Tentative 12th grade boy--should parents suggest a gap year!

@compmom -

I had looked at Curry and Landmark for my oldest son but I looked at them again on your suggestion. Landmark now has 4 year programs. Neither school seems right for S17. He wants to go into theater tech. Frankly, we are looking into BFA programs because there are fewer gen eds (less math and writing) involved. I spoke with him about the concept of a school like Landmark or Curry and he was very negative about it. Most dyslexics don’t read well and that has been the “problem” with the school’s offerings for dyslexia for him and my next older son. They read extremely well, just slowly. Remedial reading isn’t what they need as they both had it and benefited from it early on. Speed reading might be a better option. The kind of intensive writing work they need was never offered to them, except at a writing center staffed by students and both absolutely refused to be tutored by schoolmates in HS.

I was unfamiliar with New England College and looked at it. Its theater program doesn’t seem as intense as what S17 is interested in, but I am going to look at it with him. If he decides to defer, we can look at it for next year. If he doesn’t, he has a couple of options already for the fall.

I couldn’t look at Lesley because my computer said that its website was unsafe. From what i know about it, it’s in Boston proper and S17 doesn’t want to live in a city. My colleague’s D went there and hated it but an old gf of H’s got a degree there.

I appreciate your taking the time to look at some options for my son. I hope this dialogue can benefit others, too.

Lesley is in a nice part of Cambridge, actually, with some nice leafy side streets. But yes, a city. I’ll PM you.

Can you give us his stats and what he’s done in theater tech?

My son? 3.4 GPA with 2 honors classes, 3 AP’s. 27 ACT/28 composite. In tech, he has been in the drama club since 6th grade, doing lights, sounds, stage management, some build but not much because our SD doesn’t allow students to use power tools. He has also been participating in a summer theater program for the past 4 years doing the same things. In addition, he does tech and prep stuff for school activities and for other kids who are doing their senior drama presentations. He has been accepted to 2 BFA programs at private colleges and has to finish the audition process at two state schools.

I worked as a dorm parent years ago and the worse part was to see a lack of motivation and students forced to college by their parents. Such students did not fare well at all. I love the idea of America Corps and such. He may take a community college course for fun to keep on track. I have heard of organizations who actually plan a whole gap year for a student. Just don’t let him stay home and sit around.

I am coming back to this thread now to say that my son has opted not to take the gap year and will be attending a state school for a BFA in theater tech and production. I told him that if he wanted to take a semester or a year gap in the middle that he could if he had a plan or that he could study abroad. I will be able to afford study abroad as he opted for a state school that is offering him money. He is acting like Mr. Cooler than thou to me but my D, who is 25, spent some time with him over the recent spring break and said he is really excited to be going to college.

He has been receptive to the idea of a speed reading course so I will look into sending him to one after school ends.

I wonder how it worked out for the OP’s son.