<p>Our son was diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder around the age of 11. This disorder is marked by trouble with socializing with others successfully, among other symptoms. He was in special ed for homeroom throughout middle school, and transitioned out of special ed entirely in high school. His transformation in the last year or two has been dramatic. He had always done well academically, but is now much more outgoing and friendly. The problem is, he has not participated much in EC's, and he is now a rising senior. Here are is academic stats:</p>
<p>SAT: 2130
AP French: 5
AP Calculus B/C:5
AP US History: 5
SAT II French: 800
SAT II MAth: 740
SAT II US History: 770
Also, he was selected to attend the Virginia Governor's French Academy for 3 weeks this summer.(no English allowed the entire time).</p>
<p>His GPA is 4.6, weighted, not sure of the unweighted. For some reason, our school district does not put class rank on the final report card, but I believe he is probably 6th or so out of 500.</p>
<p>Question: does he have a snowball's chance in you know where of getting in to any Ivies or similarly prestigious colleges? Would it be wise to play up his special ed/Asperger's past to offset his lack of EC's?</p>
<p>There was a poster here not long ago that had the same diagnosis, he was in a very good school, and seemed to be doing well, but his problems seem to come OUTSIDE the classroom- doing internships etc</p>
<p>As you said, he could do the work, it was the "reading" people and situations and figuring how to deal with the subtlties of human interactions</p>
<p>I think you need to look at a wider range of schools, as we tell ALL students here...many great schools have good programs for kids that have ADD, and other diagnosis where they might need some assistance- I would check them out as well, as many posters will tell you, no matter how bright and perfect an applicant is, its a crapshot at the top schools for everyone...no matter the scores, ec.s etc</p>
<p>I would bet there are some Aspbergers sites around that would give you some assistance</p>
<p>what you need to be looking for is a school where he can be successful and supported- as well as challenged.
While Ivies may or may not fill that description, broadening the search will better serve your son
While he apparently does not need a 504 or IEP at this time, you may keep in mind that I have seen the stresses and challenges of college to stretch some students past where they feel comfortable, and they may need more support than they did in high school.
Its better to have it available and not need it......</p>
<p>There are so many great schools. Why the obsession with the ivys? Look for a school that offers support systems for students with Asperger's Disorder.</p>
<p>Go to the dark blue bar at the top of the page. Do a search for asperger. There are numerous threads which might provide you with information. Some may not be helpful but others should be.</p>
<p>Not obsessed with the Ivy's, just wondering if we should even try since he has no EC's. And if he does apply, should we let them know he has Aspy so they will gain a little insight into why his EC's are limited?</p>
<p>Also, went to some of the other threads, and they have a lot of great info.</p>
<p>At some tech-intensive schools there might even be GROUPS for Asperger's kids. I remember one school talking about it but I can't remember which one. Ask in the Reed and MIT folders; I think it was one of those.</p>
<p>You'd probably be best served by connecting with other parents of kids with Asperger's and seeing how they have handled the college question. A good place to do so: <a href="http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/%5B/url%5D">http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/</a> Click on message boards, but they also have a list of local Asperger's parents support groups. The site also has an excellent list of links to resources. </p>
<p>This link includes a list of colleges that have responded to a survey from the author about their experiences with and programs for Asperger's students. If you carefully read what each college has to say about their experiences with aspergers, and any special support they offer and you will quickly start to see the types of questions you will need to ask and address as you look at colleges and make decisions and choices for your son.</p>
<p>The site also has some recommended books that deal specifically with aspergers and college. I HIGHLY recommend this site as it will give you much more solid information than you will find in hundreds of searches through these message boards or from suggestions from parents who do not have Aspergers.</p>
<p>I also wanted to add one more thought: I would assume that you will also be working very closely with the support team at your son's high school (guidance staff, special ed professionals, his teachers) to determine the appropriate setting for him. You may also want to consider hiring the services of an educational consultant experienced in college placement for Asperger's students (If you send me a personal message I can pull out a few resources out of my files that may help you track such a consultant down). You might also contact your local or state Autism Association for suggestions and support.</p>
