I promise you Tufts is not some outlier in the rigor department. Your son may not have been adequately challenged in this, his first semester at college, but there is plenty of rigor to be found at Tufts. He can move up levels, including into graduate school courses.
I don’t disagree that he may not have been challenged, but I wouldn’t say that it reflects on the school.
You are very kind. I have a learning disability and did not graduate college! So, I’m very much a fish out of water here. I’m just advocating for our kids, and I’ve got great ones. Your response really means a lot. My spouse does have a more traditional resume as do our parents, so no first generation college opportunities for our kiddos.
One can expect only so much from a HS college counselor so I’ve had to learn so much to support kids with very different ways of learning and different ideas about what makes for a fulfilling college experience. I have learned so much from you all. I am so grateful. Thank you!
I agree. There may not have been great messaging from a professor in that respect. There are a lot of big brains and deep thinkers on that campus. I’m actually hoping things change and he stays Thank you
This is all great advice. I do think things may organically fall into place. What I may not have been clear about is to what degree this kid has put himself “out there” I have talked to others who have asked about different opportunities and he has checked every single box, including doing things, and accomplishing things most people would think a freshman wouldn’t be able to do. We found a significant accolade that he just forgot to tell us about. I don’t want to give too much detail out of respect for his privacy. But folks sometimes marvel at all he has done.
I can’t help but think that he will reap the benefits of all he has done. On the other hand, when a kid who has done so much is also miserable - which is very unlike him, I can’t just be okay not supporting him in making a change if he feels that’s what he needs.
I really believe things could take a turn and I hope they do. Thank you for your perspective. I truly appreciate it. I do fear him making a change and regretting it!
Does he have an academic advisor who he can meet with regarding appropriate placement in his courses? Can he test out of some of his requirements?
Would a school with a more open curriculum be a good fit for him, where he can take any course that he meets the pre-requisites for at any level? Brown is famous for this, but there are others. Also note that I sent you another DM last night with some info about Brown, in case you haven’t seen it.
Thank you so much. he hasn’t mentioned Columbia, but UChicago is on the list. I appreciate the tip about transfer credits! Thank you!
Not sure on the Brown transfer policies but it also came to mind given OPs social justice interest.
He might be able to sit in on some upper level classes this semester for a class or two just to see what they are like. Not small classes but large ones where no one will notice that he isn’t enrolled in that course.
The “joke” at Tufts is that they are all students who were rejected from Brown or Harvard. I’m not sure if there is much if any truth to that. But Brown describes itself much as Tufts does, with a collaborative environment. He has also considered Harvard, which would be a big reach because he loves Boston so much.
Thank you for this suggestion
Any time I see a name over and over, I think there is a reason for that. Thank you for adding this! I think taking a look at Brown may make sense. Thank you!
Purely curious. USC is about a mile-and-a-half south of downtown LA. How can it be described as geographically isolated?
Thank you! This is very comforting. He actually didn’t go in with law in mind. It kind of evolved because of his interest in social justice. I appreciate this feedback immensely. The next consideration is what are law schools looking for. So, this is very helpful.
Also, he’s a great writer and a deep thinker. But I mentioned in a previous past that his standardized tests were not bad, but inconsistent with the rest of his profile. One area for improvement is working on his test taking skills. I’m thinking that would be especially important for law school admission and ultimately the BAR exam
I know he was able to do that with a writing class. He is getting a full year of credit for a semester of class. This is a great suggestion. I will ask him about that. Thank you!
That is an excellent suggestion. He did that in HS, due to the help of an amazing teacher, and that helped him tremendously. He was grateful to know what opportunities were available in the future. Thank you for this great idea!
Some schools will also let a summer class at community college count for a requirement. Not sure if this is something he would like or if Tufts will allow it but if so it might help him get to the advanced courses sooner.
This is helpful. My guy also is not a partier. But he is very social, if that makes sense. He is not keen on southern schools but I think he perhaps should reconsider. He may be holding on to a stereotype that does not exist Thank you!
Schools like Harvard, MIT, Caltech can fill their class 3 times over with just as qualified students who did not get in. It can almost be a coin toss. It’s awful that people put down kids who get rejected there. Even if your son applied he may have not gotten in without an almost perfect score. I would really give Tufts a chance. Be slow to pre-judge others. I’m sure Tufts is filled with kids with 4.5+ gpas, 1520+ scores etc. I know some myself. Also, don’t pre-judge based on freshman classes. There are plenty of harder classes one can take ie CS, linear algebra etc. Never underestimate students or what you can do at a school.
Re the social aspects, with so many students, there will be a way to align with some. I would not encourage transfer and just let him drive the efforts. If you want to work and be successful in the legal profession you have to be comfortable trying to engage and work with others. See it as a challenge rather than assuming the school is too easy or people too not like yourself. If the goal is law school, I agree he can spend his extra time getting good at standardized test taking. I would sign up for toastmasters or public speaking classes. He can learn to draw others out.
If he does want to apply, Brown is an easy train ride from Boston. He could take some free time to check out the campus for a day / half day while classes are in session to try to get a sense of the vibe.
Thak you so much for sharing. I was not familiar. He may be, but I will share with him. It sounds like an exciting opportunity.
I agree! So many amazing students are not accepted to schools where it seems they would fit in well.
I am absolutely not encouraging a transfer. But I am supporting him if that is his decision. I think he’s in a good place and perhaps he will find the connections he’s looking for. I hope so. But I support him in making a change if he thinks that is what would be best. Thanks for the insight and support