Please be kind & compassionate: 3.0 GPA with tutoring in 3 classes, & 26 ACT with extra time (ADD)
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Anonymous
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[Yes, I can also post this in the special needs forum, but please also let me post here (where there are more parents with older kids )] --
Our DD is age 17, and is an 11th grader at an independent school in the DC area (not a top 3). We are biased, but we think he's a great kid. He is involved in sports and scouting, he helps out at home, has a lot of friends, and keeps us laughing with his great sense of humor. He has ADD (which we observed way back in pre-school), and just this year started taking Vyvanse (ADD medication) for attention (since the difficulty of school really seems to have ramped up in 11th grade). He is eligible for accommodations like extra time in school, but does not like or want to use his accommodations. He genuinely finds school to be a challenge -- it does not come easy to him. He has a tutor for 3 of his 6 classes, and has a 3.0 GPA. (This GPA has been consistent since 9th grade. In middle school, when grading was a bit more lenient, he had a 3.5 GPA). His GPA seems like a fair representation of his motivation and abilities. We believe his GPA would be lower without the tutoring. He got a 26 on the ACT (with extra time). He's obviously NOT going to apply to top colleges. We're thinking he can get into one of the lower-ranked colleges, and have a decent experience there. And we'd plan to pay for tutoring in college -- this would be critical (based on his experience with high school). We'll be full pay wherever he goes. My question is -- do you think he has the aptitude to go to college based on these stats (3.0 GPA with tutoring in 3 of the 6 classes, and 26 ACT with extra time)? As his parents, we do think so, and want him to have the college experience and credential. And after graduation, he would obviously NOT be applying for jobs in highly competitive fields. Instead, he'd go into a field that is suited to his talents (maybe even something that does not require a college degree). Our worry is that he'll go away to college, realize that the work is much more difficult than in HS, and not feel like he's capable of completing a degree. Please be kind and compassionate with any responses. Thank you in advance. |
Anonymous
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I think he does have the capacity. Does he have the desire to go?
I think you should assume and be ok with him taking 5 years to complete a degree. A smaller, liberal arts college where most students finish in 4 years may not be the best choice from a social perspective. What about 2 years at a local community college? Stay at home, let his brain mature more before going away. |
Anonymous
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26 ACT (even with extra time) is not that bad! Many kids, esp. with ADHD, take extra time to mature. He may need a slow start either at CC or reduced workload with lots of tutoring at a 4 year college.
Are there certain subjects that he struggles with more than others? Community college can be a good idea to knock out the more difficult classes before transferring to a state school after a few semesters. What does he think? Does he want to go to college? Can you afford to pay for 5+ years of full pay college? If so, he may really benefit from only taking 3 or 4 classes at a time. Most schools, from small LAC to large universities, have lots of built in supports but the student has to seek them out and use them. Still a good idea to ask about the types of supports available at individual colleges. |
Anonymous
OP here. Thanks to the 2 posters above for getting me thinking about community college. He is not loving the idea of going to college, but he's willing to do it. He does want the credential, but worries about the challenge of getting the credential. I do believe he thinks that, with sufficient tutoring, he can complete a degree. We can afford to pay for 5+ years of tuition of college. That's a great idea to take 3-4 classes at a time. Yet I'm guessing he'd get a part time job so as not to have too much time on his hands. |
Anonymous
| Marshall University is supposed to be great for students with ADHD. I met someone who told me her brother failed out of UVA then went to Marshall and got A's. They have a lot of support. There are increasingly more colleges with support for disabilities and learning challenges. You might consult a special needs college consultant to get ideas of colleges that are a good fit. Judy Bass and College Consulting Collaborative have good reputations and I'm sure there are others. Not cheap but they may have ideas for saving on tuition as well. |
Anonymous
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I know people will freak on this forum when I post this but I want you to know this...
my son with a 3.6 GPA and 24 ACT is at a top 35 school and doing fine with tutoring. He is an athlete but getting in is the hardest part. (dyslexic, ADHD, anxiety) I don't recommend a top school because it is stressful (plus he basically has a full time job). |
Anonymous
| A 26 on the ACT will still get him into 1000+ schools of every different type, so I think it's more about the fit of a particular school than worrying about where a 26 will get him. |
Anonymous
| Can he live at home or near home his first two years and take community college courses? |
Anonymous
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OP have you done a neuropsych eval since he turned 16? You will need one to qualify for support services/accommodation (extended time) in college. There are waitlists for evals
so schedule it if you haven't done it yet. |
Anonymous
OP here. Yes, thank you. We did a neuropsych right when he turned 16. So we will plan to use those to apply for accommodations. (Granted, in our experience, tutoring is 10x more valuable than any accommodation.) |
Anonymous
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. |
Anonymous
I would agree with this if your DS really wants to attend a 4 year college. With lots of support and a reduced class load (at least the first couple of semesters), he could very well be successful. Might want to consider colleges closer to home so you can keep tabs on how he's doing. And if it seems that a 4 year college isn't working out, don't make a big deal out of switching to community college with the plan on transferring to a 4 year later on. I know many successful adults who took this path. |
Anonymous
| He can absolutely go to college. If he goes away to college (doesn’t live at home or close to home) he needs to be able to advocate for himself and be trusted to go to class, do the work, communicate with his instructors/professors, and get and use his accommodations. If he needs more help, he should attend a college closer to home for at least a year and then transfer. It definitely doesn’t have to be community college - sometimes, those aren’t the best solutions for kids with learning disabilities. |
Anonymous
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A productive gap year, maybe spent working, is another idea.
It would allow for another year of brain development and (hopefully) help him figure out what he might want to do/study at college. Knowing why you are in college and having a goal helps so much. |
Anonymous
| American University has a great program for kids w LDs and executive functioning challenges and he’d be close to home. |