<p>Really? Wow! I don’t know of any case manager or counselor that would make that blatant a statement without doing a search with you, and trying to fit your disability with a private college. Something doesn’t sound right or believable.</p>
<p>I’ve been looking at several schools with them and narrowing choices down. No worries. This is a badly thought out thread, anyways. My apologies. </p>
<p>One reason for the counselor’s suggestion of a private college might be because some tend to be smaller and more supportive than large state universities, and that might be a better environment for a student on the spectrum. </p>
<p>Students on the spectrum can struggle with anxiety, and the loss of a father is certainly a tragedy that is difficult to face for anyone. </p>
<p>The "top schools’ or no hope is a narrow view of the choice of colleges out there. What is limiting is the reality of finances and you need to choose among choices that you can afford- and also those where you can succeed. Private colleges are costly and some don’t meet full need. What about “Bright Futures”? Perhaps a smaller public option near home is a better choice.</p>
<p>OP, there is hope, but perhaps beyond what you are considering. I think the posters here are encouraging you to broaden the lens of how you are envisioning possibilities. There is more than one path to an education, and even a CC and/or small public college is an affordable step on that path</p>
<p>Let’s get back to the original post. Have you considered Barnard? You might want to look at more of the women’s colleges, or formerly all-female colleges. Most of them have good performing arts departments, along with strong traditional arts and sciences. You can follow a pre-med curriculum easily at almost all of them. Your stats are good enough to be an academic match at most of the “Seven Sisters” (minus Radcliffe, now absorbed into Harvard). </p>
<p>OP,</p>
<p>you have a few threads going about this same subject. I see that you are new to CC. Some advice…the long time posters are incredibly knowledgable about the admissions process. If you want the help, stick to one thread. If you are all over the place in your ideas and thoughts here on CC, just imagine how you may be viewed when the HSCs are reading your application. Yes, some people may be a bit brusque, but there could be some truth in what they are saying. You would rather hear it here than in this setting. At least you will know what others may be thinking and too afraid to say to you…in this process,mothers opinions DO matter!! When teachers are writing LORs, the adcoms reading your app, scholarship committees deciding if they will give you $$$, being nominated for awards etc…</p>
<p>Good luck to you in your admissions journey! Shoot for the stars, just do it in a focused way & make sure the schools that you are applying to are a good fit and will embrace and educate you!</p>
<p>Your GPA is too low, so all of them are reach/high reaches. </p>
<p>Why not New College of FL? It sounds as if it might be perfect for you.</p>
<p>How are they all high reaches? I’ve heard it’s not always about GPA. I’m working on trying to raise my test scores and my GPA at the moment. I’m under enough stress. </p>
<p>:(</p>
<p>I think your best option is to attend a lesser ranked college where you can get significant financial aid. You need to be realistic in your college choices. Cost should be a huge factor if you’re on social security. Have you thought about going to community college for the first couple years, getting great grades, then trying to transfer to a better college, like UCLA or Berkeley?</p>
<p>OP, nobody is trying to cause you stress, and you don’t have to give up your aspirations if that is what you wish to do. The intent is to broaden your view. Getting into a highly competitive college is part about grades and scores and part probability. If a college only admits a small percentage of qualified applicants, then a proportion of qualified applicants won’t get in. This doesn’t mean not trying ( if someone doesn’t try, their probability of acceptance is zero) but that everyone who applies has a probable chance of acceptance of less than 100%.</p>
<p>When someone tell your your desired college is a reach, they are telling you to also consider schools that are not reaches for you. Nobody has a 100% chance of getting accepted anywhere, but students who are at the top of the application pool at a college that is not super highly selective have a better chance of being accepted than if they are at the lower end of the application pool.</p>
<p>If you work hard at improving your academic record it will benefit you in many ways beyond increasing your chances of acceptance at college, but it will also make you better prepared for college. It is worth doing. It can’t unfortunately make a school not a reach if that school is so highly selective that it is a reach for almost everyone. </p>
<p>Posters here are encouraging you to consider schools that you are a good fit for you as well. The application process is stressful, there is no way around this, but considering schools that you are likely to get into, can afford, and would like to attend is a way to reduce that stress. </p>
