Time for another thread for B and C students

College Search & Selection
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College Confidential does so many things so very well. But there’s a real lack of information and inspiration for kids who aren’t at the very top end of the bell curve-- for kids with B and even C averages who plan to attend college. I started a thread on the topic last year-- mods, I’m hoping it’s OK to link a locked thread: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1764140-can-we-talk-to-the-b-and-c-students-about-college-p1.html Locked or not, there’s a lot of good info on that thread.

So often, a kid is advised (almost always by another kid) to run to the nearest Community College, as though it’s the only possible option for a kid without a string of As on his transcript.

I went to Community College, and for me it was the right choice. But it wasn’t for my son-- a barely B average kid who simply wasn’t motivated to strive for A’s. He absolutely would have fallen through the cracks at our local CC, with it’s student body of 22,000. Instead, he just finished his freshman year at the perfect school for him: a small Catholic university near Philadelphia, 3 hours from home. My son, who spent 18 years watching others do things, played deck hockey, worked out every day, considered (briefly) playing rugby, and DJ’ed with his roommate one night per week. He grew up remarkably this year, mostly because we put in the time and effort to find the school that was right for him.

His sister is finishing her Junior year. Sophomore year was rough-- a combination of anxiety issues and my husband’s medical crisis really did a job on her grades. So I find myself with yet another barely B student, looking at colleges.

And I’m here to tell you that there are lots and lots of them that will be the right fit for her. We’ve seen 2 at this point-- one she loved and one she hated. We’ll see another bunch this summer.

She wants to major in Fashion Merchandising. Because of her anxiety issues, I don’t want her at FIT or LIM-- Manhattan just doesn’t seem to the right place for her to grow for the next 4 years.

But we have a list of about a dozen schools that should be good fits.

I’m here to tell you, as a high school teacher and a mom, that there ARE great options for you, even if you’re not one of the Uber High Achievers that tend to populate this site. I’ve taught so many kids over the years who simply didn’t blossom on the prescribed timeline, who hit their stride in college and went on to do great things.

The trick is finding that college. It may not be one of the ones your guidance counselor recommends-- my son’s guidance counselor had never heard of some of the schools he applied to. If you’re here, the odds are good that you’re looking for hope and help in finding the right school. And I wanted to open up a discussion for you.

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Regional LACs and directionals are clear choices for kids with a lot of Bs. They can also be great places to learn and form the basis of a successful career and life.

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However, financial constraints may be more limiting for those students who cannot get into the colleges with the best financial aid and who do not have the academic credentials to get merit scholarships at many other colleges.

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Absolutely.

So part of the process has to be taking a look at the prices, and the institutional aid, offered by the schools on your list.

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You probably already know about Colleges That Change Lives. I brought my barely “B” son who we have always been told should be doing so much better and who did have good test scores, to a CTCL event a year ago, and for the first time became somewhat motivated about college. He will be attending one of them this fall, and with a merit scholarship and financial aid. And he has already been in touch with professors and others there. Hoping he has a freshman year like your son did!

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I hope so too . It’s my strongest hope for each of my seniors every year-- that they find their way to a path that gives them happiness.

I’m teaching Senior summer school at the moment, for the one senior who failed math this year. (We finish early then have time for summer school before an early June graduation. She’s been working her tail off and should do fine on the makeup final.) And, aside from the math, the one thing I’ve been trying to get into her head is that she CAN and WILL do well in college if that’s what she chooses to do.

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Thank you for posting this. CC is definitely geared towards high stats kids and can make one feel helpless if you’re ot at that level. My dd, who was advised by her gc to take the toughest classes possible, has just under a 3.0 UW. The AP classes have been tough and she got her first C this year. However, we’ve put a good list of colleges together. It came from us doing lots of research with books taken out of the library. Our gc hasn’t heard of half the schools on our list but they’re still in the top 300. These students have options besides community colleges (not that there’s anything wrong with them but if it may not be a good option for your student).

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UCB is right. Financial limitations is often the limiting hurdle. Schools that accept B and C average students rarely come close to meeting need, and many give little aid at all.

Sure, a family who can pay will have options. There are many small privates that want more warm paying bodies.

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I think that B students (B- included) have a good shot at many small private universities in the Midwest that will nurture them and will discount their prices if they think the applicant will likely come.
It’s harder for students in the 2.0-2.6 range, especially if test scores are commensurate with GPA.

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Just a gentle nudge of advice from a mom and SAT prep teacher:

The Common App essay prompts have been out for ages. This summer is the time for Juniors to get those essays written!!! There’s no good reason to wait until school is back in session–with tests and quizzes and papers and projects, not to mention all those extra curricular activities. Have your kids get their essays written-- and their applications ready to go-- before Labor Day.

This essay can be of particular importance for the B/C average kids-- it can show that they’re more than their GPA.

