Low enrollment majors are being cut.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/08/17/goucher-college-says-its-eliminating-liberal-arts-programs-such-math-physics-and
https://www.goucher.edu/learn/provost/academic-revitalization/faq
@thumper1 the 6 year graduation rate at Goucher is about 64%, much lower than all the other LAC’s we’re currently considering and is a very concerning stat for a small LAC.
Contrasting recent experience from the children of two friends, both of whom were Class of 2016 at Goucher. One, a girl, ethnic Chinese adopted into a crunchy-granola Jewish family, was enthusiastic about it but over the course of her freshman year became increasingly unhappy about the 2-1 female-male ratio and the very low representation of Asian kids. She transferred out after one year, to the University of Hawaii no less. The other was a boy, and a recruited athlete. He loved everything about the school, even after an injury ended his athletic career in his second year. He had always struggled a bit in school and had no academic focus, but he matured significantly at Goucher and developed interests, discipline, and drive about things other than sports. He had a great study-abroad experience in Italy. He didn’t mind the gender ratio, but never took much advantage of it – he was “claimed” by a girlfriend a few weeks into his first year, and they are still very much together. He graduated on time, and got a good job on his own hustle within a few months of graduation. He pretty much had a dream experience at Goucher, which made his parents (who separated when he was a toddler, and who often did not see eye-to-eye about his education) very happy.
@BktoNJ Nj parent here with ADD kid and also an NJ college professor. My DS had somewhat similar stats to your son and is now starting his third year of college. A large university would have been a disaster for my kid. You mentioned earlier that Rutgers would be a fallback . Between the campus bus and the very large classes and the impersonal vibe, my kid would’ve been overwhelmed there. I would advise that you add some smaller NJ state universities like Rowan/Monmouth/Ramapo to the in state fallbacks and look for something along those lines out of state. Some of the smaller SUNY schools, like SUNY New Paltz are priced competitively. Several have already mentioned various PA colleges.
I know OP does not want to share too much about her child, and so I would make some general comments about ADHD and college. My kid has accommodations and takes meds. Exams are still difficult, but he has managed to keep up decent grades. Important component is assessment of the student’s EF skills, since college is not as structured as high school. The disability services office was also something we checked out and was a consideration in choosing a university. One last thing - less selective colleges will have a lower 4-year graduation rate. Those numbers are aggregate and do not reflect factors such as academic prep, time management sklls, and financial issues . Aim for a college where your child’s stats put him comfortably in the top half.
@momprof9904 May I ask where your son is attending? I have an ADD kid with EF issues launching next year. Doesn’t want to use meds (that may change), was getting EF coaching, but it was expensive, so we had to drop it. Was it difficult to get accommodations? Our son had a full neuropsych eval 3 years ago, which was also very expensive. I’m hoping colleges accept it. I heard sometimes they require a more recent report. Do you have any advice for assessing a disabilities office/program? Rowan is on his list (we’re out of state). I was actually wondering if it was too big.
@momprof9904 Thank you. Very helpful. Since I originally posted this, we’ve visited a handful of colleges both larger and smaller, more and less competitive. I’m very much for a smaller school for him, but he was not so interested. After the tours, he realizes that a bigger size is not as important as he thought so that’s progress. We will be looking at some smaller NJ schools too. Thank you for the suggestions. He does take medication which is necessary for him and increases his ability to function in these ways about 80%. He has mild accommodations in a 504 plan. He does have extra time but generally doesn’t need it, and really doesn’t like taking tests in a room alone. The most helpful accommodation is ability to get a copy of class notes, but he doesn’t really utilize it yet. Maybe this year.
It’s a whole 'nother question how to/whether to address his ADD with colleges. Would love to hear more about your experience and advice.
@taverngirl @BktoNJ Re: disabilities in colleges: as a college professor, I am required to accommodate any student who comes to me with documentation from the disability services office. Most of the time, it’s extended time for exams, administered in their office. The student has to give me a form for each exam at least a week in advance. So, if a student struggles with EF skills, this is where they drop the ball and the next thing I know, I get a frantic email from the student about the exam a day before the exam. I am a softie, and bail them out but many professors won’t do that. Also, colleges hire a lot of adjunct faculty, and students have told me they had to inform the adjunct about the process (!)
We cannot ask what the disability is. Students who are successful are the ones who consciously stay organized and meet with me in my office. Counterintuitive as it may be - the best solution for a student with ADHD is more organization. Yes, more than than the typical student. However, if the student is fully on board with all that, it really does work, as evidenced by my own kid and students. I also advise a lighter course load, but one has to be careful. If they fall below 12 credit hours, they may lose financial aid. With my own kid, I advise 15 credit hours, so even if he drops a 3 credit course, he can still be fulltime. Some DSS offices will help them out with advice and others won’t. Also, staffing at these offices runs lean, and the person managing the office is what makes or breaks the office most of the time. The person running the DSS at my son’s uni met with us prior to start of school and also responded promptly to all my emails. Each university varies with their documentation requirements and level of support. My kid’s neuropsych eval was a year old when he applied for college, and they were fine with it.
Now for the students with ADHD who think they can coast their way through: this is not possible even at my not so rigorous university. Need to show up to class on time, due dates have to be met, exams have to be scheduled, etc. Students who have not addressed their EF skills are much more in danger of failing. I sadly see that too. Google “time blindness” for ADHD sufferers. It’s a huge deal.