Anonymous
11/06/2025 22:42
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
Anonymous wrote:4. No need to brag, OP. This area is full of CTY students who are "exceptional" and "outstanding".
You need a 3.0 GPA to attend the summer programs. My dd went to a ballet program at a university where they shared the cafeteria with one of the CTY programs. There was no mistaken who was in which program.
Anonymous
11/06/2025 22:41
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
My DD was accepted to great colleges.
She instead chose a B tiered large state engineering program NC State. I was sick to my stomach about her decision. However, I firmly believed it was hers to make. She did undergrad and grad there. CTO by age 32.
Fast forward ten years. She has surpassed two of her siblings, who went to MIT and Stanford. Like I said her choice almost killed me.
Why, because she is more motivated in every aspect of her life. I also think she got very lucky had 7 dormmates all really great friends to this day. Super smart hard working students.
She instead chose a B tiered large state engineering program NC State. I was sick to my stomach about her decision. However, I firmly believed it was hers to make. She did undergrad and grad there. CTO by age 32.
Fast forward ten years. She has surpassed two of her siblings, who went to MIT and Stanford. Like I said her choice almost killed me.
Why, because she is more motivated in every aspect of her life. I also think she got very lucky had 7 dormmates all really great friends to this day. Super smart hard working students.
Anonymous
11/06/2025 22:36
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:She should look at liberal arts colleges that give merit aid. You might be able to get close to what the state schools cost and she could have smaller classes.
We tried this route with our older kids, and they didn't get enough merit aid (even at much lower-ranked schools) to fill the gap. Our older kids went to state colleges purely because of price.
If anyone has a gifted kid who was/is happy at a lower-ranked school, please post. Thanks!
I was CTY eligible and a female NMF. I tried PSU's Honors College. PSU profs and classes were good but the social life was lacking in intellectual heft. I transferred to Pitt and took Honors and regular classes. I loved Pitt. My grad degree is an MBA from Michigan. Also loved Michigan. So there are 3 flagships where I succeeded academically and met learning goals.
UMD is getting good reviews on DCUM these days. I recently met a very happy journalism major from our non-MD high school who was top of her college. Nothing but positivity. Sounds to me to be like my Pitt experience. Pitt was considered more gritty and humble 30 years ago. But there's nothing wrong with being gritty and humble. UMD is also in a bigger metro area with a wider range of employers.
I think your daughter will thrive at a flagship if she selects smaller classes, reading-intensive classes, and meets/communicates actively with professors. Look for smaller humanities classes, freshman seminars, honors classes, etc. The peers don't even matter if the professors are good and care about your questions and your learning. If they are quiet, more focus on you. My son observed this in a freshman seminar at his flagship. Now he has a professor who is interested in him doing research for her. Because he was the star student.
My family is big school friendly. The real world is a big place. Better to get used to it.
Why are you randomly reviving a thread that is 4 years old? OP has likely graduated college or is a senior in college by now. You always post about transferring to Pitt and going to Michigan. We know your story, PP. We know.
I would have found this thread helpful last year!
The big plus is the opportunities and flexibility that come with being at a university that WANTS YOU there vs being at a university that treats the students like they are lucky to be there (which was the vibe we got from some of the top schools we looked at). Ex. Columbia won't event take your AP credits - they make you retake everything! What a waste... instead my student started college as a junior (in terms of credits) and is able to take classes that interest them and are unrelated to graduation requirements etc. They can explore different majors while in college, instead of having to commit to a major as senior in HS....
It was a very difficult decision for my super high stats kid (NMF, 1570 SAT, 17 APs all 5's, national level internship, etc.) to choose a full ride scholarship over the T15 schools they were admitted to. My kid is in second year and doing amazing at a low ranked school ... because this low ranked school pursues top students (1500++ SAT, 36 ACT, NMF types) there are a LOT of them there 1,000s -- so my kid is surrounded by similarly exceptional students in very small classes (think 12-15 students bc kid skipped straight to upper level courses due to having so many AP credits). However the student body is quite large (huge public flagship) so there are all types of students -- which mirrors real life.
There exists no "low ranked school" that has thousands of 1500+ SAT scorers.
University of Alabama has about a thousand NMF kids there due to the scholarships they offer. Not thousands, but certainly a large cohort of very smart kids.
My NMF is at Alabama and in the Honors College. He is surrounded by a ton of really smart kids and is very involved in campus. It’s an amazing scholarship for NMF.
