Average Students: Boston Globe article

Parents Forum
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<p>EDUCATION '05
Stuck in the Middle
Some students are bound for Harvard. Others have special needs. But with so much attention focused on the ends of the learning spectrum, average students are often ignored and that has some educators worried.
By Daniel McGinn | August 28, 2005</p>

<p>Excerpt:</p>

<p>"On a scorching Monday in June, Meliza Prieto finished her Spanish and physics exams - the last hurdles of her junior year at Randolph High School. But while friends prepared for summer jobs, Meliza was going right back to the classroom. The next morning, the 17-year-old and her father would drive 40 miles north to Phillips Academy in Andover, where, for the next five weeks, she planned to study English and law at the prestigious boarding school, perhaps best known for educating the president of the United States.</p>

<p>"Meliza will have something besides Andover in common with President Bush, a famously mediocre student. Meliza’s high school transcript contains mostly B’s, sandwiched between occasional A’s and C’s and accompanied by two D’s and one F. Though her teachers praise her work habits, her manners, and her leadership abilities, they’re more measured when discussing her academic abilities. In person, she’s articulate and engaging. But on paper, Meliza Prieto is an average student at an average school - she’s slightly above the middle of her class at Randolph High, where students’ scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam place it among the most average high schools in the state.</p>

<p>"Even Meliza agrees that her transcript is unimpressive. But she attributes that to the disappointing grades she earned as a freshman and sophomore. “If you were to judge me now, I’m above average,” she says. Indeed, her grades improved as a junior. Now, as she approaches her final year of high school and looks ahead to college, what will happen to Meliza? If she were a marathon runner, she’d be stuck in the middle of the pack heading up Heartbreak Hill. But she’s gaining strength, she believes, and expects to finish strong.</p>

<p>“While Meliza’s story is uniquely her own, the issues she faces are similar to those confronted by middle-of-the-road students at any high school. She’s had trouble finding the level of course work that matches her abilities. She’s had to challenge herself to get noticed by counselors. And, until recently, she seemed headed toward a college that might prove beneath her potential.”</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/08/28/stuck_in_the_middle/[/url]”>http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/08/28/stuck_in_the_middle/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>well i feel sorry for her. I know this isn’t the point but i seriously doubt that she will get into boston university and i don’t think 1580 out of 2400 is solid enough for BU. </p>

<p>well sorry for the random comment but i do feel that being in the middle sucks because u r invisible. On the low side u r noticed for special education and on the high side u r noticed for ur excellance but on the middle side really no hope. But is there anything u can do for them? Like the budget is really limited and can focus on the two ends only. Systematically what can u do?</p>

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<p>There are plenty of schools where middle-of-the-pack student can get a great education. Is the point of the article that hs teachers and counselors short-change these kids in the college search process?</p>

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<p>reidm is right. Outside of the world of college admissions frenzy, and outside of my beloved cc, there is a place where academic success is not the most important measure. Kids such as the girl featured in the article can achieve great success, and they can get a good college education as part of their preparation. My grandS, with very average grades and BELOW average SATs, nevertheless was admitted to a very good quality state U. Not a public Ivy, mind you, but a place where he will grow in all the ways college offers, including but not limited to academics. When a kid is described as personable and a leader, respected by her teachers and her peers, those traits need not be buried by average academic achievement. Let’s not sell these kids short. Our academic stars are wonderful, but there are other stars in the sky.</p>

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<p>It seems to me that somehow the article has made it a crime to be “average”. Meliza, the daughter of college-educated parents, who after extensive coaching scores average or slightly above average on her SATs… needs to spend $5K for a summer program at Andover, so she can try to get into Boston U. rather than (horrors) “a University of Massachusetts school” or “a less competitive private school”. Despite her middling grades and test scores, those colleges are declared to be “beneath her potential” – and a counselor opines of her students, “they shouldn’t be able to see themselves as average.”</p>

<p>Well if they aren’t “average”, who is? And again, what exactly is wrong with “average”? Last time I checked, the bell curve meant that the majority of kids are “average”? Must they all aspire to get into better colleges than the 90%+ colleges in this country that will admit them with open arms? I mean - I don’t have a problem with the idea of working hard to improve oneself - ambition is great – but I do have a very big problem with the concept that an average college is “beneath” the potential of an average student. </p>

