Advice on How to Deal With HS Senior Who Might Not Go Away to College First Year

[Anonymous]

OP - I completely agree with the posters that you need not short-change your daughter's college options overtly based on your views of colleges or what you have heard in general profiles. You need to do some research on colleges which do not necessarily overly rely on the SAT or ACT standardized test. Talk with your daughter AND LISTEN to what she says she wants in a college setting and what kind of learning environment she might do best in. A big name school may well also be a research university with big classes and graduate assistants doing a lot of the teaching. Another reality of many colleges today in certain areas of instruction is that many professors might be those who do not have an easily understood command of English in a lecture setting and that can be a factor for some.

Also, take some pride in the fact that your daughter stumbled and worked hard to get it together. A solid B average is not to be taken lightly, and she should not hesitate in sharing in an interview or even a written college essay about how and why she came to understand that education was important to her and what her goals are. Back off from what you would like her to be doing. It really does sound like you have set the goals on the college or type of college she should attend, you know the criteria to get in, and you are directing her on a path to meet your college goals for her. If you continue on this path, she could well do one or both things - end up in the student mental health office if she fails in your plan and after a couple of counseling sessions ditch you for a good long time.


Here is just one article noting 800 schools which do not use either test: SAT, ACT No Longer Required For Admission To 800...
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../sat-act-not-required-colleges... Nov 27, 2012 · A growing number of colleges are stepping away from the standardized exams traditionally required of admissions applicants. More than 800 colleges and ...

Also do research to find at least one or two schools with rolling admissions so she can apply in January and soon know that she does have a college acceptance in hand as most of her peers will likely have. If you can honestly hear what she wants to do and encourage her to apply to several colleges which she has a chance, then you will be doing your best as a parent. You can, of course, share your concerns on a school if there is a valid reason beyond it being a party school, but go back and read your post..... there is no need to be saying she must go to a community college to perhaps be able to get the credits over a B to get into some school of your dreams....as well as you try to micromanage an apartment living situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the issue that she can get into a school but you are worried about the "prestige" factor or are you saying you can't afford and out of state school. There are plenty of non-party schools she could get into.

I would send her to a school she can get into like Coastal Carolina, ECU, ODU, Radford, Elon, etc... and let her transfer later if she wants to do so.

Or

She can do a GAP year program so she can "feel" like she is "like" her friends, then come back, apply again to schools, go to the community college for 1 semester and reevaluate her options.

Elon wouldn't work with her profile but the others will. Maybe High Point?

Why not Elon?

The incoming class has an average GPA of 3.95 and average ACT of 25-29. If the OP's daughter is on an upward swing but is only earning B's, she's not close. High Point is a much more realistic option for this particular student.