Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP - While the process of applying to college has changed a lot since our daughters went, I am well aware that where a student goes to college can have an impact on their successful completion or not. So while you do have to mull over handling of the discrepancy between the SATs and high school transcript in a magnet program, I do think it very important that you are considering the kind of college environment your daughter will need to balance out the degree program she is applying to and the lack of executive functioning skills when she is no longer within the family structure to perhaps have support in following through on not only class demands, but also her daily living. Is there any chance you could talk to one of her teachers a the magnet program to get advice in the kind of college that she should be applying to as she obviously has particular strengths, but may need a certain setting to accomplish her academic goals.

One important aspect to also consider is to be sure she learns how to handle activities of her daily living so that she will not be suddenly "thrown off" by the mundane, but essential aspects of college living - budgeting her time for course work as well as other activities, doing laundry, keeping things in a dorm room organized, keeping track of her calendar for classes, but also social or other time commitments, being able to shop/prepare simple meals on the side if schedule means she eats breakfast in her room or grabs a sandwich, handling her money. [/b]It will be important for you to carefully evaluate the resources which each college has for students who do need support should the need suddenly arise. To do this, you need to learn what the college would require in terms of testing and how recent as without an IEP or even 504, it could be difficult to document the support she has received even if informal.[b] I t may also be that she might just need a smaller college setting or a reduced course load the first semester as she settles in. Keep track of dates including the last date to drop a class and the last day to request an Incomplete.

OP here. Yes, I agree with all of this. We started the search process last fall, and all of the schools on her list are small liberal arts schools with learning centers, writing tutors, and small classes.

Anonymous wrote:We are on the flip side, DC has excellent grades, but his test SAT scores will not be as high in the grammar/writing portion, even with accommodations. Although he did score a 5 on his AP test last year, so that helps. He is a rising junior, so we have one more year. We also have to explain why he did not take a foreign language. He will need accommodations in college, so he will be revealing his issues somewhere in the application and certainly in the counselor's recommendation.

Since your DC does not receive accommodations and does not expect to in college, I would not reveal the issues in the application. Your DC is already in a magnate program and being average there is acknowledged to being above average in a regular HS. How did your DC do on APs tests? High AP tests scores would help in the this case.

Anonymous wrote:
OP - While the process of applying to college has changed a lot since our daughters went, I am well aware that where a student goes to college can have an impact on their successful completion or not. So while you do have to mull over handling of the discrepancy between the SATs and high school transcript in a magnet program, I do think it very important that you are considering the kind of college environment your daughter will need to balance out the degree program she is applying to and the lack of executive functioning skills when she is no longer within the family structure to perhaps have support in following through on not only class demands, but also her daily living. Is there any chance you could talk to one of her teachers a the magnet program to get advice in the kind of college that she should be applying to as she obviously has particular strengths, but may need a certain setting to accomplish her academic goals.

One important aspect to also consider is to be sure she learns how to handle activities of her daily living so that she will not be suddenly "thrown off" by the mundane, but essential aspects of college living - budgeting her time for course work as well as other activities, doing laundry, keeping things in a dorm room organized, keeping track of her calendar for classes, but also social or other time commitments, being able to shop/prepare simple meals on the side if schedule means she eats breakfast in her room or grabs a sandwich, handling her money. [/b]It will be important for you to carefully evaluate the resources which each college has for students who do need support should the need suddenly arise. To do this, you need to learn what the college would require in terms of testing and how recent as without an IEP or even 504, it could be difficult to document the support she has received even if informal.[b] I t may also be that she might just need a smaller college setting or a reduced course load the first semester as she settles in. Keep track of dates including the last date to drop a class and the last day to request an Incomplete.

Anonymous wrote:I went through this with DD. She did not want her LD mentioned anywhere because she's "outgrown" it, ie shed the diagnosis. (She still has issues, though.) Her guidance counselor insisted that she both mention her LD history in her essay, and that he write about it in his letter, so she did. The guidance counselor said it's essential for kids like my DD to mention that they've had LD. It explains the high test scores (DD tested almost as high as your DD), but lower overall grades. I worried it would come off as whiny too, but the guidance counselor said colleges need the overall picture of your kid. Also, when your child goes to college, she may need some accommodations, so it's best to be upfront about her challenges.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't address the topic. The counselors know, or should know, your daughter's particulars. I'll bet whether the counselors mention it/are allowed to mention it in a recommendation is out of your hands. Also I don't think you are going to sway their opinion of your child at this point.

So I wouldn't address it.

Bad thing to assume in a public school. Assume GC knows NOTHING about your DC b/c, in most cases, they don't.

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't address the topic. The counselors know, or should know, your daughter's particulars. I'll bet whether the counselors mention it/are allowed to mention it in a recommendation is out of your hands. Also I don't think you are going to sway their opinion of your child at this point.

So I wouldn't address it.