Getting Those "Late-Blooming" Boys Into College

What can you do as the parent of a “late-blooming” high school boy with a low GPA who still wants to go away to college? Don’t give up! There is still a good chance you can help him find his way into a four-year college. Learn what you can do to help make your son’s college dream come true.

In many respects, high school girls have an advantage over boys when it comes to getting into college. According to neuropsychiatrist Dr. Louann Brizdine, author of The Female Brain (Morgan Road Books), "A girl has a literal head start over members of the opposite sex. In fact, her noggin will develop faster than that of a boy by one to two years." In addition, more developed brains are better at focusing, applying common sense to situations, and understanding and translating data. Eventually, boys do catch up. However, before they do they are competing for limited space in colleges. Some colleges take this gender difference into account during the admissions process. It's not unheard of for boys with 2.3-grade averages, no sports or extracurricular activities, and average SAT scores to receive multiple
acceptances. If you want to help your son get into college, here are some considerations: If you live in a state that is in high demand for college (such as California, for instance), you will have to think outside the state." Colleges like to have what they call "geographic diversity", and many colleges will give extra "points" to applicants from different states. Out-of-state colleges do not necessarily cost more to attend.

It is almost a must that your son visits any colleges he wants to apply to. And during that visit, he must spend some time there with a male admissions counselor. Though you may feel slightly sexist requesting a male counselor, a male Counselor may be more understanding of the kinds of difficulties boys sometimes experience in high school (especially if the counselor was a late-bloomer" himself). After his visit, your son should make it a point to keep a connection going with the counselor with whom he met. A nice note or e-mail thanking the admissions Counselor for taking the time to meet and expressing interest in the college can go a long way. Your son's GPA will come up; he cannot avoid it. The best way to handle a bad GPA is to have your son bring it up during his visit with the admissions counselor. Being hurt to say something like "I never felt like I fit in, in high school. I'm looking forward to a fresh start in a new environment where I can work towards a degree in a subject I'm really interested in."

Helping your son get into a college does not, of course, mean he will succeed there- that will always be the looming question. Some boys mature considerably during their senior year and are ready to work hard to make it. If the college he has chosen is a good fit for him, he may
surprise you and do fine. While you may both experience a few bumps along the way if your son does succeed it will have been worth all of his (and your) time and effort.