If your teen is an average student, you might be thinking that community college or a local small state college is their only option. But, in reality, there are some options you might consider.
According to a recent seminar at the National Association for College Admission Counseling,
There are application strategies that can help… Some strong colleges are looking for more geographical diversity, and will consider students with weaker grades if they are from another part of the country. Students with weak standardized test scores should also consider colleges where SAT and ACT scores are optional. (A list can be found at www.fairtest.org.)
Students might want to request an interview at colleges that don’t necessarily require them, to exhibit character strengths that transcripts and GPA’s don’t reflect.
One college counselor recommended applying mid-year, when admissions are less competitive than in the high-pressure fall. Another recommended looking for colleges with pre-admission programs to ease students into the college they plan to attend.
Of course, all counselors recommend that paying attention to grades early in your teen’s high school career will ensure more college options. But if your teen is already into their senior year and there is no time to rectify their GPA, there are always application strategies that can help.
If you are looking for a list of some colleges that welcome average students, you might want to read the entire article.
Before or at the beginning of your teen’s freshman year, make an appointment to meet with the guidance counselor. This meeting will let the counselor know that you are an involved parent and that you will be taking an active role during your teen’s high school years. It will also serve to establish a relationship between your teen and the counselor which will benefit them in the future as they begin to require more and more help with the college application process.