Does anyone have a high school student NOT in honors or AP courses?

[TimeforMe]

DD is an average student (yes, I actually admit that ) who has never been eligible for honors classes. Her grades are actually very good, but she's taken "middlle" classes throughout her high school career and is presently a junior. Well, last night our high school had a meeting with reps from Vassar (a small private school) and SCSU (a large state school). Both they and the guidance counselors mentioned how important a rigorous course load is. I'm starting to panic and stress a little because dd's classes have all been average. Does she not stand a chance to get into a competitive college? Help!

 

[Christine]

I'll be very interested in reading the responses. I have a very average 8th grader getting ready to go to high school this year. I wonder the same thing.

It seems there is no place in the world for being "average." Although, personally, I find them to be the best employees here at the office!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

My classes in High School were, for the most part, average (there were a few exceptions). I got average grades. I was not doing poorly, but certainly not the valedictorian either.

I still managed to get into Emerson College with no problems. I didn't stay at Emerson though because I didn't like it. I also got accepted to pretty much every college I applied to. I didn't apply to any Ivy League type schools. But good ones, all the same.

 

[WWTBAMFAN]

The college admission process is very competitive now days. A strong course load is very helpful. Many colleges are looking at people who can handle the course work when they get to college and a strong schedule full of AP classes is a good indication of a student's ability to make in college.

Good luck on the applicatoin process.

 

[danacara]

With a GPA over 3.0 in regular classes, Southern Connecticut shouldn't be a problem.

 

[TimeforMe]

I know she'll have no problem getting into a state school I was wondering about schools that may be a little more competitive. She really likes Northeastern in Boston. What about there or schools similar to NEU? Any thoughts?

Edited to add: What year did you attend college Esmeralda? They said that even in just the last few years the competition has increased tremendously.

 

[WeirdEyes]

My son is in the 10th grade and makes A's in the classes he likes and B's & C's in the classes he doesn't like. He is very bright and smart, but just doesn't know how to study and gets frustrated if he doesn't understand something. With that being said, he is an average student. I stress to him all of the time that he needs to make better grades to get into a good college.

 

[TimeforMe]

With that being said, he is an average student. I stress to him all of the time that he needs to make better grades to get into a good college.

That's the scary part--it's no longer just about getting good grades. You now have to get good grades in high level classes.

 

[danacara]

I think Northeastern should be achievable. It'd help if she plays a sport or has an active extracurricular interest. Northeastern's five-year programs are really facinating, that "middler" year to work is an interesting innovation.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I am wondering about this too. I am dealing with ds 17. Not to mention all these regents requirements in NY. Our ds go to a private school and switched from one to another. At his previous school he was not doing work that was on par with the other school, they just accelerate everything at the new school. I asked his new guidance counselor about him taking ap classes and she said, oh no. Hmm, well for his senior year I am having a nice talk with her and making sure he has a class or 2 of ap stuff. He also has to meet the nys regents requirements, plus this schools own requirements, so he is not an average case. My friend in texas is obsessed with her dd act scores. I told her they really push the sat more around here too. I have also signed ds up for a sat prep course at school. They highly recommend it for all juniors. Also they look at the gpa, etc. My ds is in whos who and something else I think. He is not the greatest student, but tries really hard. Also has a few teachers who unfortunately do not like him for some reason. He is also the junior rep to the student council for his class. So I feel he is going in the right direction.Best of luck to your daughter. I would have a nice sit down with guidance if I were you and get a copy of your schools handbook., policies, graduation requirements etc.

 

[WeirdEyes]

That's the scary part--it's no longer just about getting good grades. You now have to get good grades in high level classes.

Well, considering we live in Alabama and did the State's program to save for college, he'll have to go to a state school. My step-son got into a state school with no problem making A's, B's and a few C's in regular high school classes. He did score high on the SAT though. My DS scores high on all achievement tests that he takes so I'm hoping he'll score high on the SAT also.

 

[TimeforMe]

I think Northeastern should be achievable. It'd help if she plays a sport or has an active extracurricular interest. Northeastern's five-year programs are really facinating, that "middler" year to work is an interesting innovation.

Thanks--that's encouraging. She plays the viola and has since the 4th grade so she's quite accomplished in that area. And yes, I thought their co-op program was interesting; especially for her to be able to get some hands-on work-related experience yet still be in college.

dana: I will be picking your brain about scholarships and financial aid soon. (hope you won't mind )

 

[DisDuck]

I am on my 3rd college student. Each of them attended different schools in different states over the last 11 years. I will give a brief history on each.

1) DS - high school grad of 1993 only so-so in school, did a 1040 on sat. applied to 6 schools and got into 4 of them. went to Emerson and would up on Dean's list 1st semester. grad with 3.2+ gpa almost 1 full point higher than high school.

2) DD1 - high school grad of 1999 better than so-so but overall gpa under 3 with 1120 SAT (only academic subjects looked at by colleges). applied to 6 schools only got into 2. went to UCONN, school of nutrition, had 5 semesters on dean's list, grad of 2003 with 3.3+ overall gpa (3.8 in major). just finished dietitic internship.

