<p>I got what you meant. I didn’t even think about that before you mentioned it. I know that my son’s high school grades will be there to be looked at, but it hadn’t really crossed my mind to consider different requirements from colleges to earn the degree. That could be important.</p>
<p>A few of us have been trying to tell you that evaluating him might help the situation. This is not playing the system, but can level the field for him so that weakness (sometimes a “disability”) in one area in the context of many strengths, does not impact his applications and also so that he does not have to take language in college.</p>
<p>The other suggestion would be to go on the music site for help, if you haven’t already. He can apply to audition schools, yes, but for many colleges (as opposed to conservatories) he can do a BA in music and send a supplement in with his application, with a recording, resume, and separate letters of recommendation related to music.</p>
<p>Young musicians who are talented can get into some really good schools regardless of less than stellar grades and trouble with one subject should be explained by someone. Music classes and grades in high school should definitely be counted.</p>
<p>Were you saying your school does not include music in a GPA?</p>
<p>Check out this essay on ways to study music: <a href=“http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/doubledegree.html”>http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/doubledegree.html</a></p>
<p>My daughter (very weak in math and science) got into a top school based on music. She majored in music and never touched an instrument. Like I said, many ways to go.</p>
<p>The maiin message is that doing poorly in one subject should not impact his future in the ways you are imagining. Take him to a neuropsych. or at the very least have the guidance counselor highlight the fact that that is the only area of weakness- and include music supplement (mail it) with the common app regardless of what he actually wants to study.</p>
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I’m sorry I didn’t make this clear. He has been comprehensively evaluated. No learning disability. He had a vision impairment that caused problems when he was younger, but no learning disability.</p>
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Many colleges use the five core courses, which is where the problem lies for the GPA. It doesn’t reflect a problem everywhere, but it does reflect enough of a potential problem that we have to have plans.</p>
<p>
This is great! My son is (pardon the bragging) spectacularly taught (ignorant parents fell into incredible good fortune on that end) and has very impressive musical ECs. I think he would audition well, as he just has absolutely no fear and his choices would be interesting. However, he will audition at a few schools, but I don’t believe that he will major in music (other than double majoring) and I am almost sure he will not make it his career. Which is another little complication. All his ECs are music related save one. I think he is going to present himself as ready and eager to participate in ensembles, but not planning to make a music career.</p>
<p>Everybody is weaker in some area. My D’s “soft” spot is History, she spent most of her time in HS working on History, she got to the point that she did not need to take it at college. That was the major effort and the major relief that had a potential to ruin her college GPA if was not taken care during HS with the great input / help from her father.<br>
One surprise here is that someone with definitely music talent has difficulty with the foreign language, I guess this happens. D. does not have a special talent in music, but she ended up graduating with Music minor from college, since college classes were easy and a great R&R for her away from challenging major. She always had very easy time with foreign languages, has 3 of them (at various degree of profficiency) and placed to the 3rd year of college Spanish, which happened to be one of the best college class, the one that she used a lot during her Med. School. Her childhood piano teacher mentioned that her language ability are connected to her music education outside of school (since age 6). As I said, she is not that particulary talented in music, she does not have aperfect pitch or anything like that and she never practiced a lot either. Her “big” time consuming EC was her sport.</p>
<p>“A few of us have been trying to tell you that evaluating him might help the situation.”</p>
<p>Jeesch, not everyone who is lousy in certain subjects has a learning disability. I get a bit put off when people are always suggesting one gets their kid tested when they suck at an academic subject. Some people just are bad at certain things. </p>
<p>I would give guidance a call and ask for access to the Naviance info that the school has. Better yet, make an appt with the GC and find out what sort of schools those with your son’s grades have gained admissions. </p>
<p>My one son had a 3.0 unweighted average. Not one single A or C in his highschool years when he applied to college. But with super high SAT scores, and that he was taking difficult courses at a rigrorous school, he still got into some selective schools including Cornell which was a shocker. My other son had a 3.4 gpa with an upward trend from a bad freshman year that had a C and a D in the year end grades, and he also did well in his college acceptances, with low test scores. So the rigor of the school and subjects can make a difference. Also some of these schools do have some connections with some colleges that will give them some leeway. </p>
<p>Most of the SUNYs, many of the Catholic schools will certainly be fine for your son in terms of acceptance.</p>
<p>The one thing that I feel is important is that the safety school should be geared to his weakest point, so when picking some schools that will certainly take him, keep that in mind. But as for the possibilities, he’s got a lot of them.</p>
<p><<<this year="" his="" test="" and="" quiz="" grades="" are="" all="" bs="" with="" more="" than="" a="" few="" as,="" but="" he="" can="" not="" speak="" the="" language="" at="" fails="" every="" oral="" badly.="" read,="" write="" as="" well="" other="" kids,="" speaking="" just="" isn’t="" there.="">>></this></p>
<p>I would have him take the SAT2 in the language with two objectives: one, that it will show his actual achievement over time and two, that he may be able to place out of a college language requirement. </p>
