Building High School "Resume" for Child with Asperger's

[missypie]

DS13, an Aspie, will go to a very competitive high school. Texas has a thing (since affirmative action was overruled) that kids in the top 10% of any public high school get automatic admission to state schools. At our high school, the top 10% ends up being about a 97 average, which DS will never reach.

I'm trying to figure out how we can build his "resume" so that he has a chance of being accepted into a college that he wants to attend. With his personality, he will never be elected an officer of a club or organization...he's just too invisible. It will take a lot of work, but we hope he can make Eagle Scout. He will probably make it into various honor choirs, but I don't know how impressive that will be if he doesn't major in music. Any ideas? Community service? Volunteer work?

I know you're supposed to let a child gravitate to what they naturally enjoy, but I don't think any college is going to impressed with "In my spare time, I play Game Boy and PS2."

 

[Schmeck]

Are there any 'tech' type clubs at the school he could join? Our local high school has a computer club. It's very low-key, not stressful at all.

Volunteer service always looks great on an application/resume, I think an Eagle Scout would too!

Are there any sports that your son likes to participate in? It doesn't have to be a competitive school team - maybe a low-key intramural? Or maybe maintaining hiking trails, etc.

I know most colleges look for three types of activities - sports, social club, and community service. Our local school actually requires 75 hours of community service before graduation!

Does his guidance councellor (sp?) have any ideas?

Are there any local colleges that he could take a course at? Doesn't have to be something high-powered, maybe just something he's really interested in.

And don't dismiss the choir connection - that sounds very impressive!

 

[HopperFan]

Why not contact some of the schools that you think will be a good option for him and ask them what they would be looking for on his application?

Some of that information is available for some colleges in different books, such as Princeton Review etc.........but I would contact the schools directly too.

 

[Juliah]

I once heard a college admissions officer say he considers making eagle scout to be one of the most impressive accomplishments for a student because it shows a long-term commitment.

 

[SueM in MN]

I think it's good to find out what the school is looking for. Sometimes the "impressive" class standing isn't as important to the school as having the skills the school is looking for and a good attitude.
Does he know which school he wants to attend and what he wants to study? If he does, he can find out what sorts of things they would be looking for and then he needs to find ways to make his strong points and interests fit into what they are looking for.
My oldest daughter went to an art school and, while high school grades were important, the person who did her interview/portfolio review said that more important things to them were a willingness to try new things and ability to take constructive criticism and learn from it. Now, that might not be what they are looking for in all schools, but most schools have lots of things they are looking for besides academic ability or leadership. Besides, when you think about it, how many kids are actually class president or president of clubs - usually only one per school per year. So that means a lot of kids are as "invisible" as your DS.
For volunteer service, maybe there are ways to use what he's interested in to help other people. I know PS2 and Gameboy don't sound like things that could help anyone, but maybe there is something in those interests that would benefit others.
And, if he's interested in choir, just sticking to it is helpful for a lot of reasons. For me, choir was my one class where I could get rid of tension. Also, a lot of choirs do things to benefit the community - like concerts/caroling at nursing homes, etc. So it is a way to do some volunteer work. And volunteer work doesn't always have to be the social sort of thing that people with Asperger's might not like. You can find volunteer work that involves doing things like filing and office work that might better fit his personality.