<p>Hey dude, you know this as well as I do, but don't forget- if you get relatively high scores on your IB exams/decide to study for and take some AP exams, I know that at UT, at least, you can trim off quite a bit of time (esp. after attaining your IB diploma). Don't put too much pressure on yourself, but I would advise checking your schools' AP/IB policies, and seeing if there are any AP exams you might want to try (although I don't know if it's too late. They let me sign up for AP exams for classes I hadn't taken--you might want to take an AP exam for a class that you took SL, because I know some colleges don't offer credit for anything but HL grades or AP test grades).</p>
<p>Remember to have documentation to show how they're supporting the grandparents & paying off their ed loans. This is key if you want schools to seriously consider reviewing your FAid awards. Merit aid is still an important thing to consider--try looking at schools that award merit aid & need aid.</p>