Reply to Fit is for Snowflakes

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Fit is for Snowflakes"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]Depends on the kid OP.  My oldest probably is a snowflake.  Severe ADHD but doing well at TJ with supports. He does very well in the hands on science and tech classes, and in the discussion based HUM classes.  He really struggles with lectures and rote memorization. He understands the math, but struggles with the lectures and his grade in math in always much lower than everything else, despite perfect SAT, SAT 2, PSAT math scores..  He needs a school where he will be in smaller, discussion based classes and not large lectures.  It’s the difference between an A and a C or an F. And since he wants a PhD, that matters.  He isn’t even applying to UVA.   It WM vs Kenyon, Oberlin, Wooster, Grinnell, Denison, Macalaster, Davidson, etc. will largely come down to money and if he gets merit aid.

My other TJ kid is very bloom where you are planted. She will probably go to the best engineering school she can get into and we can afford.

If your kids can do well anywhere, be grateful OP.  Many kids can. But some kids have something else going on that makes the college search more complicated and more individualized.

And BTW. I’m a lawyer.  And like many lawyers, especially female lawyers,  left a big Law for Federal Government doing work I enjoy more, with less stress and pressure, telework days and a better environment, where I can be available for my kids.  Of course professionals like lawyers consider “fit”   And I am certainly not alone in opting for less money and no big law partner title in exchange for loving what I do and having a good work-life balance.

So yeah... you do you.  I’m not sure what makes you an expert in what is best for other people’s kids. And yes, in other countries you have limited choices. But in those countries education is a scare response, and only those kids who can work within the one set education system advance. My daughter would do well in such a system.

The US educates a broader range of kids.  Like my son, who is brilliant, and will be able to do a very high education job.  But would not be able to attend college in many foreign education systems.  And remember that many kids in those foreign systems come to the US and get into great schools because they can’t succeed in them either.

I am not sure what the problem is in finding an environment where your kid will succeed vs fail.  It is better for society for my kid to become an science PhD with a UMC lifestyle than a high school or college drop out who has trouble doing a memial job and could well use alcohol or drugs to self medicate.  Which is not exactly unheard of in ADHD kids.

Also, my kid is not applying to Ivys or tippy top SLACs  because we can’t afford private without some merit aid. You can bust on the Missouri vs. Ivy parents.  But free state honors college can be tough for a donut hole family to turn down. Especially if their kid plans to go to grad school.  If you can get into the same grad school out of Mizzou Honor College vs Columbia, and have money to pay for grad school vs $100,000 in undergrad debt, maybe it is a good choice for that kid.  My kid will go WM or akenyon with 1/2 tuition merit with no debt vs Williams with a large debt load in a heartbeat. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics