<p>I haven’t read the whole thread – but to the OP:</p>
<p>My daughter’s math score wasn’t quite as bad as yours, but it was pretty weak – and your d. has done better on the reading score than mine did. My d had slightly better GPA, but not by much – and it may be because whereas your d. was taking regular math… mine wasn’t even taking math at all after her sophomore year. (Long story as to why – but the point is I had a kid with pretty weak math scores applying to colleges with no math beyond algebra II). </p>
<p>I’m posting because my d. was dead set on attending an urban college, and focused on reaches – and was surprisingly successful in that endeavor. She was accepted at a bunch of reach colleges where her scores put her in the bottom quartile – and ended up doing very well at the college she accepted. (Her college required her to take one year of a lab science and a single semester of math, but there was a lot of flexibility – she found a statistics-for-dummies type course to satisfy the requirement and managed to muddle through. Other than that it was smooth sailing, classes in English, history & other areas of high interest and strength; she ended up a poli sci major). </p>
<p>I think colleges understand lopsided candidates. They aren’t expecting to produce well-rounded, good-in-everything graduates – they know that their students will channel themselves into appropriate majors – and no one expects your d. to ever occupy a seat in an upper level math course at their college.</p>
<p>It’s a plus that your d. has not fallen in love with any particular college – better than if she had her heart set on an impossible reach. But do encourage her to reach! Of course she needs to have some safeties in the mix, but when she is reaching she should focus on her strengths. Does she want to continue speech and drama at college? Then be sure to find a place that will appreciate her talents! (Not necessarily the place with the <em>best</em> debate team or strongest theater department – she might be more attractive to the place with the emerging or growing rhetoric or drama department. )</p>
<p>But the point is, your d. has a great personality, wonderful talents and abilities – the college application process is a place to emphasize those. It would be a mistake for her to give up on herself because of a discrete area of weakness. </p>
<p>Please encourage your daughter by focusing on her strengths. Most college courses require a high volume of reading and have high expectations for writing – so the ad coms are going to look at those 31’s on the ACT and be very happy with them – especially at the schools you have identified as matches. </p>
<p>I do think you and your daughter should take some time to look at the core or breadth requirements of various colleges before applying. Does the college require students to take some math to graduate? If so, what kind of math and how much? Can the math requirement be fulfilled with a “quantitative reasoning” course such as logic, rather than something numbers oriented? Does the college allow students to opt for pass/fail grading in courses taken to fill general ed requirements?</p>