Of course, the flip side is that they can be the hardest to motivate to actually get it done.

Here’s what worked with my son:
Day 1 (mid July before Senior Year) I promised him I would only take half an hour of his time. I printed up the 7 Common App prompts, each on a separate piece of paper. I gave him 4 minutes per prompt to brainstorm anything he could possibly use as a response-- bullets were fine. Nothing was too off the wall. 28 minutes later he was a free man.

Day 2, a few days later. I pulled out his list and asked for another half hour. He was to take each of the ideas and either expand on it (More bullets) or eliminate it. That narrowed down his list to about 5 or 6 possible essays.

Days 3-8, a few days later. Half an hour per essay, roughing out the beginnings of an essay.

Day 9: Choose one and edit.
Days 10- whatever, edit, pass to someone to read, edit some more.

He was done well before Labor Day, and it was relatively painless, a half an hour at a time.

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There are actually quite a few long-running threads about this. Colleges for the Jewish B student, I got in without a 3.7 GPA club, where is your 3.0-3.4 kid going, and many others. People can do a search in the search bar. These threads are all very long with a lot of useful info.

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Whatever you can afford.

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I enjoy these threads because the address the concerns of average students. You have a few kids who want to know about ivy league or top notch schools. You have even more average kids who wants to know about the Western Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Texas State etc.

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University of Alabama is often mentioned here as a great bargain for high stats kids due to their focus on attracting NMF. However, their admissions standards are actually quite low-something like a 20 ACT? So Im wondering if that might be the case with other large flagships. While a school with +20K students isn’t for everyone, they are an option.

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Perhaps these?
http://admissions.olemiss.edu/applying-to-ole-miss/freshmen/
http://www.usd.edu/admissions/freshmen/apply-for-freshmen-admissions
http://www.uwyo.edu/admissions/freshman/requirements.html

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OK, I know you’re out there… reading the other threads on CC and wondering how on earth you’ll ever get into a college with competition like what you’re seeing here.

But take a deep breath and relax. The people posting here are NOT your competition. The 4.0 unweighted average kid, with leadership positions in every school activity and 3 internships under his belt is NOT applying to the same schools you are. So relax.

Get that essay written-- today is a good day to start. And start getting those apps in. Early apps are your friend, especially for schools with rolling admissions. (Let them admit you before they see some apps from the uber students.)

As far as safeties go, I’ve only recently realized that there are community colleges with dorms!! My daughter applied to 2 of them this morning-- they are her safeties. So no matter how she does on the October SAT, she’ll have choices. It’s so freeing to know that, completely takes the pressure off the process. And both are about a third the size of our local CC.

Her Common App is done, just running the last essay options by her English teacher in the next week or two (he’s assigning them as homework one at a time.) So by mid October, all her apps will be in and she’ll be good to go,

My advice to you, as a mom and a high school teacher: Don’t delay. Take a look at the state schools in your state. (They’re likely to be more affordable, and with less than top grades you may not be able to count on merit aid.) Also, for the CC’s at least, consider using their own application. It goes fast, and at least in NY several of them don’t charge you the application fee if you use their individual app. (Herkimer and Tompkins-Cortland that I’m aware of.)

Get started, OK?

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^and TC3 not only has nice residence halls, it also has an honors program that’s relatively easy to get into even if you’re not a top student, provided you are motivated, ready to do the work, and ask yourself questions (you need to email the head of the program, explaining why you’d like to apply, and submit a recommendation letter that can vouch to your motivation and curiosity. It’s not about who has the highest test score at all.)

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Ohhh so good to know! Thanks!

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My S17 was a top student but my D15 was not. For her she found the perfect one in the Colleges that Change Lives but a boy got in the way and she has yet to do anything about going to school. Son could have gone to lots of colleges but chose Kansas State because it is top ranked in his major. He is thrilled with it. For many majors it is an option and does give scholarships to some B students from OOS and is a great deal for in-state students. They pride themselves on giving all students a chance. A lot of B/C students thrive there. It is 25,000 but my son says if feels much smaller. It is a very supportive school that could be perfect for the student that doesn’t mind being in a small town in Kansas! (It is not flat there by the way and my uber preppy kid LOVES it). Oh and the Honors college is excellent and willing to accept students that don’t have the credentials depending on circumstances. The school wants the kids to push themselves and succeed. If a student wants to be there they do well. They have a lover graduation rate because parent (particularly in-state) will push some of their kids, who do not want to go to college, to go and if a student refuses to go to class or accept help offered there isn’t much a school can do to help them succeed.

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DC never wowed anybody with the GPA but attended a nationally known prep school and had national stature with an EC. Now thriving at a CTCL school known for that EC. As much as I used to hate this adage, it has some truth to it: It’s all about fit. Figure out the school/s that value what your DC brings to the table.