Rising senior's parent here

[Anonymous]

Wow, I can't believe the posters saying things like college isn't for him, blah blah blah. I think there are colleges that will be impressed that he got it together and improved his grades. Check out "Colleges the Change Lives" -- I think its a book and a website. There's a college there for him and he's going to be just fine.

[Anonymous]

Hey, I just noticed another thread on this subject -- Colleges that Change Lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This is so offensive on so many levels - it's as if everything rises or falls depending upon whether the kid eventually ends up at W&M.

News flash - W&M has a lot of graduates who are now waiting tables.

Not that PP, but this seems like a total overreaction. The 1st PP's point was not that W&M is the be all and end all of college admissions. The point was: here's a community college program that feeds into a 4-year college (happens to be W&M, but could have been another college).

Bullshit. The poster said attending the CC would be a "total waste" if the kid didn't get into W&M after two years.

You're totally misreading her post. (And I'm not her.) She obviously means that if you waste your time at the CC, you've ... wasted your time. Period. Doesn't matter which 4-year college lies at the end of the 2-yr rainbow.

And take your attitude and cursing back to the private school forum where they're used to it. We try to be respectful here on the college forum.

[Anonymous]

Apologies. I'm the PP who posted the initial suggestion re Richard Bland. I meant no offense whatsoever. The Bland-WM program isn't universally known, and it could easily have been perceived as one of perhaps several helpful options for the OP to consider. I also thought the post was consistent with the quoted thread, re VAs other CC-to-College plans. I'd be grateful if someone would tell me exactly where my post crosed a line, as it seems to have?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would he consider going to community college for a year or two, prove himself serious and changed and then apply to transfer to any school "worth going to"? Virginia has a guaranteed admissions program to the state schools from NVCC depending on NVCC GPA. Don't know how it works elsewhere. But generally, it's much easier to transfer into a college than it is to be accepted as a freshman. GL.

Richard Bland College, in VA, is a community college owned and operated by William & Mary. Bland doesn't have its own trustees/visitors; it's part of W&M proper. Certain classes of Bland students -- IF they make moderately decent grades (like above a B average) -- are automatically entitled to transfer into William & Mary at the two-year point. I'd look at this if your son is truly, highly motivated, and can and will really do well. This is important, because if he isn't/doesn't, you and he have wated the whole two years, so there is a real risk on this.

This is so offensive on so many levels - it's as if everything rises or falls depending upon whether the kid eventually ends up at W&M.

News flash - W&M has a lot of graduates who are now waiting tables.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apologies. I'm the PP who posted the initial suggestion re Richard Bland. I meant no offense whatsoever. The Bland-WM program isn't universally known, and it could easily have been perceived as one of perhaps several helpful options for the OP to consider. I also thought the post was consistent with the quoted thread, re VAs other CC-to-College plans. I'd be grateful if someone would tell me exactly where my post crosed a line, as it seems to have?

I'd suggest that, if the kid muddles through at CC, but still picks up an associate's degree in a marketable area, it's not a waste of time, even if he doesn't do well enough to get admitted to W&M.

There are kids with liberal arts degrees from W&M who don't have a job, and kids who skip college entirely, get various IT certifications and make a decent living.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apologies. I'm the PP who posted the initial suggestion re Richard Bland. I meant no offense whatsoever. The Bland-WM program isn't universally known, and it could easily have been perceived as one of perhaps several helpful options for the OP to consider. I also thought the post was consistent with the quoted thread, re VAs other CC-to-College plans. I'd be grateful if someone would tell me exactly where my post crosed a line, as it seems to have?

I'd suggest that, if the kid muddles through at CC, but still picks up an associate's degree in a marketable area, it's not a waste of time, even if he doesn't do well enough to get admitted to W&M.

There are kids with liberal arts degrees from W&M who don't have a job, and kids who skip college entirely, get various IT certifications and make a decent living.

But this makes her point. If you can do just as well not even going to CC, then you've *wasted* two whole years of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apologies. I'm the PP who posted the initial suggestion re Richard Bland. I meant no offense whatsoever. The Bland-WM program isn't universally known, and it could easily have been perceived as one of perhaps several helpful options for the OP to consider. I also thought the post was consistent with the quoted thread, re VAs other CC-to-College plans. I'd be grateful if someone would tell me exactly where my post crosed a line, as it seems to have?

I'd suggest that, if the kid muddles through at CC, but still picks up an associate's degree in a marketable area, it's not a waste of time, even if he doesn't do well enough to get admitted to W&M.

There are kids with liberal arts degrees from W&M who don't have a job, and kids who skip college entirely, get various IT certifications and make a decent living.

But this makes her point. If you can do just as well not even going to CC, then you've *wasted* two whole years of time.

Doesn't that vary by individual? Some kids may become plumbers or electricians and maybe 2 years of CC is not worthwhile for them. But for others, who aren't interested in trades, then CC can be a path to something they are interested in either in terms of a career or further education. It's not one size fits all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apologies. I'm the PP who posted the initial suggestion re Richard Bland. I meant no offense whatsoever. The Bland-WM program isn't universally known, and it could easily have been perceived as one of perhaps several helpful options for the OP to consider. I also thought the post was consistent with the quoted thread, re VAs other CC-to-College plans. I'd be grateful if someone would tell me exactly where my post crosed a line, as it seems to have?

I'd suggest that, if the kid muddles through at CC, but still picks up an associate's degree in a marketable area, it's not a waste of time, even if he doesn't do well enough to get admitted to W&M.

