Q: My son is finishing his junior year, and so far he has not done that well in high school -- his average is not quite an 80. He wants to study pharmacy. I don't want him to go to a community college -- I prefer that he attend a college with dorms so that he has the full campus experience. Where do we start?

A: Your question actually has many parts. You are concerned because going into his senior year, your son does not have a strong academic record, yet he is expressing interest in a field that is very difficult to enter. While it might be relatively easy for him to start at a community college, where he could build up his academic profile, you want him to have a residential college experience.

I can understand this -- part of the excitement of college is living away from home, learning how to get along with a roommate, and enjoying those philosophical discussions at 2 a.m. Yet -- without knowing anything about your home situation -- I am concerned that if your son is struggling academically now, while living at home, how is he going to handle his studies while surrounded by all the distractions of campus life?

My suggestion for him, and you, is to take small steps. First, he has to make academics his #1 priority if he is going to have a successful senior year. Senior year grades do count! Let's see if he can get that GPA above 80. You do not mention his other credentials, but he needs solid SAT or ACT scores, and Regents scores. He should be involved in some extra-curricular activities, too, so that he is a well-rounded college applicant. And that's the next step, gaining admission to a school where he can develop his academic skills and explore various choices of majors.

As for pharmacy, it is a graduate program. Students work for six years, going beyond the regular time span for a BA or BS degree, until they earn a PharmD degree. Admission to pharmacy school is extremely competitive. Students need high grades, particularly in science and math, and also have to score well on a national exam. Does this mean that I think your son can never become a pharmacist? No, it could happen -- but I think that aiming for it right now is premature.

Your son may well be one of those students who is "a late bloomer" -- he will be successful, but it hasn't quite happened yet. He ought to apply to schools where he has a good chance of acceptance and where he can build up his academic skills. Do you know that dorms are available at two CUNY schools? CCNY has a dorm, and a dorm is scheduled to open this coming fall at Queens College. Your son might also consider one of the smaller SUNY branches, such as New Paltz or Old Westbury. Of course, I cannot predict that he will be admitted to any of these schools, but they are suggestions of where to apply if he can get his GPA to a B average. If he adjusts well to college and proves that he can take on a challenging program, he might apply to transfer to a school offering pharmacy.

Ask him to think about why he is interested in pharmacy. Perhaps his desire to help people achieve better health -- if that is what inspires him -- will make him look at other fields, including social work, psychology, nursing, and health education. I would encourage him to keep his options open. Good luck!