<p>This is just elitism gone mad. </p>

<p>I’m sorry. If this article had been written from the standpoint of the need to provide better services and counseling to the kids in the middle – to help them explore and find the excellent opportunities available among the hundreds of no-name colleges that admit more than 90% of their applicants – or to provide the kind of support and counseling that would help kids learn to maximize their opportunities wherever they study, or to help enhance study skills – I’d be standing up and applauding.</p>

<p>But I think that kids like this would benefit much more from counseling more geared to reality, including dispelling the myth that she needs to go to a big-name college in order to achieve success in life.</p>

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<p>calmom, I agree with you. If she goes to a less competitive college than the average cc student, that does not mean that her life is over. A good reminder of where you can go from a less competitive school is well stated in “CTCL”.</p>

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<p>I had the same thoughts as Calmom did when I read the article yesterday. I also agree with Calmom.</p>

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<p>

Something almost parodical about this article! :)</p>

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<p>No one has yet mentioned the fact that she’s hispanic. I hate to sound cynical but an URM in “the middle of the pack” will have some advantages in terms of admissions chances that a white or Asian student “in the middle of the pack” won’t. </p>

<p>Still, I agree wholeheartedly with Calmom. I’m amazed that her counselor would encourage her to apply to Brown. While she might be ambitious, going to a school that’s way beyond her educational preparation and ability may not be doing her a favor. If I were advising her (which I’m obviously not), I’d encourage her to look at some solid LACs in the 50-100 range of the US News & World Rankings where she’d get the type of personal support and encouragement she obviously needs and thrives on. That’s her ticket to law school, not simply a “prestigous” college where she might not be able to break out of the middle, or even find herself in the bottom of the pack.</p>

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<p>well yeah i think she’ll have a tough time in BU actually and seriously think that these students should not go to selective schools mainly because they will be overloaded with more stress. Sure it feels good that u r going to a good school but u might not even graduate. I think she might not even graduate in a selective school. The GC seems to boast her confidence however people sometimes need to be reminded of their reality and limit. Too much dreaming will bring upon a grave disappointment. She will definitely be disappointed by the results. </p>

<p>Also about the hispanic thing. She is pretty priviledged compared to other poor hispanics. So would that really help? Like there are poor hispanics with a MUCH higher GPA and SAT than her with unique qualities. I seriously doubt that she will be accepted. I’m even surprised that Andover accepted her for their summer program. I am not aware of its selectivity but i assume it’s tough.</p>

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<p>calmom, I absolutely agree with you. Hear! Hear!</p>

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<p>Then again, she has 2 parents in an intact marriage who are highly educated with good jobs. From anecdotal evidence at our local hs, these URMs may not get as much of a boost as those in a single parent, lower income family.</p>

<p>Educationally, the middle gets the shaft at our local hs. For example, there are honors English classes for those who are willing to work and have the intellectual capacity. The other English classes are so easy as to be laughable. There is no middle level class that offers at least some challenge. </p>

<p>Same with the math classes–the honors math classes really rip through the material. Because of the differing math abilities of people, the other math classes plod through the material and don’t cover as much. The son of a friend of mine was stuck in such a class. He got As, but felt the class went way too slow. But then the honors math class goes too fast for him.</p>

<p>And I absolutely agree with Carolyn that this student would be well served going to a mid-level LAC and getting more support and better grades. GPA and LSAT scores are much more important in law school admissions than going to a “top tier” undergrad (and being in the bottom 50%).</p>

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<p>

The same concept applies to getting a job after graduation from law school, or so my Philadelphia lawyer friends tell me. The bottom 50% of law school is still the bottom, even if it’s Ivy bottom.</p>

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<p>driver, believe me for law the key is to pass the bar exam. If you are after working at a prestigous law firm, if you do not make partner in 7 years things are not that great. You can start in a small firm from the bottom of the pack and do well.</p>

<p>Carolyn, I agree with you. Your advice is the same advice that I have been giving to my son. He is focused on a reach school and I told him that if he fails or does poorly, he would have been much better served at a less competitive college. Shooting too high, in my opinion, is a big mistake. I have seen kids rise to the occasion. I have also seen kids take a huge fall, and when that happens, they do not necessarily get back on track, and I have seen them take years to get back on track…for me this is a frightening thought.</p>

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<p>Northeastmom, that’s the tact I’ve taken with my daughter. She’s not middle of the pack at her competitive private school, but there’s a definite glass ceiling of “top students” above her that she can’t quite crack. She’s sometimes frustrated at not being able to break into the top, no matter how hard she works (and she works very, very hard). We’ve been able to identify plenty of great schools where she would definitely be challenged, yet have a chance of being top of the pack once in a while. There’s something to be said for that both in terms of confidence and being able to access the special opportunities that seem to always go to the top of the pack. </p>