<p>OP: Even if the freshman year C was a 70 (lowest possible C in most cases) and one of the As was a 90 (lowest possible A grade), that averages to an 80 which is a B (or B-). With the other grades being As and Bs, I think you will be surprised with a GPA over 3.0 or over an 80 which is the same thing.</p>
<p>Again, there are loads of schools that will gladly accept him and don’t care that much about a foreign language grade. Of course, that won’t be true if he wants to be an International Relations major. </p>
<p>Compmom: wouldn’t a language deficit or dyslexia show up in english grades as well? It sounds more like this kid was put in a course where all the other kids had experience and he did not. Since he is doing well now, seems unlikely it is an LD. </p>
<p>IR is a good example of a major many don’t realize can need some affinity for languages. </p>
<p>Many on CC say to look at CDS, but it’s not the be-all. Adcoms will look at the transcript and see where he got A’s where he got B’s and, “Oh, FL isn’t a strength.” The door does not shut, at that point. They turn back to see how the strengths match the possible major or support a pattern. For accounting, “Solid in math? Check.” For finance, add, “Seems to have the reasoning skills? Check.” </p>
<p>If he has great ECs in music, that adds to the picture that he can make and commit to choices, get out of his chair, so to say, and grow his involvement. </p>
<p>My kids didn’t match CDS for the college they attended, a highly competitive. But they did have the rest of the “it.” I suspect your son has plenty of “it.” You just need to find those colleges.</p>
<p>At this point, from your description of his hard work in FL, I’m wondering if the FL teacher could have many positives to say in an LoR, (maybe an extra LoR.) It might show persistence, determination.</p>
<p>Considering your son’s affinity for music, you may want to give Oberlin a look…even if he’s not considering the conservatory or the double-degree program. I also checked and as was the case when I attended, there’s no foreign language requirement for graduation so if he doesn’t want to take foreign language courses if he’s there, that’s fine. </p>
<p><a href=“http://new.oberlin.edu/dotAsset/65aad288-8a19-4311-b4d4-e8e1e397e255.pdf”>http://new.oberlin.edu/dotAsset/65aad288-8a19-4311-b4d4-e8e1e397e255.pdf</a></p>
<p>Ironically, despite the lack of a foreign language mandate for graduation requirements, most Oberlin students from my observation took at least a year or two out of personal inclination. </p>
<p>It also often ends up being one of the more enjoyable courses for most despite the heavy workload(5 credit course for first two years when regular academic courses are 3 credits). </p>
<p>I would see what his GPA is at the time he is applying and what his SAT/ACT scores are. If his other grades are high enough, the language one may not be an impediment at a school that uses holistic admissions. Find schools that he fits well in and then apply. If he’s not thinking of YHPS, then he should be okay some other places. But, he will have to get his grades up in the other subjects. This only really works if there is a deficit in one area and other areas are strong.</p>
<p>What if he wants to major in something that has nothing to do with languages? If the college required a language, then a C would be fine to get the credit. Just being pragmatic here. The “C’s get degrees” statement kind of fits here.</p>
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<p>Depending on the college, taking foreign language as a summer course and focusing on it is another option I’ve seen many college classmates and other undergrads use. </p>
<p>Of course, this also assumes the summer course concerned covers material adequately enough so if the home institution mandates a placement exam for foreign language courses taken elsewhere, he can do well enough on it to pass it.</p>
<p>As others have noted I think your son has to research carefully each college’s language requirements, both what it takes to get in and what it takes to get out.</p>
<p>Language requirements for admissions are generally more recommendations that requirements. If your son has at least two years of the same language he should be okay for most colleges in the mid-range of selectivity. I don’t think a C here or there in any subject is a deal breaker. Perhaps his counselor could address his difficulty in his/her letter of recommendation.</p>
<p>The bigger problem, to me, is making sure that he chooses colleges that don’t have language competency requirements for graduation. If his skills are weak, he may do poorly in placement tests and therefore be looking at one or two years of college level language. </p>
<p>For my son who also struggled with foreign languages, high school language was painful, but college language would have been agony. (I had the same problem but got around it by taking Latin. I don’t think that’s a common option these days.)</p>
<p>The good news is that there are quite a few colleges – even some of the most selective – that either have no distribution requirements at all or do not require foreign language competence for graduation.</p>
<p>Why did he continue to take foreign language?</p>
<p>The arithmetic fails me here. If this student is taking four courses per term, and only one is foreign language with a C…and all of,the others are A’s and B’s (and from the OP it sounds like mostly A’s), how can this student have a below 3.0 gpa?</p>
<p>I’m quite sure there are plenty of colleges where a student who gets a’s in most subjects, B’s in science (or was it math), and the only C grade is in foreign language…will be accepted. </p>
<p>Just want to say that I can’t believe the “prince” is almost old enough to apply to college.</p>
<p>“He came out of a performing arts middle school with no language. He now attends a prep school in another area and he is or is nearly the only kid who started language at zero in 9th grade. The other kids all had at least three years of at least one language and he and they all had the same curriculum and expectations.” </p>
<p>and</p>
<p>“came up to almost 70 that year, which represented the greatest improvement in the freshman class”</p>
<p>I wouldn’t assume he’ll have an awful time with foreign language in college. At the prep school the competition had a head start. He’s had to come up from behind. None of us know which college he will attend, the level of difficulty of language classes there, or what the background of his fellow students will be. I don’t think it’s a great choice to get placed at a more advanced level in foreign language with a different text, faster pace course, and now college professor unless you feel you’ve got a solid footing already. He also might be interested in trying a different language entirely.</p>