Please advise - high Sat / average GPA

[Anonymous]

My DS is bright - does well on standardized tests.
So far in High School he has struggled with grades as some of his ADHD gets in the way of completing and turning in assignments.

He is improving - but recovering from a year of remote instruction due to COVID as well as a very slow start in sophomore year only leaves so much space.

He knows top colleges are not in his reach - but how can I help him find a list of colleges that might consider standardized testing more than other schools?
Is there a magic # (other than 1600) that would make a difference for consideration at colleges?

Any resources really appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Get ready for heartbreak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is bright - does well on standardized tests.
So far in High School he has struggled with grades as some of his ADHD gets in the way of completing and turning in assignments.

He is improving - but recovering from a year of remote instruction due to COVID as well as a very slow start in sophomore year only leaves so much space.

He knows top colleges are not in his reach - but how can I help him find a list of colleges that might consider standardized testing more than other schools?
Is there a magic # (other than 1600) that would make a difference for consideration at colleges?

Any resources really appreciated.

I would look at LACs where he would be in the top quartile SAT wise. Ultimately the schools want to post high average test scores. GPA data is too inconsistent to be a meaningful measurement. So if he helps the school with their SAT profile, that could be attractive to them

[Anonymous]

Have your DS focus on essays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have your DS focus on essays.

and e.c.

[Anonymous]

Have him take the ACT also. He will help their profile in two ways then. Any place that uses an algorithm to choose the population that most maximizes these measures would place more weight on someone who helps two measures instead of one. It is doubtful that any college is using an algorithm exactly this simple, but the idea is the same

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is bright - does well on standardized tests.
So far in High School he has struggled with grades as some of his ADHD gets in the way of completing and turning in assignments.

He is improving - but recovering from a year of remote instruction due to COVID as well as a very slow start in sophomore year only leaves so much space.

He knows top colleges are not in his reach - but how can I help him find a list of colleges that might consider standardized testing more than other schools?
Is there a magic # (other than 1600) that would make a difference for consideration at colleges?

Any resources really appreciated.

I would look at LACs where he would be in the top quartile SAT wise. Ultimately the schools want to post high average test scores. GPA data is too inconsistent to be a meaningful measurement. So if he helps the school with their SAT profile, that could be attractive to them

And some really need more boys so I was coming in to recommend same. Plus supports might better.

[Anonymous]

I would focus more on schools that are a match for GPA. And, may find that the test score is a bonus that could help with merit aid. This was my DD -- has ADHD and ended junior year with half As, half Bs but a 1480 SAT. The only in-state option that appealed was W&M and she didn't get in ED. The rest of her list was LACs in the 50-80 range and she got in everywhere with varying amounts of merit. Less at the top of the range, more at the bottom.

Today's episode of the Your College Bound Kid podcast actually discussed this as one of the types of most-disillusioned college applicants, those who have a higher test score than GPA and thought that would get them into more selective schools (today's episode not posted yet but will be up here soon) https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/episodes/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have your DS focus on essays.

and e.c.

And demonstrated instrest.

[Anonymous]

Show steady improvement over time grades-wise. Get amazing test scores and submit them. What is he engaged in that is his passion? Have him do more of that and make the story of the essays about that and why that is a perfect fit for that particular school, and look for that particular school that is a perfect fit for him and schools like that (since you need multiple schools).

I have a very bright student with ADHD and am working on getting EF support now. But she is amazing at the things she is interested in and she likes nothing better than a competition. What can your son get engaged in that will make him stand out.

[Anonymous]

As I recall, there is space on the Common App for "tell us anything else we need to know". It seems like that might be a good spot for him to recount his struggles and the strategies he is using to overcome them. Particularly if what he writes is backed up by transcript data (showing improvements in grades over time), and he sounds like someone with a plan for continuing to do well in college, that might be helpful.

But I'm not a college counselor. You should probably get some advice on that kind of self disclosure.

[Anonymous]

Vassar and Sarah Lawrence might be more likely to accept a boy.

You might also try:
Susquehanna
Muhlenberg
Gettysburg
SMCM
Juniata
Allegheny

If larger:
Ohio State
U of New Hampshire
Pitt
Syracuse

[Anonymous]

Is your high school making accommodations for your kid? We just went through getting them because our ADHD kid missed assignments that brought their grade down to a D despite having 100s on the homework and quizzes. With the accommodations, kid can get the projects done and not be marked down due to lateness. It's crazy to see that a kid would get an "A" but then, with points deducted, get a "D."

Kid has been doing this without medication so hoping meds help with this going forward.

What is the GPA? I found CollegeVine useful for giving me an idea of what would be a "likely" school. So far, all of the CV guesses were correct!

[Anonymous]

I mean, how bad are his grades? What kind of rigor? Full pay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get ready for heartbreak.

We are very aware of how competitive the landscape is.
This is a kid who gets a "5" on the AP exam - but a C+ in the course
Clearly we need to work with his HS counselor but was coming to DCUM to get a sense of resources.
He just got back SATs and got a 1400 - and trying to figure out if it is worth it to take a prep class and increase SAT score if his GAP is going to wind up as a 3.5.