<p>Since each Asperger's student has different academic and social abilities, it is very important that you, your son, and the people most familiar with him in an educational setting focus on his specific needs. A university or college that works for one Asperger's student may be a disaster for another. The resources I gave above are a good place to start, and perhaps you may find some leads on schools here, but I would be very careful about suggestions made by folks unfamiliar with Asperger's or who don't know your son personally. Good luck!</p>
<p>In your case, I would say "yes." Normally I think it is best not to disclose any special ed, psychological or emotional problems during the application process. But if you are applying to a very top tier school you need something that stands out. Your son's stats are good, but in the application pool they won't really stand our. However, for a kid that was fully mainstreamed only in hs I think his grades and test scores are truly remarkable. </p>
<p>Wasn't there an article speculating that former Harvard pres Larry Summers might have undiagnosed Aspergers? If your son is comfortable writing an essay about dealing with Aspergers, I would say go for it. </p>
<p>With his stats alone there should be plenty of very good "match" schools. But for those super reaches you do need some kind of an angle.</p>
<p>(Disclaimer: Just my opinion and I am not the forum expert on Ivy admissions... by a longshot!!)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>he has not participated much in EC's>></p>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p>Could you elaborate on this somewhat? There is a big difference between NO EC's and focused ECs in specific areas. What does this student do that is NOT academic? What does he do outside of the school day? Any clubs, individual sports, hobbies, community service? All of these are ECs.</p>
<p>Still...more important than the student profile and stats your student has is how he does with novel situations, transitions, independent issues, organization (that is a big on in college), social situations (no one should feel isolated), new environments and people, etc. I agree that those familiar with your son's specific needs would be best to help you.</p>
<p>We have a lot of Asperger's in my family, and so I've seen a lot of cousins who blossomed in high school and college, as you describe. It seems to just take a while to figure out the social "rules." In any case, I agree with everyone else who says there are lots of colleges that might fit, but I'd also like to raise the questions that maybe this fall your son should try a few ECs and enjoy his senior year a bit. Maybe he's ready to work on something for the school where he could work alone or with one or two friends? (Since my cousins are architects and engineers, I think of Asperger's as leading to the desire to work with the hands.)</p>
<p>The ECs will help son get used to the social world and how he can nagivage it...doing volunteer work is wonderful and generally people that volunteer are kind, understanding, doing it for doing good work and to meet other people</p>
<p>Volunteering in a soup kitchen, with animals, a food bank, cleaning beaches, all kinds of things that would be good for any highschool student</p>
<p>I also think your son should probably work on ECs a little. Aspergers alone is not going to be a hook (other than for maybe diversity reasons). How your son has risen above his Aspergers is what will make him shine but not just academically since often students with AS do well academically. Typically Aspies have interests they are more passionate about than others and they tend to be very focused on their passions; this focus can be a huge selling feature if he can find some ECs that are related to his interests whether they are academic (math team, science club, French club?) or outside hobbies. His chances anywhere will be much better if he has some in-depth ECs.</p>
<p>But no matter what look for the right "fit" - and for someone with AS this means more than just the academic fit. Size of school and classes, distance from home, size and quality of the major program he is interested in, quality of LD center (even if he may not need it), clubs and groups he would be interested in joining (this is where he's going to make friends). In my son's case we also looked at existence and quality of co-op/intern programs (he starts college in the fall, plans to major in engineering) where he can gain work experience while in college to prepare him for the real world once he leaves. Because bottom line, its not college that's hard for Aspies but getting and keeping a job once they are through with school.</p>
