Gap year scholarship abroad was the best thing my kid did after HS. He improved big time in another language, while learning from different experiences of other program participants. First thing he told me after 2 months at his college is that he learned to face pressure situations with calmness and learn to ask for help when he needs them.
I never put any pressure on my kid about his grades. I think I put more pressure on him to exercise regularly. It’s all based on my own experience of doing fine with 3.0 GPA from HS to graduate school.
I am close friends with two families whose kids developed mental health issues and had to leave college. One as a Junior and the other as a Sophomore. One is struggling with very bad OCD that led to hospitalization. Always had it a little but then around age 20 it became much, much worse.
The other has depression issues – on top of learning disabilities that really caught up with him in college. I think he basically stopped going to class b/c he was struggling which fed his depression and he spiraled down this semester. Came home in Oct. They are hopeful he will return next academic year.
It’s really hard for both students and their families. 
@AlmostThere2018, our older son’s situation was very similar to that of the second student you mentioned. He had an undiagnosed learning disability (uncovered when we had him tested after freshman year), depression/anxiety, and stopped going to several (but not all) classes. We didn’t find out what was going on until the end of second semester. He’s been out of school for a year and a half, but has applied to a LAC that provides a lot of support to LD students. We are hopeful that he is accepted and thrives in a new environment.
@mstomper – I’m glad your son is doing better and has found a good fit college. My friend’s son’s issues have been well-documented for years. He ended up in a small alternative charter school for high school and did well. He made a mistake of not seeking accommodations in college b/c he thought he didn’t need them. But he was in a big public university and wasn’t as equipped for that type of environment as he thought. Plus, the depression tendencies were already there, and as I said, both issues fed offer each other.
What LAC is your son planning to attend? It might be a good fit for this student as well.
@mstomper I’m also interested to know the LAC that is very supportive to LDs. My younger son has a few LDs and is currently at a h.s. with a special program that provides support for kids with LDs. He does not suffer from depression or anxiety, not yet at least. However, I’ve already been thinking down the road for college and planning to put together a list of schools that are known for being supportive to LD students. He’s only a sophomore but has been going on a lot of tours with S19 just to get a sense of different college environments. Fortunately he appreciates that he most likely will not thrive in a large university and is willing to look at LACs.
@4kids4us, he’s applying to McDaniel College in Westminster, MD (about 30-40 minutes from Baltimore). A bonus is the automatic 24K/year scholarship for children of school employees and children of current/former military.
@mstomper thx for the information. The admin rep for McDaniel actually came to a presentation at my other son’s h.s. earlier this fall. I grew up in MD and live in the area now. I was actually impressed by a lot of what the rep talked up. She cleared up a few things about the school that i either did not realize or unfounded assumptions about the school. For one, I always assumed it was a state school, not private LAC. Also, it’s test optional and merit is not based on submitting test scores. However, I did not realize the auto scholarship to current/former military - thx for pointing that out. I have it on list for S21but he really wants to go to school further away, but that will depend on how much he matures in the next two years. I don’t know anyone currently there but one of S19’s friends just signed there for lacrosse. Good luck to your son! I hope you hear good news soon.