Other avenues for daughter besides college

DEAR AMY: I have an 18-year-old daughter. I believe she struggled with learning disabilities (ADHD, dyslexia and test anxiety) throughout grade school, but these problems went undiagnosed. During high school, she was tutored three times a week for two hours each time. Despite this help, she got an extremely low score on her ACT test and was unable to get into a college. We tried to get her to retake the test, but she refused. She went to community college, taking remedial classes for one semester, but has now dropped out because "it's a waste of time and money" since she can't transfer the credits to a university. She has finally agreed to retake the ACT, but she refuses to take a refresher class. She needs to raise her score significantly to be accepted by universities. I've seen her take exams, and she absolutely comes unglued. I have two sons who were easily accepted to their colleges of choice. My daughter has a part-time (20 hours per week) job, but other than that does nothing from one end of the day to the next. Do you have any suggestions? I'm afraid she will waste her life.

--A Worried Mom

DEAR MOM: A university education is not for everyone -- even if it is the standard in your family.

Your daughter should start thinking seriously about a profession.

One of the advantages of community college -- aside from the cost and convenience -- is the access to practical professional training.

Stop pressuring your daughter with intensive tutoring and testing and instead pursue an accurate evaluation and assessment. She still will have to take responsibility for her own life, including coping with her particular challenges.

If she balks at community college right now or can't commit to any particular path, she'll have to increase her work hours. Working hard and making money will help her to feel (and actually be) successful.