Yet another "Should I retake" question

SocalPapa
Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:33:02 +0000

I graduated from a “top ranked” school and, at least in my experience, did not find it a place in which someone with a lack of consistent focus (whether due to a medical condition or otherwise) could thrive.

There is nothing magical about attending one of these schools. You must still apply yourself, seek out the opportunities that are available, and then make the most of those opportunities. While some support exists for those who need it, there is no coddling. The expectation is that each student will hit the ground running.

I also had a close friend in high school with similar math skills to your son and a similar lack of focus in other areas. Despite his grades, he was admitted to MIT, but eventually transferred out because he couldn’t keep up with the pace and breadth MIT demanded.

There are many college programs out there that I’m sure would be thrilled to have a student with your son’s math skills and could work with him to develop his full potential in that area. At that point a graduate program at a top research university might be more suited to his temperament and talent.

Of course, there is no way for me to know from an Internet post what your son is truly capable of either in high school or beyond. My recommendation is simply that you expand your focus beyond rankings and seek out programs that may be more specialized and/or focused on undergraduate education. It may take some time to find the right place for him, but the time could be better spent than worrying about whether a high school kid who might be capable of acing Linear Algebra should try to boost his score on a standardized pre-calculus test.