Alabama HAHAHAHA no
Anonymous
11/06/2025 22:17
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
college is what you make of it. private or not.
i know kids who went to a university much derided by DCUM who got into highly regarded research programs their first semester.
this doesn't happen if you don't make an effort.
i know kids who went to a university much derided by DCUM who got into highly regarded research programs their first semester.
this doesn't happen if you don't make an effort.
Anonymous
11/06/2025 22:10
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:No, she's not on the spectrum. A psychotherapist friend calls her a late bloomer, which may be the case. She's a kid who reads a four-hundred page book in an hour, yet she forgets to study for an English test. I don't know what you call that. Immaturity?
I call that very, very obvious ADHD. Classic symptoms, in fact.
The hyperfocus part of ADHD means she gets lost in her book.
The inattentive part of ADHD means she forgets due dates and assignments.
It's sad you didn't catch on sooner, because she could have had a much better experience at school, and been much happier. Children with ADHD who are left to struggle on their own often because angry and frustrated, and are more likely to turn to self-medication with drugs or other undesirable activities.
You want to get her evaluated by a psychologist as soon as possible. Don't ask your pediatrician, they are not trained in that specialty.
(BTW, twice exceptional means gifted with disabilities, not necessarily Aspie. It can be dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, whatever.)
i agree with this.
Anonymous
11/06/2025 20:57
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
Anonymous wrote:DD is a junior, and her only options for college are in-state because of our family's financial situation. She has a 3.88 at a good public high school, one sport, no ECs to speak of. She hates high school with a passion, thinks it's idiotic, all her classes are stupid, hates the administration and its crazy rules and incompetence, etc. She does the work because her friends do it, but she has no enthusiasm for school at all.
She went to CTY at Johns Hopkins for three summers, where she really blossomed. She told me recently those were the happiest weeks of her life. Her CTY teachers said she was "exceptional" and "outstanding."
I'm not bragging, I'm worried. I fear she'll be unhappy and unchallenged in college. We can't afford to send her to a CTY-like top college. If you have a similarly gifted kid who went to a lower-ranked college, how did s/he do? Did your child find a peer group? Were the classes interesting/challenging enough? Any advice most appreciated.
What is her SAT score. A lot of decent colleges will provide good aid to high SAT scores.
Anonymous
11/06/2025 18:37
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
Our kid is in a lower-ranked state school but (a) she is on a BS/MD program and (b) she basically has a full ride (we are paying around $3K a year). She is doing great academically and socially and is having the time of her life. But for this program, we would have never considered the school that she is at. Maybe find a program that your child is really interested in and don't just limit yourself to your state - many out-of-state schools give fantastic merit aid to students they are really interested in.
Anonymous
11/06/2025 18:11
Subject: Re:How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
Honors programs in state flagships carry the expectation of academic integrity. This means that students who plagiarize and/or steal or “borrow” another student’s work and pass it off as their own are kicked out of the program. At least that was what was explained to us on admitted students days.
Anonymous
11/06/2025 17:57
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:She should look at liberal arts colleges that give merit aid. You might be able to get close to what the state schools cost and she could have smaller classes.
We tried this route with our older kids, and they didn't get enough merit aid (even at much lower-ranked schools) to fill the gap. Our older kids went to state colleges purely because of price.
If anyone has a gifted kid who was/is happy at a lower-ranked school, please post. Thanks!
I was CTY eligible and a female NMF. I tried PSU's Honors College. PSU profs and classes were good but the social life was lacking in intellectual heft. I transferred to Pitt and took Honors and regular classes. I loved Pitt. My grad degree is an MBA from Michigan. Also loved Michigan. So there are 3 flagships where I succeeded academically and met learning goals.
UMD is getting good reviews on DCUM these days. I recently met a very happy journalism major from our non-MD high school who was top of her college. Nothing but positivity. Sounds to me to be like my Pitt experience. Pitt was considered more gritty and humble 30 years ago. But there's nothing wrong with being gritty and humble. UMD is also in a bigger metro area with a wider range of employers.
I think your daughter will thrive at a flagship if she selects smaller classes, reading-intensive classes, and meets/communicates actively with professors. Look for smaller humanities classes, freshman seminars, honors classes, etc. The peers don't even matter if the professors are good and care about your questions and your learning. If they are quiet, more focus on you. My son observed this in a freshman seminar at his flagship. Now he has a professor who is interested in him doing research for her. Because he was the star student.
