I don’t know if this is the right forum but here goes:
–exceptional student in very competitive high school
–hospitalized for a month sophomore spring. “finished” school year in summer school but was not very comprehensive and didn’t follow curriculum. Given passes
–junior year okay but could not finish last quarter. Was given passes
–GPA messed up due to passes etc. SAT near 2000
–senior year was independent study and 3 community college courses (A’s)
–explained lapses in record very honestly in supplemental essay
–very stable, no recurrence of illness
–loved by teachers and counselors who wrote very strong recommendations
–has done very interesting things on own
–on a gap year
applied to some pretty competitive private colleges and state schools as well. Thoughts?
You may want to try this question out on the Parent’s Forum. This forum is too quiet with few readers and the folks you want advice from are other parents who have gone through similar things. The Parent’s Forum is extremely active.
My take is that extremely competitive private colleges may shy away from your daughter’s application. Not because of aptitude issues–clearly, your daughter is very smart and has done well in spite of difficulties. I think they may shy away because your daughter has done well in an environment that has been extremely supportive and specialized to help her succeed–and this is NOT what most highly competitive colleges offer and they would (rightly or wrongly) not see her as a fit for their academic campus offerings.
Just over a year ago she was unable to pass classes (end of junior year). And her senior year of high school was independent study, presumably to help her cope. College is not an “independent study” environment.
So–yes–some private colleges would be happy to have her. Perhaps even some of the competitive ones. But many will pass.
She always has the option of 2 years of CC and then transfer into a great private college if this first round of applications doesn’t yield something good. It would also give her a longer time to practice success while still living in the supportive home environment.
Best of luck.