At least one D

[Anonymous]

DS is a junior and he will have at least one D on his report card (final). The rest will be B's and C's. All IB classes. SATs are above 2K. He just sucks at school and it has been hard for the family. One more year left and I am wondering about college. Do you know of any VA colleges that will take someone with grades like this?
We are considering NVCC for a year or two and transferring. I know someone whose kid got into Radford and had pretty poor grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a junior and he will have at least one D on his report card (final). The rest will be B's and C's. All IB classes. SATs are above 2K. He just sucks at school and it has been hard for the family. One more year left and I am wondering about college. Do you know of any VA colleges that will take someone with grades like this?
We are considering NVCC for a year or two and transferring. I know someone whose kid got into Radford and had pretty poor grades.

I think NVCC would be a great option, defintively over Radford. Guaranteed admission to the flagship state universities if he meets the benchmarks. Plus, it would give him more time on the vine. Many kids need the extra time.

Are most of his lower grades due to nothanding things in or test scores in subjects in which he isn't interested? If so. college will be better for him. Homework doesn't count and you mainly take the courses that interest you.

Has he ever been evaluated for an LD?

[Anonymous]

Why is he in all IB classes if school is such a struggle ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is he in all IB classes if school is such a struggle ?

I completely agree. The IB program is not for everyone, and I think it's silly that people let their kids continue in the classes when they are not getting good grades in them. What is the point -- do you think he will actually be able to score well enough on the tests to receive the IB diploma?

[Anonymous]

OP here. We tried him in regular classes and he gets the same types of grades. He does have inattentive ADHD and executive dysfunction. His IQ is 130, so not genius but pretty smart. We see this in lots of ways, but it doesn't show up in school unfortunately.
I really want him to have the college experience, but he may not be ready for it.

[Anonymous]

It seems like there are many signs pointing you to NVCC and I think that is a great option. He can still have a college experience, but a year or two at community college will give him a chance to mature and a better shot at getting into a good school. NVCC actually has a very strong academic program. Radford...meh. Really not that great. (says someone who works in higher education)

[Anonymous]

Get an associates at NVCC with a good GPA and get an automatic admit to UVA. Same degree, half the price.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a junior and he will have at least one D on his report card (final). The rest will be B's and C's. All IB classes. SATs are above 2K. He just sucks at school and it has been hard for the family. One more year left and I am wondering about college. Do you know of any VA colleges that will take someone with grades like this?
We are considering NVCC for a year or two and transferring. I know someone whose kid got into Radford and had pretty poor grades.

You sound like a caricature of a horrible parent. Almost everything you write betrays a lack of parenting skills.

If DS "sucks at school," it's harder for him than it is for you. Do you think he doesn't get that you want him to be someone else? How about considering some Academy courses rather than piling on more IB classes, which require students to write volumes of largely meaningless crap in any event.

[Anonymous]

Is his ADHD well treated? It sounds like it might still be interfering with his academic functioning.

[Anonymous]

There is a residential 2-year public college in Petersburg. That might be an option -- it's affiliated with William & Mary. If you do well there, again, you transfer to one of the 4-year schools.

[Anonymous]

We had son in same situation. Motivation is his issue. Never did homework and had similar grades and SATs to yours.

NOVA is a good option. And you don't even have to do two years. He has one friend transferring to William and Mary and another to VCU after just 1 year.

He might be able to get into ODU or VCU straight away with those grades/scores. The question is does he need another year or two to mature or is one of those a good fit.

My advice is make sure he, not you, owns the decision where to go. It makes a difference. And BTW he will turn out just fine despite all the tsk tsks you might get on here!

[Anonymous]

Oh dear ~ really? Not sending him to college? The kids is probably fine. I'll bet the "D" reflects a poor class choice (and frankly I might blame you for that. Couldn't he have dropped the class? why the IB program? You can get into college w/the FFX standard diploma for goodness-sakes) So, he's a B-C student. His SATs (very good). Encourage a range of schools. I hope you will consider out-of-state if they match in-state tuition. That would give him a lot more choices than Radford, which he'll get into, or Mary Washington (they would like his SAT score), or VCU. Pay attention to which major he applies to. Both of you should study the online catalogue for each college and really become well-versed in what college classes will be required to graduate/and what is needed to get accepted into the major -for each likely major. You do him no service by underestimating him ~ let the colleges decide. They will take him/ or they won't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a junior and he will have at least one D on his report card (final). The rest will be B's and C's. All IB classes. SATs are above 2K. He just sucks at school and it has been hard for the family. One more year left and I am wondering about college. Do you know of any VA colleges that will take someone with grades like this?
We are considering NVCC for a year or two and transferring. I know someone whose kid got into Radford and had pretty poor grades.

You sound like a caricature of a horrible parent. Almost everything you write betrays a lack of parenting skills.

If DS "sucks at school," it's harder for him than it is for you. Do you think he doesn't get that you want him to be someone else? How about considering some Academy courses rather than piling on more IB classes, which require students to write volumes of largely meaningless crap in any event.

Why so nasty? It's hard having a smart kid who won't work hard and/or do homework. I know, I've got one. I wish my kid didn't suck at school, too. I don't want him to be someone else I just want him to do his homework, turn it in and study for tests. If he still did badly while working at it, that would be ok, but it's not ok to blow off homework and studying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a residential 2-year public college in Petersburg. That might be an option -- it's affiliated with William & Mary. If you do well there, again, you transfer to one of the 4-year schools.

This is Richard Bland College. It's actually a division of William & Mary, not a stand-alone 2-year college. (At one time, W&M had community college affiliates all over the state; Old Dominion, CNU, and VCU were all originally W&M branches). There is a preferential admission program to W&M from Bland, but it's not easy to make. If your DC has executive function issues, you might consider NVCC plus some continuing ed-therapy to make sure that DC (and you) are all ready for a residential college experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a junior and he will have at least one D on his report card (final). The rest will be B's and C's. All IB classes. SATs are above 2K. He just sucks at school and it has been hard for the family. One more year left and I am wondering about college. Do you know of any VA colleges that will take someone with grades like this?
We are considering NVCC for a year or two and transferring. I know someone whose kid got into Radford and had pretty poor grades.

You sound like a caricature of a horrible parent. Almost everything you write betrays a lack of parenting skills.

If DS "sucks at school," it's harder for him than it is for you. Do you think he doesn't get that you want him to be someone else? How about considering some Academy courses rather than piling on more IB classes, which require students to write volumes of largely meaningless crap in any event.

Why so nasty? It's hard having a smart kid who won't work hard and/or do homework. I know, I've got one. I wish my kid didn't suck at school, too. I don't want him to be someone else I just want him to do his homework, turn it in and study for tests. If he still did badly while working at it, that would be ok, but it's not ok to blow off homework and studying.

I spoke with a therapist about a smart, unmotivated child. He told me this typically happens in homes where the parents fight a lot. Is this the case with you? He said the best thing to do to resolve the lack of motivation is for the parents to get marital counseling.