<p>Wow, this info and advice is much more than I expected, and I really appreciate it. I didn't think so many people would have even heard of Asperger's. On the subject of EC's, he started volunteering at the public library, and we have also joined the Alliance Francaise, and attend all of their events, and he is an active member of the HS French club. But other than these, he is in no formal EC's. He does play piano, clarinet, basoon, and is trying the Irish tinwhistle. He is quite an eclectic kid, and has lots of talents and interests. From hearing other people's AS experiences, I would suspect that my son has a relatively mild case. </p>
<p>I am really proud of how far he has come in such a short time. This Governor's French Academy was a big step for him. He had to audition for it by taking an oral exam, and a written essay. It is run by the Va Dept of Education, and only 60 students were selected from the entire state. He is cut off from us for 3 weeks, and is only allowed to use English from 12:15-12:45pm each day when he can read and write snail mail letters in English. Other than that, he is required to use only French and cannot call us or email us. This is the first time he has been away from home, and he has written us twice to tell us he is having a lot of fun. He is pretty much completely free of the special ed department. His career choice right now is to be a cryptologist for the NSA or CIA by majoring in Math/CS, and continuing in foreign languages. I am hoping that being diagnosed with AS will not keep him from getting that type of job or security clearance, because it seems that that type of job would be perfect for AS kids.</p>
<p>Again, thanks for all the info! It will really help us.</p>
<p>Hi Namtrag,
Playing the piano, clarinet, basoon [ wow!] ARE all EC's. So might be his " other interests". Colleges want to know what a student does out side of the classroom and what his passions are and what he has done with that passion. EC's don't ALWAYS have to be only those activities done with other students. Has he won any competitions? Excelled in any of his areas of interest? All the instruments he has has learned to play are a perfect subject for one of his essays. If he wants to continue studying music you should take a look at schools that offer strong music programs. In addition, one "near Ivy" to consider might be the University of Chicago- it can be a great school for students who are very strong academically and also less "socially oriented". U of C has small class sizes, and a strong emphasis on "the life of the mind" above all else. [this is based on lots of research I did for my own son, and his reports from his having visited there twice.] There are lots of highly intelligent, "quirky" kids there, some, I would bet, with undiagnosed Aspergers. [ Please, this is not meant or intended as an insult of any students at U of C ]</p>
<p>One last thing: many if not most colleges will require a recent [within 3 years of the year he starts college] professional diagnosis or confirmation of a learning disability in order for your son to ask for accommidations from the college. Something from 7 years ago, however valid, may be rejected as not being recent enough.</p>
<p>Aspergers is not going to be any kind of hook when it comes to top colleges. It would not be a plus because of the lack of social skills that people with Aspergers have. The top colleges want students who not only are bright and motivated enough to handle the academic work, but who also will contribute to the campus environment by being active participants in ECs.</p>
<p>It is possible for people with Aspergers to get into places like Ivies. I remember going to Harvard with someone who clearly had that syndrome. However, I'm sure that any such people who are admitted have to have very extraordinary academic talents in an already outstanding pool of applicants. They aren't going to be admitted because they have Aspergers, but despite having it. </p>
<p>I also agree with the person who suggested looking at a wide range of schools. Also check the archives because there's a student with Aspergers who currently posts in, I think, the regular CC cafe (I believe his name is something like "sonic", and there was another student who posted a lot last summer about problems with his internships, and problems with liking a young woman who feared he was stalking her. There's a chance, however, that his posts were removed because it seemed he was using CC instead of getting professional counseling assistance.</p>
<p>Your S's interest and talent in languages and pursuit of ECs related to that could be a nice plus. Guys with a demonstrated interest in the humanities stand out in many admission pools. Top colleges admission pools are flooded with students with demonstrated interest in music, however, due to the many Asian kids who come from households in which giving kids a classical music education was important.</p>
<p>Agreed...a 7 year old evaluation would not be viewed as a current varification of disability...and especially since the student has had no special education services. Also agree...music would not be a "hook" at any of the Ivies or top schools where almost everyone has music on their resume when applying to college (unless the person has won some top competitions...).However, the things the OP listed ARE ECs. How come so many folks equate ECs with sports????</p>