>^^Thanks for taking the time to post that info. We’ll definitely look into the Harvey School.
Here’s where I run into a problem:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m probably being a little stubborn here but there’s something about hiring a consultant that doesn’t seem right. We just went through the college selection process for my older son. Started with 2000 colleges narrowed it down, did research, narrowed it down again, etc. Finally made a choice which appears to be working out great. I just find it hard to believe that there isn’t some book or website out there which will just list the the ten or twenty schools we should be looking at right now.</p>
<p>So I’m wondering, is this really what we have to do? It’s not about the money. If I’m going to spend $50,000 I’ll spend a few hundred more for the consultant, but is this the only way to find the full list of schools to consider?</p>
<p>One thing i know about oak hill, is that they have an outstanding basketball program. It will be difficult if your son wants to play basketball at school if he attends Oak hill because so many NBA players came out of there. (Brandon Jennings, Josh Smith, Nolan Smith, Melo, Michael Beasley, Steve Blake, Kevin Durant, Ty Lawson, Rajon Rondo and a few more.)
Basically if your son wants to play ball at this school and isnt a top player nationally, he wont be able to play</p>
<p>Bird Rock, I think hiring a consultant might be a good idea. A good consultant will know which schools have had success with students just like your son. She (or he) will know the schools’ track record, if only from her previous clients. </p>
<p>All online lists of “ten or twenty schools we should be looking at” are subject to manipulation. Anyone can put up a website. You are looking for a school which can persuade your son to get with the program. I don’t know, from your description, if he needs a school which specializes in teaching executive function skills, or a school which has a very structured school day. I just think this is an area in which many parents are dying to hear good news, and there are some people who are willing to mislead them–for the right price. I think it helps a great deal to have an experienced person on your side, to help sort out the dedicated schools from the charlatans.</p>
<p>@Periwinkle (et al): OK, just to show I’m not stubborn, I’ll take your suggestion. Can you (or anyone) recommend someone in the NYC area? Or how do you find the good ones?</p>
<p>Please consider The Storm King School in NY. He may be in need of extra academic support, not just discipline. Storm King is a wonderful place for kids who need a little extra nudge. I also think if he fails a course a semester, he would have a hard time being accepted into schools like Masters.</p>
<p>I have a personal tie to Storm King. Please feel free to pm me if I can help you in any way.
[The</a> Storm King School: A Tradition Of Education In The Hudson Valley](<a href=“http://www.sks.org/]The”>http://www.sks.org/)</p>
<p>Boarding school doesn’t work well if there are discipline issues at home. Seems that a day school where you the parents can still be a daily part of the parenting, would work best. You’ve likely already asked his current teachers and admins for an opinion. What did they say?</p>
<p>I would start with a good psychoeducational evaluation where they evaluate the student to determine why the child is underperforming. Is he bored or not in the right level of classes? Are there focus issues, ADHD? Maybe some type of processing issue? I know many people who have undertaken these and it has been very helpful. Your son is obviously very bright, but I am not certain that you can make an informed decison about BS unless you know what the underlying problem is. My persoanl opinion is that the worst possible scenario would be to put an unmotivated child who is failing 3 courses in BS. The majoirty of BS’s expect children to be independent and self-motivated. Having said that, the best known school for undrerachievers is the Phelps School in Malvern, PA. It is both boarding and day. I have also heard great things about Eagle Hill in Greenwich, CT. There is also the Forman School in Litchfield, CT and the Craig School and Newgrange School in NJ. Don’t have personal experience with any of these schools but know that others have had positive experiences.</p>