<p>Classof2015 - Please don’t think like that - don’t blame yourself or feel guilty. Hard not to do, I know. Each of our children is unique and special. Don’t compare them. The child that is less academically-oriented surely has other wonderful qualities and attributes. Focus on his strengths and keep in mind that many boys need additional time to mature and come into their own. He’ll be fine - you’ll be fine - and we are here for you.</p>
<p>Classof2015, I agree with RVM. I have twins - D had the high stats (3.96 UW/4.36W, 33 ACT (34 superscored), and I’ve told you S’s stats. They were looking at completely different schools. Both did well in the application process, she’s going to Wellesley. We’ll be able to visit both in the Boston area. They just have different strengths, and in some ways his application told a better story.</p>
<p>Classof2015, would your son look at University of Denver? Very strong support services, large Jewish population, and easy to travel to and from. Very good academics, but low stress environment.</p>
<p>I think the LDs are likely hard-wired – neither you nor your husband should be blaming yourselves or each other. (There probably are some negative environmental effects like letting the kid eat lead paint which I’m sure you didn’t.) You probably provided the same good educationally focused environment for both.</p>
<p>ShawSon, with the severe LDs and the super-high scores, came first. We did everything we could, I’d say, and he still had severe LDs. ShawD had the same environment but showed less interest. </p>
<p>He flourished in a small LAC and she is flourishing in a small LAC after transferring from a big and harder university. She’s working hard and loving what she’s doing.</p>
<p>Our experience suggests that a small LAC is likely to help – if they have the right attitude about helping students succeed and thrive. But I’m sure there have been positive experiences at big schools as well.</p>
<p>Thanks rockvillemom, pkdof13, boysx3, shawbridge for the support. I try to be positive, but yesterday was a bad day. I agree – it doesn’t make sense to blame myself or be blamed but instead to focus on what’s great about S (and there’s a lot – he’s great with people, kind, easygoing – that’s hard wired too).</p>
<p>shawbridge – the kids grew up on lead paint chips! I use Paula Deen’s recipe. :)</p>
<p>boysx3 – I will check out U of Denver. My only concern with having him so far away is that he could get into trouble (too much partying), but when I think about it, the distance doesn’t cause the partying, so that’s not a valid concern – he could go to community college and party too much. He also likes CU Boulder. </p>
<p>One thing I might start to explore is having him play baseball at some target DIII schools. He’s been on Varsity all 4 years, will be captain this year, and that might help him get in at some schools where his scores and stats are a reach.</p>
<p>Thanks again everyone. It really means a lot to me. I hope I can give as much support as I am getting.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Priceless Classof2015!
You’ve gotten great advice here. Don’t panic and stop blaming yourself. Also, I have heard some great DIII stories lately of kids getting into some wonderful schools boosted by their athletic talent.</p>
<p>Hi Classof2015. I agree that you need to stop beating yourself up. You didn’t cause your son’s LD. A lot of us have found that our second kids are less driven academically than their older siblings. </p>
<p>You’ve gotten a lot of good advice here. I don’t think you need to go test optional when he applies. The 23 ACT is decent in comparison with his grades. The DIII baseball idea is interesting if you think he could handle the time demands. The discipline and comraderie of the team might help him get off to a good start.</p>
<p>My nephew attends McDaniel and likes it. They pay extra for academic support services, and it’s helped a lot. It’s nice small school with a pretty campus, but the location is pretty rural. I think an out-of-state student would want a car on campus. It’s pretty quiet during the weekends.</p>
<p>Class of 2015 – “Our Naviance shows some schools, but doesn’t have data for all of them.”
(Though it’s been explained on this thread before, if it helps, it bears repeating.)
Your hs’s naviance scattergrams only graph your specific hs’s past students’ gpa/SAT/ACT & app results for a given college. It is a historical reference specific to your child’s hs. If no student from your child’s hs ever applied to a given college, no scattergram is provided.
Your hs’s naviance scattergrams do not graph the statistics/results of applicants from other high schools for that same college.
To view the stats/results from other hs scattergrams, you can pull up the website of another specific hs & log in as a guest on their Naviance. This way, you can get some idea of the range of gpa/scores that a college is likely to accept.
To view a broader range, you can also check out sites such as ■■■■■■■■■■.
