Advice for HIGH SCHOOL senior (sticky situation)

Still BLUTANG · #1 08-31-2006, 10:00 AM

Hey all, i need suggestions on how to advise a high-school student. Here's the situation:

our office assistant's son is a high school senior and just recently decided he wants to go to college. last week i told the co-worker that i would sit down with him and discuss anything that's on his mind (selecting a college, thinking about a major, filling out the applications/completing essays, and most importantly SCHOLARSHIPS and financial aid).

this week i find out homeboy's grades aren't that strong... AND that he needs to go to saturday school to graduate on time.

i can't in good consience recommend this child spend his time and his mother's MONEY applying to colleges that he probably won't get into. i also feel like his mother is gassing him up to just be let down. i don't want to be in a position where it's akward in the workplace, but i don't want to be dishonest either.

how should i talk to the assistant... and what education/career advice can i give to the son besides "get your grades up."

does anyone have any suggestions?

AlphaFrog · #2 08-31-2006, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Still BLUTANG

does anyone have any suggestions?

COMMUNITY COLLEGE. He can get a start on college classes, without having to pay application fees, AND he can work on bringing his grades up.

Still BLUTANG · #3 08-31-2006, 10:21 AM

i don't think he'd do too well in our local community college, he'll be around ALL the same people, doing the same thing.

sadly, a majority of the community college students at THIS PARTICULAR school are playing catch-up. they graduate high school but they still need more math, science, or english courses to be admitted to a 4-year school... so they use CC as an excuse to extend their high school experience, not focusing on working hard there so they can get somewhere else.

AlphaFrog · #4 08-31-2006, 10:26 AM

Does he have family he could stay with and go to a community college in another location?? Or, would the mom be will to pay/help pay for an apartment for him to go to community college in another location? From what you've described, this boy is not yet 4-year institution material yet.

33girl · #5 08-31-2006, 10:31 AM

SB:

My school had the EOP program, which basically gives students who need it a little extra support. They go to a 6 week precollege program the summer before their freshman year. Here's a link, maybe you can see if the colleges he wants to go to have anything similar.

http://www.clarion.edu/admin/academicsupport/eop/

jubilance1922 · #6 08-31-2006, 11:24 AM

Ditto what everyone else has said, he needs to be at a community college in another location.

Can he attend a junior college that has housing for students?

Also, some colleges have a way for students who aren't as "prepared" as other students to still enter and get up to speed, and then transfer to their major within the school. At Univ. of Minnesota, this was called General College, and it allowed entrance for people who might have otherwise been rejected). Minnesota just phased this college out, but I'm sure other schools have similar arrangements.

Drolefille · #7 08-31-2006, 10:28 AM

I'd recommend then that he attend a community college in the town of a good four year university. Around here, if you can't get into the U of Illinois, you go to Parkland CC in champaign. This way he's out of town and working towards school.

SouthernSweet · #8 09-03-2006, 01:25 PM

AlphaFrog is right, but there are many 4-year universities whom you would be suprised who they take. It's nowhere near as competitive as the colleges themselves make it out to be, as long as you aren't applying to the top-state school...I'm talking more like of the nearest 4 year that most people probably haven't heard of where sports isn't the biggest thing on campus.

However, if you are convinced that this guy won't pass, then I would probably (and professionally) advise his mother..."Based on his performance here and his SAT scores...I would highly recommend_____________ and I don't think _____________would be the best choice for your son because of his current performance, and I am concerned about financial resources going wasted".

SAT's tend to be astonishingly accurate in predicting success in college.

Then sit back and allow them to make the decision. If she wants to throw her money away, she will.