There are kids with liberal arts degrees from W&M who don't have a job, and kids who skip college entirely, get various IT certifications and make a decent living.

But this makes her point. If you can do just as well not even going to CC, then you've *wasted* two whole years of time.

Doesn't that vary by individual? Some kids may become plumbers or electricians and maybe 2 years of CC is not worthwhile for them. But for others, who aren't interested in trades, then CC can be a path to something they are interested in either in terms of a career or further education. It's not one size fits all.

That's not why I used the term for Richard Bland College. My mention was highly specific, for a reason -- Bland doesn't really offer vocational programs. Their sole purpose is admission to a 4-year liberal arts or ed program. Their institutional affiliation with WM is unique. So if the student isn't at all suited for or interested in pursuing a traditional BA or BS, the time has not been well used.

[Anonymous]

You can use this search engine to look for colleges that admit kids in his score range.

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apologies. I'm the PP who posted the initial suggestion re Richard Bland. I meant no offense whatsoever. The Bland-WM program isn't universally known, and it could easily have been perceived as one of perhaps several helpful options for the OP to consider. I also thought the post was consistent with the quoted thread, re VAs other CC-to-College plans. I'd be grateful if someone would tell me exactly where my post crosed a line, as it seems to have?

I'd suggest that, if the kid muddles through at CC, but still picks up an associate's degree in a marketable area, it's not a waste of time, even if he doesn't do well enough to get admitted to W&M.

There are kids with liberal arts degrees from W&M who don't have a job, and kids who skip college entirely, get various IT certifications and make a decent living.

But this makes her point. If you can do just as well not even going to CC, then you've *wasted* two whole years of time.

Well, no, it doesn't. An associate's degree, by itself, may still be useful for some individuals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apologies. I'm the PP who posted the initial suggestion re Richard Bland. I meant no offense whatsoever. The Bland-WM program isn't universally known, and it could easily have been perceived as one of perhaps several helpful options for the OP to consider. I also thought the post was consistent with the quoted thread, re VAs other CC-to-College plans. I'd be grateful if someone would tell me exactly where my post crosed a line, as it seems to have?

I'd suggest that, if the kid muddles through at CC, but still picks up an associate's degree in a marketable area, it's not a waste of time, even if he doesn't do well enough to get admitted to W&M.

There are kids with liberal arts degrees from W&M who don't have a job, and kids who skip college entirely, get various IT certifications and make a decent living.

But this makes her point. If you can do just as well not even going to CC, then you've *wasted* two whole years of time.

Well, no, it doesn't. An associate's degree, by itself, may still be useful for some individuals.

An Associate's degree with a C average? Because a B average is enough to make it into W&M. I guess if your employer doesn't want to see a transcript.

[Anonymous]

This is all well and good. But reading OP's post closely, she is wondering, and more important her DS is wondering, if DS can get into a college "that is worth going to, not a party school." They already know he can probably get into the party schools, and by extension they probably already realize he can pull down Cs for a CC Associates degree. OP and her DS are asking, is it possible for him to do more?

To answer that particular question, I think the CC-WM suggestion is a great one. There's no implication that WM is the only school worth going to, just that WM happens to have a relationship with a CC. Should everyone go to a 4-yr college? No, I don't believe that 4-yr college is appropriate for everyone. But given that OP's DS has expressed interest in attending a "good" 4-year college, why is someone here telling him to just shoot for Cs at a community college?

[Anonymous]

I think pp that some folks are just plain mean and petty...they get their kicks out of anonymously ridiculing someone else..it's weird

[Anonymous]

To the OP. Our DS had almost the exact same SAT and grade situation as yours. I was worried about how many options he would have. As it turned out, he had plenty! There are lots of schools out there where he will be able to get a great, valuable education. The good news is his grades have been going up, not down and his SATs are above average. Now he might not get into the top 100 or so colleges in the US, that everyone around here is obsessed with, but there are 3400 colleges in the United States. Most colleges accept most applicants. What you need to focus on is what is going to be best for him.

As for party schools, every school is a party school. I think the term is used by some who get into more selective schools to put down any school ranked lower than theirs (for a funny portrayal of this, see the Wharton guy in the I Went to Princeton, B* YouTube video). Name brands are overrated. The alumni network might help with that first job, but once you start working its about what you can do, not where you went to school. You can get the basic skills you'll need at most colleges.

Bottom line: if he wants to go to college, he will have a lot to choose from (and btw once you have multiple acceptance letters in hand, the power dynamic changes!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the OP. Our DS had almost the exact same SAT and grade situation as yours. I was worried about how many options he would have. As it turned out, he had plenty! There are lots of schools out there where he will be able to get a great, valuable education. The good news is his grades have been going up, not down and his SATs are above average. Now he might not get into the top 100 or so colleges in the US, that everyone around here is obsessed with, but there are 3400 colleges in the United States. Most colleges accept most applicants. What you need to focus on is what is going to be best for him.

As for party schools, every school is a party school. I think the term is used by some who get into more selective schools to put down any school ranked lower than theirs (for a funny portrayal of this, see the Wharton guy in the I Went to Princeton, B* YouTube video). Name brands are overrated. The alumni network might help with that first job, but once you start working its about what you can do, not where you went to school. You can get the basic skills you'll need at most colleges.

Bottom line: if he wants to go to college, he will have a lot to choose from (and btw once you have multiple acceptance letters in hand, the power dynamic changes!)

+1