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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here. Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions. Now VaTech is on top of her list. She will apply to UVa but her counselor thinks the possibility is near zero.

I read the discussions from the blog about that wonderful student with GPA=4.99 and have some questions about personality. I don't know how to classify my daughter's study behavior. Here is my try:

She studies and works hard, but not on an even and paced way. For instance, she would study hard before a major test for two weeks and do very well. Then she would not study at all for the next two weeks and receive <50% on all the quizzes/assignments. Then she would work hard again to catch up... That explains why she received 5 for calculus BC but only received a B- for the course. We know she will pass her courses in college, but concern about her future GPA. For her profile, which schools suit her?[/quote]

Hi, I'm the PP who recommended that blog.

Your DD sounds a lot like my son (a few years younger than your DD). He is very bright, but not the most diligent student. He works hard and excels when he is really interested in the work and when he has a good relationship with the teacher. If he is not interested in the work, or if he dislikes the teacher, he has a hard time motivating himself. For this reason, I suspect he would do better at a smaller college, where he can have more opportunities to get to know and work closely with professors, and where professors are more likely to be dedicated to teaching as opposed to their own research. (And for other reasons, i think a small school would be a better fit for him socially.) I also suspect he would do better at a college where students have more flexibility in their schedules as opposed to large core curricula. Especially for a student pursuing an engineering degree, which is likely to be very circumscribed, having to also complete many other core curriculum requirements might mean little choice in the courses a student takes. For my kid, that might lead to unhappiness and might ultimately undermine him. So, for example, a school like W&M has a very demanding core curriculum compared with, say, UVA and VaTech. OTOH, W&M is smaller, etc.

This is the kind of thinking I am doing about college. I would try to think this way about your DD's strengths, weaknesses, environments in which she thrives, environments in which she struggles. Does she rise to challenges, thrive in competitive environments? Or does she do better in a more collegial, cooperative environment? etc. Schools really differ along these lines, with some being known for cut-throat competitiveness and others being much more collegial. And what about what she wants: Is she looking for the traditional rah-rah college experience, with football and sororities or is that not at all her style? etc. Once you think about things like this, you can help her think about the best environment for her. Don't forget that this is about much more than quality of the engineering programs. There are big, big differences in the student experience at BU vs. UVA or at VaTech vs. W&M.[/quote]

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