3) DD2 - high school grad of 2003 also under 3 gpa in academics with 1140 SAT. applied to 5 schools got into 3 and chose University of Tampa. will end her sophomore year with overall gpa of 3.3+ and is now transfering to Rhode Island College, better program for her major and closer to home.


My experience is that there is a college for everyone who wants to go. That now-a-days a students gpa is only based on academic subjects so loading up on gym or music, easy A classes does not help. Except for Honors or AP classes, colleges do not know if a particular course is high level or low level. Weight given to Honors/AP only matters if interested in 'name' school or 'high-maintenance' major (science/math, etc.). Your overall high school experience can count for a lot, extra-curricula activities or teacher recommendations also admissions essay. Colleges are looking to be well rounded themselves so a 'middling' gpa is not a barrier.

The biggest thing I found was that high school performance is not necessarily a predictor of college performance.

Hope this info helpful.

 

[Bob Slydell]

DW was an "average" HS student, grades somewhere in the 3.0 range (in non-honors classes), a below average SAT score, yet she still got into a very good college (where we met ) and is now a year or so away from becoming a partner in her firm. So yep, even the "average" kid can be successful.

 

[missypie]

Here is what they've done to us here in Texas, to replace affirmative action: The top 10% of each high school class is guaranteed admission to state schools. Our high school is very competitive. With the extra points they get for AP classes, etc. the top 10% typically has a GPA of about 98%. NO WAY is my DS, with Asperger's Syndrome and ADD, going to be in the top 10% of that high school! We have him in all pre-AP and GT classes now (in 8th grade) and have learned our lesson for high school, because he is really struggling.

As a friend of mine said -whose son has learning differences - "There will always be a college that is willing to take my money for his tuition."

I went to a very run of the mill state school. Now I am a partner in a large law firm, working along side those with degrees from Harvard, Stanford, etc.

Don't sweat it.

 

[Crankyshank]

Northeastern isn't too hard for local (southern New England) kids to get into as long as they have a decent gpa and extra-curricular activities. It was a safety school for most of my high school. The trouble is it's pretty difficult/intense once you're there

 

[minkydog]

The biggest thing I found was that high school performance is not necessarily a predictor of college performance.

I truly hope so. My 18yo DS has stuggled all the way through school. He is a very talented muscian and actor, but he couldn't do simple mathematics if you put a gun to his head. In fact, at this point he is in his 5th year of high school, and looking at 18 more months! he finds school boring and has no motivation to go to college (more school? )

So we are letting him quit school to join Disney On Ice. You read that right. We are not only letting him do it, we approved, and are paying his way to his first venue. OUr friends are mostly supportive since they have seen his struggle. He has commited to getting his GED this summer. I am hoping that spending a few months on the road will be the motivation he needs to learn to work hard--because without a high school diploma, he's gonna be working very hard. I also think he will be quite successful at this job and perhaps taht will motivate him to see himself as a worthwhile person, with or without a college education.

I come from a large family full of degrees, so this has been a hard dose to swallow. But there are different strokes for different folks, or so I've been told.

 

[swilphil]

Both they and the guidance counselors mentioned how important a rigorous course load is. I'm starting to panic and stress a little because dd's classes have all been average. Does she not stand a chance to get into a competitive college? Help!

I taught high school for 14 years. I think you have to understand that a "rigorous" course load means taking core academic classes, as opposed to classes in the vo-tech track or just to meet graduation requirements. If she has good grades in non-AP classes, does well on the SAT, and is involved in some extra-curriculars, I think she will have lots of options. I have one former student, who was a B average student, that went to Northeastern. It seems very doable in your situation.

 

[Crankyshank]

DISDuck - I live a couple of miles from R.I.C. My Dad went there and I'm transfering to either there or URI Feinstein from Stonehill next year (unless PC pulls through with some stellar financial aid). What's her major?

 

[KarenC]

Part of the issue is that

A. A higher percentage of high school graduates are attending college and
B. We have reached another bulge in the population that is of college age

Record numbers of students are applying to colleges.

My daughter had a 4.4/4.0 and was in the top 7% of her highly competitive high school. She took honors math, science, french and english all four years. She had 4 AP courses. She was in band, orchestra, dance troupe, and the swim team. She got a 33 on her ACT and a 1310 on the SAT.

Her high school counselor told her that the University of Illinois was a "reach school" for her. She was accepted, but the fact that her counselor had to hedge illustrates how much the college admissions landscape is changing and it isn't getting less competitive. In fact, the school that the counselor was certain would admit my daughter was the one school to which she wasn't accepted, but was waitlisted.

Your daughter will have no problem being admitted to college. My 16 year old son isn't on the honors track although I will encourage him to take at least one AP class next year. I'm not worried about him getting into college, although I know he won't have the choices, or the scholarship offers, that his sister did. Oh well, in the end, he'll be fine.

The princeton review has a good site where you can enter the students' statistics and interests and it suggests safety, good match and reach schools to consider. Here's the link:

http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/advsearch/match.asp