My 11th grade son
MelodyA3
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MelodyA3
0 replies1 discussionsRegistered User Posts: 1 New Member
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Replies to: My 11th grade son
https://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college/checklists/11th-grade
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/college-planning-juniors-cb.pdf
http://www.collegesuccessfoundation.org/collegebound/students/11th-grade-checklist
11th grade is when you're start planning and taking standardized test (PSAT, SAT and ACT), researching colleges (and doing visits) and working out the potential cost.
To be honest, you're a little late to the game. You need to start doing a lot of those things yesterday. Get started now.
To some extent, you have to rely on what he has already done -- for example, what courses he has taken in high school -- rather than advising him on the best options. (For example, if he didn't take a foreign language, that will restrict his choices, but it's too late to do anything about it now.)
But despite whatever may have happened in the past, there are important things to be doing now.
First, it's time for a serious look at family finances. How much can your family afford to spend on college? And how will this affect your son's college choices? Once the adults in your family have gotten a handle on this, it's important to share the information with your son so he will have a realistic view of what's possible and what's not when the time comes to apply to colleges next year.
Second, it's time for standardized testing. Your son should take the SAT and/or ACT this spring, which means signing up now. Depending on what sort of colleges he plans to apply to, he may also need to take SAT Subject Tests this spring.
Third, it's time to find out what your son is thinking of in terms of education after high school. By the middle of 11th grade, many young people have some idea of what they want. Some kids have very specific ideas; others have only vague notions. Some may have unrealistic plans. (The kid with a C average who dreams of Harvard needs a dose of reality.) But it's important to find out what he's thinking, not just to tell him what you're thinking. You may be surprised at what you find out when you have this conversation with him.
Can he do laundry, prepare a basic meal (pasta, piece of chicken and a baked potato, a simple stir fry), sew on a button, handle basic finances (track his spending and saving)f? When he needs to deal with "authority" do you do it for him (i.e. call the DMV, make a dentist appointment) or can he handle it himself?
This is the year to transition him to more independent living!
1. What does your son want to do after HS? College? Vocational school? A job?
2. What is your budget in terms of costs?
3. If college...what is your son's current GPA? Did he take the PSAT in the fall? What was the score?
4. If college, what are his interests? Do you have an geographic preferences or interests?
5. What else does your son do? Any extracurricular activities?
6. And yes...what Blossom said... Life skills and independent living skills are important as well.
Best would be to take the SAT and ACT this spring. Some students do better on one compared to the other. If a higher score is desired, the initially higher one can be used as a base for additional preparation and a retry in the fall.
Also, check if any colleges of interest use SAT subject tests. If so, then taking those corresponding to courses being completed this year at the end of the spring would be a good idea.
For the parent, run some net price calculators on some representative colleges (e.g. state flagship, local state university, and private colleges of interest -- include colleges which are match and safety level for admissions, not just reaches) to get an idea of what net price you are looking at. Figure out what the limit of your contribution that you need to tell him before he finalizes his application list. He can go slightly over your contribution with federal direct loans and/or work earnings (but $10,000 over, needing both the maximum federal direct loan and the maximum realistic student work earnings, is probably the outer limit with little or no room for error). If he is not a top end student, be sure to consider the risk of needing an extra semester or two to graduate.
Just to clarify: my “as to improving his GPA” is not meant to say OP’s S shouldn’t be trying to do well while still in hs.. He absolutely should. It’s meant to mean OP’s S has completed 5 semesters and if he is marginal GPA wise, he’s not going to push GPA needle much higher in one, possibly two semesters. Trying to do so could turn out to be a needless source of stress..
Don't let others scare you. You're not too late. (gee guys, way to scare someone unnecessarily!)
What is your home state?
How much can you contribute each year towards college?
What is his likely major or career interests?
What is his GPA
Is he signed up for the SAT or ACT? If not, do so ASAP. Have him practice with some practice ACT and SAT books.
Did he take the PSAT? If so, how'd he do?
But our family opted to do a trip with 2 parents and junior hs son (w/o older sis) for spring break junior year. We made it a combo trip of pleasure (3 days in San Diego) and 3 days of college touring near LA (Cal Tech, Pomona, Harvey Mudd). It was really great because we had a lot of time to talk about college, away from the pressures of schoolwork. Yes, it did cost more money to have both parents. But we do most vacations visiting extended family, and this as a nice change of pace for us.