But remember, scattergrams do not indicate students’ or colleges’ acceptance values/variables such as EC’s, leadership, hooks, athlete, legacy, LOR, essay quality, diversity & geographic quotas, etc.</p>
<p>More good advice and support – thank you.</p>
<p>LuvMomn8ur – I didn’t realize I could access other schools’ Naviance info as a guest, and I didn’t realize cappex was another scattergram tool. </p>
<p>I should have clarified – I got two different error messages for one school (Furman) where our HS had 6 apps: under the ACT version of the scattergram “there is not enough info to plot this graph” then under the SAT version it says “display of this graph has been restricted to protect student privacy”. So I guess the first message means that even with 6 apps, they didn’t have enough info, and maybe the second message means…the kids who submitted SAT scores didn’t agree to be put on a scattergram? Doesn’t really matter.</p>
<p>I’ll definitely check out the “guest” feature on Naviance and also cappex.</p>
<p>momjr – thanks for the kind words – I’m hearing McDaniel from a few people here. Definitely going to be considered. And every kid is different. It’s not a race. In many ways, S is more well rounded than his sister, but she is a wonderful kid in her own way too. I just really want to make sure he lands at a place where he’ll be challenged but not stressed, academcally. </p>
<p>Vitrac – I’ll PM you the recipe! You need benzene to really bring out the flavor :)</p>
<p>Classof2015…funny, I was going to reply that it must be the xbox because mine got one earlier too, but then I saw all of these nice, supportive posts that people wrote to you :). My S1 also has LDs, but just faces life differently. I also look at them and try to figure out where I acted differently w/ the second one and how that made a difference.</p>
<p>Since they are both in pretty competitive environments, I try to tell myself that he will be well prepared wherever he ends up. Even though a smaller environment would be better for him, if he doesn’t want it, at least he’s learned what he needs to do to succeed. I truly believe that his high school experience will have prepared him, it will just be up to him to take advantage of that experience.</p>
<p>We looked at McDaniel last Aug and liked the campus. There was no one around when we were there to talk to us, so we just walked around. It is pretty isolated and I don’t like that I keep reading that a lot of kids leave on the weekends. I was going to have my S2 apply there anyway, and also Alfred University in NY which I’ve learned has a lot of academic support as well. He’s just not interested, though, so I don’t think it makes sense to go that route. From what I’ve read online (and saw when we visited), the 3 schools that my S2 likes all have a lot of support as well, it’s just in a larger environment, and will be up to my S2 to take advantage of. sigh</p>
<p>^I personally believe the only reason S did well in History was because of countless hours playing Assassins Creed :)</p>
<p>S is also just about fed up with any more college talk or tours. I am gleaning info about schools and their levels of support from this thread and from other moms of LD boys from our HS. Elon is a popular choice; so is Gettysburg and St Michael’s. Expatcanuck made a lot of good points about ferreting out a school’s support level too.</p>
<p>One of my disappointments was that neither son wanted to discuss colleges, look at brochures or websites, or do college visits! From my conversations with friends, this is pretty typical particularly with boys. My husband and sons would literally ban me from discussing college stuff at dinner, even if I thought I had an interesting tidbit to share. Luckily for me, CC has been an available outlet! So, don’t worry if your son is fed up with college talk/tours. He’s normal!</p>
<p>What are we doing on page 3?</p>
<p>Since I can’t share with any one in my IRL family, I’m sharing with my cyber friends…</p>
<p>S2 headed from DC up to New York this weekend. On Monday thru Wednesday, he is meeting with the national heads of the organization he works for in DC. But over the weekend–he is staying with his girlfriend at the home of her grandparents. I was under the impression he was spending the weekend in New York with “friends” until he called to ask me what he should bring. The family is modern Orthodox. He was thinking chocolates but worried about the hechsher, although I think Godiva is kosher–but he worried they would melt. He can’t bring wine in his carry on. Not sure he will have a chance to get flowers. I told him he should send a gift afterwards, along with a lovely thank you note if he can’t figure out what might work.</p>
<p>it’s the fact that he is actually worried about it that is a possible clue to me. They have been dating since last August.</p>
<p>I need some help gazing in to the crystal ball.</p>
<p>Sounds like something promising! Hope his weekend visit goes well.</p>
<p>It’s hard to know with anyone.
I would say you’ve raised a considerate and polite son to be concerned with giving his hosts a nice gift that they would enjoy.
Hoping this will be a sign of good news!</p>
<p>Boysx3,
He should not bring food…my modern orthodox relatives ask me not to bring food. Flowers are a better choice, as you mentioned.</p>
<p>I’m also wondering how my tech-obsessed son survived an entire Shabbat without his ipod.</p>
<p>And I am hoping for a call with any details of the weekend after he checks in to his hotel this evening.</p>
<p>And knowing my close-to-the-vest son, I won’t be hearing any details more descriptive than “weekend was fine.”</p>
<p>Curiosity is killing me!</p>
<p>boysx3 -I hope you gave yourself a pat on the back, for the fact that S2 thought about bringing a gift. It’s times like those you realize that they actually do listen to us!
Hope the relationship works out…sounds promising!</p>
<p>Hope all of the about to be launched Freshman are enjoying all of their shopping time.</p>
<p>I know a bunch of us have rising seniors We are just in a holding pattern now. I know D2 took a stab at an essay at the end of junior year. When she gets home from camp need to finalize the list, take the ACT one more time and really focus on those essays! September will be very stressful to say the least!</p>
<p>Count me in with the rising senior, also feeling the holding pattern. He’ll take the ACT again in Sept. </p>
<p>The other day, I printed the common app essay topics and put them on the kitchen table. I’m hoping if he at least looks at them, he might start thinking about what topic he wants to choose.</p>
<p>If anyone has a moment, my son wrote a haiku for a NASA contest and the winning poem gets sent to Mars. You can see the poem, and vote for it if you like, at [Going</a> to Mars » Entry](<a href=“Going to Mars campaign - MAVEN”>Going to Mars campaign - MAVEN)
Thanks!</p>