<p>By sophomore year most “camps” run cold for the really bright. CC and the Hoagies website are good sources of summer programs for the over-the-top kids. But moving on to a job or college is probably better. Suggest that he walk into 5 local computer repair places and ask for a summer internship. </p>
<p>And me thinks that, as with many very bright kids, social maturity has not kept pace or is even behind. A little tough love is in order. What helped us: 5 early college visits. I put together a profile for DD and for 5 selected colleges to visit, including “lousy grade schools” though MIT including sitting in on a class at each. She quickly figured out that she did not want to go to Podunk U and that her current grade profile was heading that way. She liked the MIT and Olin classes, looked at the admitted student profile and changed her grades. Smart kids will put a plan in place if you make the needed information available. You don’t need to say a thing - just show them.</p>
<p>Average grades will hurt his college prospects; improvement may well come from taking more challenging classes in his area of interest. D’s grades (and attitude) went up when she moved up a level; the poor behaviors of the other students and slow pace in the lower level classes made her despise it all. Now that she is the only white girl firmly ensconced with the Asian boarding students she is happy (if a bit lonely) and gets good grades.</p>
<p>Richard Feyman, the greatest physicist of our day, spent college summers working as a waiter at resort hotels. My “beyond the measurable range” D finds that she need the mental rest of a non-academic summer, and prefers working with adults - she grows, emotionally, during the summers.</p>
<p>Beware of guidance counselors who obsess over humanities/language for science kids. Dump the Spanish and you don’t need AP Spanish or 4 years of a language for CS anyway. Focus on what he loves. GCs nearly always have a humanities background, and have little resonance with the needs (academic or emotional) of smart science and engineering students. Feel free to ignore them or even get a little pushy. D wanted to take double science/double math to catch up with the Asian boarding students, plus take computer programing. GC obsessed over 4 years of a foreign language. Five multi-player meetings later, DD is doing double math/double science, and happy as a clam. Science wonks rarely become GC, so don’t expect guidance counselors have a clue.</p>