Please Be Kind: 2.6 GPA
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Anonymous
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OP I don’t think you are getting good advice here. People are suggesting lower ranked schools that they are familiar with, but those schools typically all have much higher GPA averages. I don’t say this to be mean in any way because I understand there were extenuating circumstances, but the fact is a 2.7 is really really low and your kid is probably at the very bottom of his class with those grades, so you will probably have to look at schools that the average DCUMer is not familiar with. Having said that, I think it is absolutely possible that your kid gets into a reach or two, so basically you need to cast a wide net, apply to a lot of schools, but make sure your matches and safeties are really realistic.
Also, your child can always transfer after a year if they do well. |
Anonymous
PP whose DC got into Conn college - flat out rejection at Sewanee. Think it is much more grade conscious. Midd influence |
Anonymous
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Hope you’re still reading, OP. My oldest graduated from high school with an impressive 2.6 GPA. He had no interest in academics at all. We tried everything. He got into Ole Miss (on probation). Suddenly he became a fuking genius. He received a full ROTC scholarship. Graduated with honors. He is now an officer in the National Guard. And a college professor. This is a kid who managed to fail Art in high school.
High school grades are not necessarily indicative of future success. My National Merit Scholar kid went to college on a full academic scholarship. She did great in college, but really struggled her first few years at adulting. Your kid will get into a college. And there is nothing wrong with starting at a community college. Honestly, it’s probably a better decision. |
Anonymous
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OP, there is nothing wrong with you saying, no community college.
It's not only about getting-in, it's getting-out. Colleges with low standards for admission have fewer students graduating. You need something like US News college ranking and you need to look at every category of college. Look with a fine tooth comb at graduation rates. And you need to think deeply re: your students weaknesses. What would keep them from graduating ... foreign language proficiency? .... math requirements? You are going to have to zero in on a major (at whatever university) that makes it possible for your student to graduate. |
Anonymous
| Your kid hasn't earned college. If he wants to go to college, he should now work hard in community college. Or he can try a trade. I personally, wouldn't waste money if he can't hack it. |
Anonymous
"Tough guy" parent! You know what we call "tough guy" parents? Assholes. Also, if you made more money maybe you'd be more open to giving him time to figure out life instead of having to choose when he is 17. Tough guy. |
Anonymous
| OP, my DS had a stronger GPA, but was also newly diagnosed with anxiety with strong perfection tendencies. He went to McDaniel and had a great experience. He found a wonderful advisor and had some great professors. He graduated in May and got a really good job. |
Anonymous
| Maybe he should ED somewhere? Not sure if the exact GPA but a friends kid who struggled in HS did that at regional U and just got in. |
Anonymous
1) I fixed the quoting. 2) A few other random thoughts. If you can afford college without aid (I do not recall that), your kid will have a lot more options. Full pay can be a hook at some schools, particularly smaller lower-end privates. (That is how I probably got into Florida Tech). Your child will have to work and turn in assignments. Perfectionism is a problem -- a gap year to deal with mental health (including perfectionism)can be crippling in college. In my case, my issues were a combination of zero self esteem, and this terror of being found out that the problems in school were ability and not work ethic. Not trying meant I could blame my lousy performance on my effort. If I try and fail, then I have to own the inability. As it turns out, I quickly discovered when I put in the effort, I end up in the top of the class. I actually started doing well my final semester in HS. Understand your child is not me. Most people with my performance in HS do not go on to the type of success I have had (they may be successful, but focused more on less rigorous areas). One thing that happened with me is when my advisor looked at my record and met me, he decided there was something out of sorts, and arranged for a full evaluation in the mental health clinic. There, they 1) identified my LD, 2) showed what my ability was (literally a Genious, possibly the smartest freshman in the school), etc. My advisor because a strong advocate for me (and a friend; even though I transferred out after 1 year, I have kept in contact). Finally, be honest with yourself about your child. In my case, my parents did not think I would succeed. They just wanted angry me out of the house. The were shocked with my academic performance. Growing up, it was "why can't you be more like your sister?" Well, she did better in school, always accepting parental help, much higher GPA and went to a much better undergrad college (to start): RPI. She finished college with a 2.1 GPA; she actually had to take an extra (easy) course over the summer to get her GPA over 2.0 so she could graduate. Because of the help she received; she never learned to stand on her own intellectually. She tried grad school, but failed. And, as an adult, washed out of nursing school twice (did not follow rules), and failed in student teaching. |
Anonymous
| Thread is pointless. Rich private school kids like this go wherever their average friends are going. Nobody with these grades is going to blaze their own trail and go to a random private college mom heard about on DCUM. |
Anonymous
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After reading this I now understand why so many kids have anxieties.
Go to CC, Blazing trails, internships on the hill... ffs get a life. |
Anonymous
Don't get emotional. OP needs to think rationally and objectively. I'd personally recommend CC route - give kid extra time to figure out what she wants to do with her life. - np |
Anonymous
thanks for your contribution. 
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Anonymous
| ^ I hope Jeff blocks you. |
Anonymous
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Hello OP,
My kid is similar to yours-- depression, anxiety + ADHD. Would probably have ended up below a 3.0 but we moved her to a private high school. SAT score was 1230. No extracurriculars. We really liked McDaniel. Totally nurturing environment. She got about 30k in merit. Aside from smaller class sizes and availability of professors, when you look at schools, pay attention to: 1) What kind of support and transition activities they do for freshmen. 2) Do they have a specialized tutoring center. (all schools will have tutoring but McDaniel was geared towards special needs- additional fee for that) 3) Do they have counseling/therapy services either at the school or nearby (although this may not be too big of a hurdle if we're still virtual in the Fall). I really liked McDaniel's philosophy-- we're here to encourage you to take risks, but we're always ready with a safety net.. or something like that. Not a big deal for other kids but for kids like ours with depression and anxiety, this kind of environment is a must. My kid would not have done well in a sink or swim environment. That being said, McDaniel ended up costing too much for us. Our kid ended up going to a small public college with a very similar support system. It has been amazing how much she has grown. I think being away from home was what helped her most. I am a graduate of a community college myself but we didn't do NOVA because: 1) We didn't want her to live at home but she also wasn't ready to be on her own. Being in a dorm was a good next step. 2) The support system is not sufficient for what she needed. 3) She needed a peer group that was more similar to her- in mindset, in routine, etc. The Covid restrictions this Fall was actually good for her. She was able to transition in slowly without the pressure of doing everything all at once. Good luck OP! You're doing a great job doing all this research! |