Please be kind & compassionate: 3.0 GPA with tutoring in 3 classes, & 26 ACT with extra time (ADD)

[Anonymous]

My son goes to a school that has a program for kids with LDs. Schools the kids are going to are...

Providence
Loyola (MD)
University of South Carolina
High Point
Univ of Tenn
Alabama
VA Tech
ODU
Towson
UMBC
Radford
FLA State
Dayton
St. Joes
WVU
Costal Carolina
ECU
Tampa

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can he live at home or near home his first two years and take community college courses?

OP here. Thanks to all who suggest community college. As I understand it, the advantage is to give him time to mature. The only problem is that all of his friends will be at college, and so I'm guessing he will be bummed about living at home (with 2 younger siblings) for another 2 years. I'd almost rather pay for extensive tutoring at a college where he can get the full 4-year experience (unless of course he won't be successful at doing that). Thank you.

CC is great for kids that want to go, I would not have a child who is doing fine and wants to go to college do CC.

Also, there is so much learning being away that is good for ADD kids.

I suggest a 5 year plan and only 4 classes at a time.

[Anonymous]

Congrats to your ds!!! There is a Facebook group called College Accessiblilty - Accommodations and Disability Services. It is a fabulous group of parents and educators and I have learned a lot. Your son can definitely get into many colleges. Many of the people in the group will tell you to find the school first as all schools have a disability services office and are required to provide accommodations. However my son is a lot like yours (albeit with a lower gpa and act score) and we focused on schools that were known to be “disability friendly.” He was surprised by the number of choices he had. He is a current senior and has one more school to visit before he makes a final decision. You may also want to think about Landmark in Vermont which I believe is a two year program that is more of a transition program and Beacon in FL. Both focus on kids with ADHD and executive functioning issues. Beacon is a full four year college that also offers associates degrees if the kids are ready to leave after 2 years. It’s a possibility for my ds along with other 4 year schools.

[Anonymous]

I've heard great things about Landmark. I've also heard that Towson and Mount St. Mary's have great LD services. Salisbury should not be too strenuous. If you live in Virginia, there are so many options!

[Anonymous]

I've also heard fantastic things about the vocational testing done by the Johnson O'Connor Foundation, which has a location in DC. I would still send him to college, but having an end goal of a career would be great for him. Even if he becomes a plumber or an electrician, it still helps him to know how to run a business from business classes, for example.

https://www.jocrf.org/

[Anonymous]

OP here. He really wants to go to a large college. With extensive tutoring, any thoughts if that could work? (I'm noticing that, with a profile like DS's, so many people recommend small colleges. But can a large college work, with extensive tutoring?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. He really wants to go to a large college. With extensive tutoring, any thoughts if that could work? (I'm noticing that, with a profile like DS's, so many people recommend small colleges. But can a large college work, with extensive tutoring?)

Yes! Check out Towson if you are in Maryland. I know of a kid at a special LD program for whom his high school recommended Towson. https://www.towson.edu/accessibility-disability-services/

[Anonymous]

I realize this is the DCUM bubble, but I don't understand the hand wringing over whether college would be appropriate. A 26 on the ACT is in the 82nd percentile - better than a majority of students who attend four year colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I realize this is the DCUM bubble, but I don't understand the hand wringing over whether college would be appropriate. A 26 on the ACT is in the 82nd percentile - better than a majority of students who attend four year colleges.

OP here. Thank you for your comment. I'm just guessing that, if he had not had extra time (time and a half), the score would have been lower. Extra time seems like a big advantage of something like the reading section, where you have time to go back and check the passage.

[Anonymous]

This list of 20 ADHD colleges looks useful:

https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/students-with-adhd/

Some of the schools are big.

[Anonymous]

The SALT center at the University of Arizona looks interesting. It costs a little extra, but is probably worth it.

[Anonymous]

"realize that the work is much more difficult than in HS,"

This really depends on what major he is interested in.

Things like engineering and computer science build up and get harder each year.

Things like business, information technology or teaching take a step up freshman/sophomore year and then broaden out junior and senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can he live at home or near home his first two years and take community college courses?

OP here. Thanks to all who suggest community college. As I understand it, the advantage is to give him time to mature. The only problem is that all of his friends will be at college, and so I'm guessing he will be bummed about living at home (with 2 younger siblings) for another 2 years. I'd almost rather pay for extensive tutoring at a college where he can get the full 4-year experience (unless of course he won't be successful at doing that). Thank you.

Agree OP - Don’t send him to CC unless you are still actively helping him organize. In fact, even if you are, I would still send him to a 4 year school. Hire an academic coach. Our DS with ADD gets free academic coaching weekly at his private college and is acing college. Take the minimum course load and DO NOT encourage him to get a part time job. The whole point in taking a reduced course load is to focus on doing well academically. If he does well first semester, add a class or an extracurricular.

The key for you will be choice of school. Choose a school where his 26 is not below the average score. Let him be successful in a lower ranked school.

[Anonymous]

If money is no object, consider St. Mary's college of maryland. small and academically not too demanding. he will probably get lost in big state Unis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I realize this is the DCUM bubble, but I don't understand the hand wringing over whether college would be appropriate. A 26 on the ACT is in the 82nd percentile - better than a majority of students who attend four year colleges.

OP here. Thank you for your comment. I'm just guessing that, if he had not had extra time (time and a half), the score would have been lower. Extra time seems like a big advantage of something like the reading section, where you have time to go back and check the passage.

Extra time for a student with ADHD is not 'an advantage.' It is the best way to level the playing field between a child with a disability and a child who doesn't have a disability.