<p>My younger son came home with his PSAT scores yesterday so the reality of college search #2 is sinking in. Several months ago you all helped keep me sane when I was panicking about my little alien learning disabled genius odd ball in his teensy tiny alternative (progressive, individualized) private school who wants to go to a college where he can learn about everything with really smart people, not do much work, not have to write an essay to get in, and live in a private apartment. ;p </p>
<p>He pulled a 65 (critical reading), 69 (math), 64(writing skills) on the PSAT with no accommodations, despite years of documented reading and language disability, and is only upset because he wanted a perfect math score. He is doing almost all his work at school, wrote a 20,000 word novel for "write a novel November" (this from a child who couldn't do a "fill in the blank" test in public school and had "all multiple choice" as an accommodation), and is almost done with Calculus (he is only one of 2 studying it in his school). </p>
<p>He will have a totally odd College Application, having done almost no work in 9th grade, and his college choices will be culled from a different set than some other kids', but I am so so proud of him, and I think he will be ok. The real test now is that his long time math teacher and advisor at his school is leaving at the xmas holiday... Can my rigid, anxious, routine bound child adapt to that? His school realizes teaching him to handle that transition is as important as Calculus and every other subject combined!</p>
<p>And son #1? I wanted him to be my Ivy league or LAC or tech super intellectual, artsy fartsy, hyper political elitist better-than-your kid best of the bestest. (blush) He is a college senior and chose U. of Maryland College Park over Oberlin or Brandeis, and my wallet thanks him! He's a senior, and darn his rebellious nature... he wound up loving being a Terp... the football and basketball games, the school spirit, hanging out with the guys and the beer, video games in his campus apartment and pay per view mixed martial arts at the sports bar (ew!) BUT he is graduating with two degrees, in government and math, he loves tutoring math at his old HS on saturdays, and he sparklingly excited to apply to the one year program to get a combined masters and teaching certification to teach High School math. If he likes it, he wants to have a good life and be a great teacher, and write and travel; if he doesn't love it, he wants to do government policy work from a quantitative perspective using math skills and what he learns from teaching in the community. So not a nobel prize winner, but a great and good guy, and a great and good son and partner to his girlfriend.</p>
<p>So when you catch me screaming with stress in the next year, and tearing my hair out, and wandering in the wilderness, as both sons screw something up in their applications, and both come to me regularly for dinero, please read this back to me! </p>
<p>Thanks for your support. I'm off to read even more posts and to figure out if any colleges will take #2, or if I need to keep thinking of our default plan, local community college for a year or two.</p>