@txstella the Virginia Tech application is rather simple. No letters of recommendation are allowed anymore, and I’ve thoroughly checked other factors such as the successful submission of SAT scores and the work of my guidance counselor out of paranoia throughout the application process (in this case parent due to homeschooling). If something was terribly amiss I believe I would’ve been rejected rather than waitlisted, as Virginia Tech is rather competitive. Also, I don’t think my writing was particularly lacking, as I was deferred at MIT before the rejection. I think admissions in general was just incredibly competitive this year, far more so than in previous years, and that my abilities simply didn’t measure up to those Virginia Tech did accept this year, although I currently have no idea how.
@MYOS1634 the math placement test at GMU only tests as far as PreCalculus (allowing for placement into Calculus I) just like the Virginia Placement Test that I took before taking community college courses, so it won’t be applicable to my case. Most likely I will have to present my case to relevant faculty in the mathematics department and prove that I can do any prerequisite work required beyond what transfers from the community college courses. I am (and was) aware that the graduate level offerings are of the utmost importance in my case, and thus made it a primary factor in my college selections. This is the real reason why I preferred colleges like UVA, MIT, and Caltech for my chosen field of study- not because of prestige per se, but more because it will be harder to find challenging coursework at some other colleges. (Of course, I know that prestige doesn’t perfectly correlate with academic rigor, which is why I spent a great deal of time researching syllabi, textbooks used, the environment, etc. in order to properly assess how I will be affected.)
OK, I just got a reply from UVA (Charlottesville) regarding the transferrability of my community college credits. All the math courses transfer except what I’m currently taking (Differential Equations), which counts towards the credits needed to graduate but not the math major, probably due to the recent changes in the VCCS standards for math courses (which included a change in course numbering). Thus in the event I accept the UVA Wise offer I will “only” need to re-take differential equations and somehow find a way to reach 30 credits, assuming of course that UVA Wise will accept the same credits that UVA (Charlottesville) does.
Regardless, my chances are looking pretty bleak. Now I finally understand the frustration community college students face when trying to transfer, which even in a closely regulated system with admission agreements like VCCS can be very difficult.
After considering the options for UVA Wise at length, I have decided to attend GMU unless admitted off of the waitlist for either Virginia Tech or UVA. I’ll aim to start with 300-level math courses my freshman year and take my first 600-level (graduate) course either the second semester of freshman year or sophomore year. I’ll attend colloquia and spend more time on research if I’m still not challenged enough. Thank you all for your input.