She got In (to that top-tier college)! Will she be over her head?

THE GOOD NEWS, AND THE FEAR

Surprise.  Your kid's "reach college" gave her an acceptance.   Congratulations.  The hard work paid off.

Now the fear sets in.  "Will my kid hold her own with "geniuses" that had perfect 4.0s and better SAT scores?"  "We DON'T want our kid failing out; we don't want our kid miserably struggling just to get Cs."

Let us assuage that fear, at least for many of you.  If your student earned good high school grades based on diligence, your student at college will keep up with the "geniuses", or even surpass them.  Enough college professors award high grades based on assiduousness.  By sophomore year, and even to some extent in freshman year, your kid can enlist with those professors. 

Meanwhile, many "geniuses" succumb to cliques that keep them away from diligent study; many "geniuses", free now to skip class because they think it's beneath them, find themselves with B-minus grades because the professor feels disrespected by their non-attendance.  Some "geniuses", more often boys, are lured into gaming groups that stay up all night, often accompanied by drink.

OUR ADVICE:

1) The diligence that got your child this far gets doubly rewarded if she or he avoids these lairs.  Your child stays on the road to being a scholar, AND earns grades that will impress employers.  Stay focused on success and do not fear the past GPAs of others; they are now useless to them.  You are all starting out on an even college playing field now.

2) Avoid classes with tough professors.  Rarely is there a "must-take" class to inaugurate a major.  And rarely do majors matter any more.  Side-majors are "built" by enterprising students.  The internet gives every matriculating student a bevy of ratings, from "Rate My Professors", "Koofers", and many university-specific sites.  These ratings routinely include difficulty.  For that "amazing"-yet-difficult professor (a rarity) whose class you really want to access, just audit the class.  Or take another class in the same time frame, watch her videos online, and then head to her office hours.  Her most interesting classroom work will still be available to you senior year, after you have landed career job offer.

3) Our specific advice to parents of kids interested in STEM fields who will be competing with strong classmates in early "weed-out" classes: learn the material a semester beforehand.  Whether on their own, or with the help of a tutor, these students should get the textbooks and syllabuses of the difficult fall term courses.  Study them beforehand this summer.  When fall arrives, the teaching is more understandable, and the assignments are less daunting.  Your kids will encounter most of the material for the second time, making them more "masters" than "apprentices".    Repeat this over winter break to preview the spring semester.  Diligence beats innate "genius" in most college endeavors.

COVID-ERA ADDITION:

The High School Class of 2020 will experience more "dipping down" by elite colleges from the normal standards.  Elite colleges have places to fill.  Your kid's March admission or spring off-the-wait-list acceptance MAY have been one of these 2020 exceptions.  Fine.  Relish it.  And take advantage.

Again, don't fear the "competition".  Remember that there are MANY "dip downs", and they are now your classmates - cool, good above-average kids who will do well in college and in life.  Know too that colleges have kept or even expanded their counseling services.  They expect dislocations by many students who will be affected by Covid fears or Covid actualities.  In times of crisis, seeing a campus counselor just to help stay on track is both normal and right.  Your child should have on-campus resources, and zero stigma for using them. 

Your child now has a tremendous launch-point.  Again, take advantage.  Plan well and don't look back.