<p>I can’t afford any college. </p>
<p>Agree with Penny AND, if you have been diagnosed with mild Autism,
have dyscalculia
and a depression diagnosis,<br>
you DO have a special case manager and or Autism counselor at your high school who contacts the schools for you and with you. If you are relying on the school’s “regular” counselor, it’s not the same thing. Those schools that you want to get into wont happen without your case manager. </p>
<p>All high school students who are planning to go to universities have different stress levels. Their time management skills have to be good to juggle activities and academics. Stress is part of the formula.</p>
<p>I’ve worked with DSS staff and counselors at the UC’s and private colleges; our students have gotten into their schools with their disabilities through the help of their case managers. That’s why I question whether you are just grasping at straws, with any and multiple issues, to try to justify why you should get in to schools that are out of your reach or as you’ve said, “no hope”. There is a system of checks and balances and reality. Florida has good schools and community colleges also will help you get into some of those schools. </p>
<p>@melissadgillum
GPA is the most important factor in your application. For those very selective schools, most applicants have high GPAs and then they use extracurricular activities to distinguish them. Of course, GPA is not the only thing they look at but they are all reaches, since a match means you have a good chance of being accepted. To have a university be referred to as a match with your GPA, you must have something outstanding. Good luck!</p>
<p>A Princeton admission officer told me that they look at the transcript first with the GPA, but they will take other things into account. Try to explain the issues that you have in your essays, because they will showcase your identity. Like others said, it is best that you either find a good scholarship or a really good college that will happily pay for you tuition. Def apply for QB too. Good luck. </p>
<p>Okay, people who keep saying she can’t afford this or that because she is “on social security” may not understand the full picture (although the OP actually hasn’t clarified completely). My assumption is that this means SHE receives a survivor’s benefit from Social Security because her father died. This payment usually stops around the time the kid turns 18 (there are exceptions, but I expect that is what will happen for this poster). That does NOT mean her mom is drawing Social Security retirement or disability benefits. But the OP has not clarified her mom’s income and asset situation, so that is a missing piece to this picture.</p>
<p>My mom is receiving benefits from my father’s death, around 35,000 a year. The benefits stop when I turn 18, and we do not have any assets from my father. The most we have in the bank is around 2,500 a month. That then goes to bills and other finances. </p>
<p>Does your mom have a job or other income? Or will your mom go to zero income when you turn 18? What is her plan to support herself, never mind your college expenses?</p>
<p>She will have about 15,000 in benefits after I turn 18, and she doesn’t know what she’s going to do afterwards.</p>
<p>OP, you’re going to college, it’s just a question of which ones are affordable as well as your stats. </p>
<p>Lets look at the Florida Public Universities. UF and “cough…cough” FSU are great schools, but they are not known for merit scholarships. They do however offer financial aid in the form of grants. It’s well worth applying to both schools and reviewing the financial aid offers before deciding on a school. </p>
<p>You should also take a look at New College of Florida, it’s a public “LAC”, which would make it very affordable. See the following link for info on the guaranteed Scholarships. </p>
<p><a href=“https://www.ncf.edu/fl-freshmen-scholarships”>https://www.ncf.edu/fl-freshmen-scholarships</a></p>
<p>With your scores you would earn at least a $12K scholarship ($3K a year). Add bright future (a little over $3K a year) and you’ve paid tuition at NCF(which is around $6K a year). Then you’ll likely qualify for a Pell Grant, and then work study or/and a student loan will cover the rest of your cost. (Note, these same numbers work at UF and FSU, just replace the guaranteed NCF scholarship with an UF/FSU merit or financial need scholarship or grant)</p>
<p>Finally, you may live within commuting distance of a Florida public university (UNF, UCF, USF, FAU, FIU, FGCU, UWF, etc.). If so, like NCF, you’ll likely qualify for merit aid. By living at home you can save a substantial amount of money, and will easily be able to pay your tuition, fees and help your mother with bills based on the merit +Bright Future + Pell Grants, without having to take out any loans. You could also go for your first two years at a local university, and then transfer to UF/FSU as a junior. </p>
<p>You have LOTS of options. Right now, focus on your finals/IB exams and do research in your spare time. You have the summer to come up with a plan.</p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>