<p>Of course, it’s a fine line to walk - there are some kids that need to be thrown into the pool sink-or-swim style while others need to walk in slowly and get used to the water before they really start swimming. And, not all schools are equally supportive or challenging. But unless you consider a wide range of options, you’ll never know what terrific opportunities you might have missed for your kids.</p>

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<p>I thought that a lot of the article sounded like complainig- her freshman honors english class the teacher was talking about a string of missed assignments. that’s not being too challenged in a class- that’s not doing her work. Her not wanting to work in that class hurts the experience for those students who want to do the work, or those who are just naturally more gifted. I do agree that there needs to be a better middle level- but I don’t think that the situation is as terrible as it is made out to be.</p>

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<p>I don’t get the point of the article. So, she’s an average kid? What’s the big deal. There are plenty of colleges in the US that she can go to. That definitely would not be the case if she were an average student in many other countries where only the very top students get to go to college.</p>

<p>She’s clearly not BU material. She is a very advantage student: school teacher parents with graduate degrees who are willing to spend $6,000 to send her to a summer program at a top prep. With all of this support, she’s scoring basically in the average range on her SATs.</p>

<p>Instead of trying to push her to go to a school far beyond her capabilities, I wish that her parents were appreciating her for the nice, hard working young woman whom she appears to be. With her personality and work ethic, but of which appear impressive, she could go to an average college and excel, and then go to a job where she also could excel.</p>

<p>There is no indication that she’s Brown or BU material, but this doesn’t make her a failure. She has a lot to offer – and there’s no reason for her parents to try to make her into something that she’s not. Instead of trying to force her to be an intellectual, they should appreciate what she is, and encourage her to run with her talents and interests.</p>

<p>Frankly, I feel sorry for her. Seems like she’s a good kid who’s being given the impression by her parents that who she is just isn’t good enough: that she’ll be a failure unless she makes it to Brown or BU. Sad.</p>

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<p>Not everyone forgets about the average kid. David Letterman has established a $10,000 scholarship for the C student who shows signs of special creativity.</p>

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<p>I also tend to agree as well that there is a little too much emphasis placed on elite and near elite colleges. There are many opportunities for a great education. I graduated from high school with a 1.9 GPA out of 4 (it was “unweighted,” however), but in the top 50% of my class, to give an idea of the achievement of my fellow students. I attended a community college, a third tier state university and a bottom tier graduate school (MA) before going to one of those highly competitive very elite universities for a Ph.D. To my, then, surprise, I found none of my classmates from the Ivy’s and similar schools to be any better educated, or more capable than I. I had read the same philosophy books, studied the same science texts, and wrote just as many papers (often more) than they had. I found I worried less, didn’t study quite as hard, and for the most part got as good or better grades than they did. I found they did not really know how to study, relying on intellectual brawn over effective reasoning. </p>

<p>From what I could tell, none had the great freshman year experience I had received from my local community college. I still remember each professor and what made them so special. For example, our world history course was just like out of the movie “The Paper Chase,” with the instructor calling on students at random for their analysis, and letting them know when it was not up to his standards. It was very demanding and exhilarating at the same time. In case one is perhaps thinking, “he’s a special case,” I have kept contact with many of my state university friends. Many are very successful, from the arts, to business, to journalism, to the state department, to scholarship, to teaching, etc. Three went on to major private research universities and are considered leaders in their fields. The average (or in my case a little below average) student can do quite well, and be served very well by the “lessor regarded colleges and universities.”</p>

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<p>This student appears to be able to rise to the occasion after having had a not so stellar first two years of high school. More power to her - if she has the incentive, motivation, dilligence, and discipline to want to succeed and better herself, then nothing should stop her. If she thinks that she belongs in a certain type of college environment, then she should go for it. Maybe she identifies herself with students who are being more academically challenged - more intellectual. There are students who could be categorized as “late bloomers”, who just got a late start on reaching their academic potential, and there are also students who are poor standardized test takers, etc., for whatever reason, but maybe they’re better at writing papers. Also, some students may tend to “hang around” with the wrong crowd - with other students who might have a negative influence in terms of study habits, etc. Every student is unique and has the potential to succeed - it’s just a matter of using the resources that are available, and this student seems to be doing what she can to reach her educational goals, and she should be commended for that.</p>