My family is big school friendly. The real world is a big place. Better to get used to it.
Why are you randomly reviving a thread that is 4 years old? OP has likely graduated college or is a senior in college by now. You always post about transferring to Pitt and going to Michigan. We know your story, PP. We know.
I would have found this thread helpful last year!
The big plus is the opportunities and flexibility that come with being at a university that WANTS YOU there vs being at a university that treats the students like they are lucky to be there (which was the vibe we got from some of the top schools we looked at). Ex. Columbia won't event take your AP credits - they make you retake everything! What a waste... instead my student started college as a junior (in terms of credits) and is able to take classes that interest them and are unrelated to graduation requirements etc. They can explore different majors while in college, instead of having to commit to a major as senior in HS....
It was a very difficult decision for my super high stats kid (NMF, 1570 SAT, 17 APs all 5's, national level internship, etc.) to choose a full ride scholarship over the T15 schools they were admitted to. My kid is in second year and doing amazing at a low ranked school ... because this low ranked school pursues top students (1500++ SAT, 36 ACT, NMF types) there are a LOT of them there 1,000s -- so my kid is surrounded by similarly exceptional students in very small classes (think 12-15 students bc kid skipped straight to upper level courses due to having so many AP credits). However the student body is quite large (huge public flagship) so there are all types of students -- which mirrors real life.
There exists no "low ranked school" that has thousands of 1500+ SAT scorers.
University of Alabama has about a thousand NMF kids there due to the scholarships they offer. Not thousands, but certainly a large cohort of very smart kids.
My NMF is at Alabama and in the Honors College. He is surrounded by a ton of really smart kids and is very involved in campus. It’s an amazing scholarship for NMF.
Anonymous
11/06/2025 17:28
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
I'm a college professor and taught at a range of schools before landing my job at a T20. There are very bright kids everywhere, although obviously the percentages vary.
In college, she'll have much more control over her schedule. If she wants to only take upper-level seminars, she can do that. Her professors will likely LOVE her. And she'll find her people.
In college, she'll have much more control over her schedule. If she wants to only take upper-level seminars, she can do that. Her professors will likely LOVE her. And she'll find her people.
Anonymous
11/06/2025 17:18
Subject: Re:How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
Anonymous wrote:My DS graduated from a challenging private school with 20 AP credits at his in state public. It’s supposed to be an “honors” college but there is rampant cheating. He caught a suite mate taking his notebooks out of his room and copying off his assignments while he was showering or at a club meeting and a professor accused him of cheating. I had to arrange a meeting with an administrator to discuss the situation and she looked at me agape like a codfish with no response. Absent this situation and another professor who is currently failing an entire section of a second year in major course for no apparent reason, it’s been otherwise a good experience. I never expected his college experience to be without challenges and I don’t know how common this is, but I wish he had taken my advice and accepted the scholarship to the honors program at an out of state public that he was offered instead. This seems like an example of the nail that sticks up gets hammered down. I would expect that from a public kindergarten, not a public college.
Interesting. Do you think the cheating situation could have also occurred at the out of state public? Why do you wish he had chosen that school?
Anonymous
11/06/2025 16:54
Subject: Re:How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
My DS graduated from a challenging private school with 20 AP credits at his in state public. It’s supposed to be an “honors” college but there is rampant cheating. He caught a suite mate taking his notebooks out of his room and copying off his assignments while he was showering or at a club meeting and a professor accused him of cheating. I had to arrange a meeting with an administrator to discuss the situation and she looked at me agape like a codfish with no response. Absent this situation and another professor who is currently failing an entire section of a second year in major course for no apparent reason, it’s been otherwise a good experience. I never expected his college experience to be without challenges and I don’t know how common this is, but I wish he had taken my advice and accepted the scholarship to the honors program at an out of state public that he was offered instead. This seems like an example of the nail that sticks up gets hammered down. I would expect that from a public kindergarten, not a public college.
Anonymous
11/06/2025 15:24
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
Ohio University honors tutorial college
Anonymous
11/06/2025 14:52
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
What about St. Johns?
Anonymous
11/06/2025 13:34
Subject: How is your gifted kid doing at a lower-ranked college?
The real answer to OP is that her kid's bad attitude was the problem. Bump on along coaster with no EC interests doesn't need an elite college.