At my school, every class is considered honors (even gym, somehow), and only one AP class is offered during senior year. My GPA (around 98 unweighted - my school doesn’t use a 4 point scale) and SAT (1560) are strong, but I need some type of merit money to afford a school that’s $60K+. Is it worth it to self-study for AP exams? Or am I better off taking classes at a community college over the summer? I also plan on taking several SAT IIs, but I really want an edge over the other kids at my school.
Be sure to apply to a balance of schools, including some you and your family can afford if NO merit is awarded, such as instate public U you could commute to.
Very few places guarantee merit awards and those may not be Us you are wanting to attend.
@HImom Thanks! I know there aren’t any guarantees, but I have a list of decent schools that might be willing to offer me money. I definitely have safety schools that I can comfortably afford with no merit money at all, and I’m not even bothering with the Ivies lol.