<p>@MaineLonghorn, thanks for that reminder. If it was an option of going to school in the spring, it would be crystal clear to me that he won’t be ready. But I think it is quite possible that he will be ready in the fall, and if he doesn’t get transfer applications in, he won’t have that option. </p>
<p>While staying home and working is an option, home is not an ideal place for him–the middle of suburbia, no local friend network, few kindred spirits. His younger sister (the 2 are really close) is a senior at boarding school and applying to competitive LAC’s for the fall so he doesn’t even have a sibling at home. For a kid with social anxiety, this is a formula for major isolation. And moving somewhere else on his own to work is far more daunting for him than being on a college campus. </p>
<p>Some really helpful things is that he is not and has not been suicidal, and he has general been completely open with me about his anxiety. </p>
<p>We can look into a part time schedule, depending on the school. At least at most LAC’s you take 4 courses per term. At his university he was routinely taking 5–really hard to juggle. And clearly part of the decision will be the quality of disability support wherever he ends up. Also we will primarily be looking at schools that would have been safety or match schools the first time around, not reaches. </p>
<p>So that’s what it comes down to–to try to help him push past his comfort zone in the next couple of months to give him options in the fall.</p>
<p>I do plan to call his therapist on Monday and check in. I do know they feel he is making progress (has transitioned from partial hospital to intensive outpatient) and would like him to set short term goals to start to stretch himself. </p>
<p>Totally agree with Maine Longhorn! My son also took TWO leaves of absence. Honestly, I did a lot of the paperwork, password hunting etc last winter. He applied just in case he was ready to attend - which he was. But it is all still tricky. All fine until very recently when end of semester stuff piled up. Now, he is in exam week and is only ok b/c I am staying there with him. </p>
<p>In terms of credits, etc. est graduation at least 3 semesters later than “expected” and that is with using both of last summers to take one or two classes. </p>
<p>But he’s here and functioning with support and all that matters now. </p>
<p>“many of them are design credits, and some schools may not think they are “academic” enough. Although if he is considering any kind of art major, maybe they are pertinent??”</p>
<p>There’s potential here. If there’s a roughly equivalent class offered at the LAC or in its consortium, credit is likely. If not, it’s possible; sometimes students can petition to have these accepted as electives.</p>
<p>Goucher matches the description you have for what your son wants in a college. It’s small, liberal, very LGBT friendly, good disability support. Take a look at the ACE program (Academic Center for Excellence) to see if it meets your son’s needs. It’s a very friendly, warm, college, definitely worth a look for you both. Good luck to him. </p>
Hi, I just thought I’d post some follow up. S1 is nearing the end of 4 1/2 months of intensive therapy. He has made a lot of progress including getting his driver’s license. At this point he feels he is not yet ready to apply to colleges and is planning to look for a part time job and do volunteer work at the present. I’m OK with that decision. I’d love for him to take a community college course or 2, but he doesn’t feel he’s ready yet.
Logistic question–assuming he chooses to transfer to another college at some point (maybe spring, maybe next fall) what legwork should he be doing in terms of his current school? At this point letters of recommendation would be from profs who had him in classes a year ago or more already (and freshman classes at a medium sized university at that). Should he be writing and asking them to put LOR’s on file?? Some schools ask for graded samples of past work–not sure what he has from Freshman year. I am beginning to think the best thing would be to take CC classes and use them for the application? He is also still officially on medical leave of absence. What are the pluses and minuses of withdrawing vs keeping his status as on leave?
These are good questions for Hanna who posted above. Also, earlier you asked for recommendations for a private college counselor & I think I’ve seen elsewhere in this forum that Hanna, a private counselor, has stated that she specializes in kids with tough application backgrounds. You may want to PM her.
Thanks, @renaissancemom! For the sake of other readers, yes, I recommend getting professors’ LORs on file now. They can always revisit/refresh the letter with new information in the event they are used a few years down the road. I don’t see any downside to remaining on leave, but check your school’s policies. Where possible, you want to be able to re-enroll if you want to without re-applying. Do retain copies of graded work; this is really easy if they are electronic. Attach them to a gmail account. If they are handwritten, snap pictures with the smartphone and save the images.
Regarding community college enrollment, that’s a far more complicated and individual question. It may affect re-enrollment at the original school, transfer possibilities, etc., either positively or negatively. The biggest question for me, though, is always whether being at the CC has a therapeutic purpose. If the family/medical team think it’s beneficial for the student’s recovery, then I’ll support it regardless of its possible impact on 4-year schools.
The latest update–S1 has formally asked to withdraw from his college and has 2 profs lined up to write LORs. He is not ready to find a new school and will spend the next academic year in a work/mentoring program for young adults on the autistic spectrum. He is still sorting out his career goals but will be gaining important skills. Thanks for all the support/ advice.