Well DS got a 17 on his ACT & he took an ACT class beforehand? What now?!

[Anonymous]

He obtained an 17 on a practice test beforehand, the same score!

Last year he managed a 3.0 gpa, this year he did not start off well but is being tutored- junior year. DS has an IEP (ADHD), so he had extra time for the exam, he just doesn’t test well.

Where do I go from here? Take another ACT course?

[Anonymous]

Has he taken a practice SAT for comparison? Some kids do better on one test than the other. He may be better suited for the SAT?

[Anonymous]

My suggestions are:
Have him try the SAT
Work with a private tutor. For the SAT, my child, who has ADHD and slow processing, was able to go from an 1170 to a 1360 (I know, still low by DCUM standards) with the combination of a class and a private tutor.

[Anonymous]

I assume you are realistic on the type of college he will attend. Just select a school with a 90%+ acceptance rate.

There are several state flagships (Ole Miss has a 98% acceptance rate) if you want to go that route, or consider some of the other local state schools.

[Anonymous]

Many schools he is targeting may be test optional. Studying for school and keeping his grades up is likely a better use of his time than test prep.

The Facebook group awesomely average kids is a great place to discuss college options.

[Anonymous]

I just want to commend this poster for being honest and sharing not so great results on DCUM (which is usually a kind of text based Instagram for nerd parents and their unfortunate children).

Sounds like you'll want to look into schools that cater to kids who really struggle with ADHD (not just use it as an excuse to turn stuff in late, get more time etc.). I've heard good things about American University in this respect.

[Anonymous]

OP, where does he want to go and what does he want to study? My friend's daughter had some great qualities (really good at an academic extracurricular, lots of volunteer work) but was an average student and did poorly on the SAT. She applied to several private schools that were test optional, and wound up really happy at the school she selected.

[Anonymous]

My personal opinion is it’s not worth trying to improve it they scored a 17 after a class. Even with modest improvement it will be low. I’d focus on gpa and extracurriculars and apply to TO schools. Plenty would be happy to have them.

[Anonymous]

Are there any schools he’s realistically interested in that require test scores? I’d focus on other things and plan on applying test optional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assume you are realistic on the type of college he will attend. Just select a school with a 90%+ acceptance rate.

There are several state flagships (Ole Miss has a 98% acceptance rate) if you want to go that route, or consider some of the other local state schools.

A 17 is four points below Ole Miss's 25th percentile, and you need a 3.2 GPA to apply test-optional from out of state. OP's kid is not a shoo-in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume you are realistic on the type of college he will attend. Just select a school with a 90%+ acceptance rate.

There are several state flagships (Ole Miss has a 98% acceptance rate) if you want to go that route, or consider some of the other local state schools.

A 17 is four points below Ole Miss's 25th percentile, and you need a 3.2 GPA to apply test-optional from out of state. OP's kid is not a shoo-in.

Something tells me if his application check clears, he will get accepted as an OOS full pay student.

[Anonymous]

Go test optional

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised no one has suggested community college yet. It could be a much better value for this type of student than spending the $$ to go to a private or OOS school where he might struggle to keep up.

[Anonymous]

Beside the score OP, you really need to focus on where he might go to college. It's not just about getting-in, it's also about getting-out. Graduating and getting-out. What math level will be complete in HS? What foreign language level? I have a lot of questions and I think I could be very helpful but can't without a lot more information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume you are realistic on the type of college he will attend. Just select a school with a 90%+ acceptance rate.

There are several state flagships (Ole Miss has a 98% acceptance rate) if you want to go that route, or consider some of the other local state schools.

A 17 is four points below Ole Miss's 25th percentile, and you need a 3.2 GPA to apply test-optional from out of state. OP's kid is not a shoo-in.

Something tells me if his application check clears, he will get accepted as an OOS full pay student.

Don't be so sure. As the football team racks up wins under Lane Kiffin, interest in the school is growing. I wouldn't be surprised if OOS applications double this year like they did at Tennessee during their 2022 breakout season under Josh Heupel.