xavier wouldn’t be the end of the world, esp if she is happy there, but a lot of writing is peer driven and you need that environment of people to bounce ideas off of, edit, work through issues, etc. plus you are generally happier surrounded by people of the same interests. the goal is to grow and bloom as a writer with highly motivated and educated peers and professors. and no problem @smookypie100 , give it time and she will do great!
Smookypie, having come late to this party, just remember that college admissions does not favor the introvert.
It’s tough when an high-achieving introvert needs to put their best foot forward and toot their own horn.
It’s just not how they’re wired…
I personally don’t think that her lack of community-based EC’s was the culprit. Working a part time job while keeping the grades high, is a huge plus for most schools. What I would suspect is that she did not demonstrate enough interest via outreach to regional rep’s etc., but as many have already mentioned, it’s now time to look forward.
Regardless of which path she now takes - public, private or seeing what’s still available on the May 1 NACAC list, or exploring additional rolling admission schools - remember that she can always transfer if the academics aren’t right. As long as she keeps her grades high, she’ll be fine. You may also want to make a few discreet phone calls to see if some of the schools already mentioned would entertain a late application, rather than wait for the NACAC list.
In addition to the previously mentioned (I like the U Iowa recommendation), I would include Willamette, Lawrence, Wheaton (MA), Wooster, Beloit, etc. In fact, many of these are profiled through the Colleges That Change Lives site ctcl.org.
Good luck.
OP don’t beat yourself up…this is my third child going through admissions and I still think we made mistakes. It is hard to not second guess.
I think you’ve received a lot of good advice!
I would:
- Tour both Xavier and UT. Dig deep…we spent extra hours walking campus and asking questions. For your D, sitting in a class and meeting English profs is important.
- Get on the Richmond wait list for sure (no harm). Maybe even Emory.
- Inquire before May 1 at a couple of schools. I also REALLY like the idea of Iowa for English and I believe they have a late deadline. It is in a nice college town. Also Wooster (as suggested).Their focus on mentored research and writing feels right for your D. The vibe may be right as well.
- Deposit somewhere by May 1, either Xavier/UT or a new, late entry.
- Remember they bloom where they are planted.
Best wishes to you and your daughter!
In 2016 DePauw in Indiana was on the NACAC list. Barbara Kingsolver is an alum. I think the fit you are looking for would be there - just a thought.
What an idea, to have admitted student day on a Sunday! Ask if she could do an overnight - if she could stay in a dorm Sunday to Monday, attend some English and CS classes on Monday, meet with faculty then.
Let’s help you brainstorm a list of questions to ask. 
I did reach out to the admissions counselor regarding Sunday’s admitted student day and she replied that DD will indeed be meeting an English professor and sitting in on a “mock class” and then participating in a student chat (so they obviously must rope some dedicated students to come to class on Sunday for the benefits of the admitted prospects!) She’ll also then attend a club meeting of her choice - not sure what she’s going to choose for that, but that’s entirely up to her And then following the academic session (where the honors program will be there to take questions, which is nice) we get a tour of campus and the residence halls.
I guess that’s the norm for admitted student days? Unfortunately we can’t stay up for longer than Sunday - plus DD has TN testing next week, so couldn’t miss school to attend during school time, which is annoying but necessary.
I look forward to hearing ideas on questions to ask @MYOS1634 . You’re my new best friend!
My suggestion on questions to ask- how easy it is to create an interdisciplinary project/major/senior thesis? Many kids interested in writing, composition, literature discover that they want to do writing WITH something-- science and technical writing? writing and political commentary/political science? writing with a deep background in econ or finance? (very marketable- we need people who can explain complex financial topics to Jane and Joe Q. Public). Find out how that would work for her.
I want to point you to this post I made in another thread:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21417146/#Comment_21417146
UMich, Cal, UCLA, NYU, and UW-Madison are big, not LACs (and UVa is mid-sized), but they are world-renown universities with faculty that are among the best in the world in their fields (in many fields) and smart student bodies and in the arts/letters&science college, double majoring in English and CS should not be a problem. Admission still isn’t guaranteed (though UW-Madison would be a likely). These big schools filled with bright kids may actually draw out her potential more (especially if she goes in to some honors program).
Something to keep in mind.
PurpleTitan makes some good points, though I might argue that Univ of Tenn has plenty bright kids too. But do be careful what you wish for in terms of higher as opposed to lower ranked schools. I don’t have any experience with Xavier though it sounds like she is near the top of their applicants, and they would love for her to come. That was similar to my own college experience. I went to BU in the 1980s and coming from a pressure cooker private high school, I felt very successful at BU but at the same time not isolated in talent either. There were plenty of bright kids there. (BU has become more competitive since). I also have experience with Vanderbilt, which I believe was on her list. And yes, it is filled with really bright kids and is now very difficult to get into especially regular decision. It has this “work hard, play hard” reputation, and it certainly has its share of frat parties, but every kid I’ve met who went there is quite bright, quite motivated and this basically puts everyone in the middle of the pack (the admissions department especially looks for “leadership” in applicants). Some kids with thrive in this environment, but in hindsight, I am not sure I would send a child with a known history of anxiety or depression to a place like that. My son did well his first 3 years and then had an academic meltdown senior year when he took on too much. Throughout he would say that “college is hard” whereas I thought that for me, high school was harder than college.
Thank you @PurpleTitan and @LBowie for your suggestions. The more I’ve thought about it (and I’ve thought about it A LOT this past week!) I am realizing that with DD’s inner struggles, she really needs to be the decision-driver for what’s best for her and Mom needs to take a step back. While I wince at the thought that she’s settling for an easier life versus a more academically challenging one, as it were, I can only hope that wherever she ends up, she finds her spark - as some helpful CC whizz put it – and it ignites a little sense of passion and drive into her otherwise indifferent mindset.
I have, however, spent the last two hours reading the stats of the English faculty at Xavier and preparing myself for questions for admitted students day on Sunday (as they promised that an English professor and the honors department would be there to take questions), and I’m fully taking your advice and going to inquire about the possibility of double majoring across disciplines. I think the idea of somehow combining the more creative aspects of CS into the English mix would be awesome - but I also don’t want DD to feel swamped either. She’s actually mentioned majoring in English and minoring in Creative Writing, which is an option Xavier offer, so we’ll look at that, too, but it doesn’t have the “tech” vibe she’s also been partial to.
I love the suggestions of other unis that might have suited her strengths, but at this late stage, unless they appear on the NACAC list, we’re pretty much done for this year, aren’t we? I mean, she’s adamant she doesn’t want to take a gap year and the eyes glazed over when I mentioned finding some last-minute schools still accepting applications at this late stage. Not a surprise to me but still a little frustrating. 
i agree a gap year can be a huge loss of momentum and for an already perhaps unmotivated kid there is the risk of them just never going and trying again. i would see how you feel about xavier after the admitted students day- maybe the faculty is wonderful and its exactly where she needs to be! and hey, if not, you have more of a case to present to her about applying to late stage colleges and trying the NACAC list. but either way she’ll be getting a good education and degree and as long as she’s happy that’s what matters. and if she ends up not challenged or enjoying xavier after a year or two, she could transfer. it isn’t the end of the line yet!
@ACollegeHopeful3 You’re the best. Can I adopt you? Come and spread some of your enthusiasm and drive into my daughter’s life! Bless your heart. You’ve a wise head on young shoulders and you deserve the very best. Thank you for your encouragement.
Some questions:
Would you say your program prepares students for jobs or grad school?
If jobs: which type? Teaching? Industry? Does the dept have industry contacts and facilitate internships? Faculty wouldn’t really do it but should know what their students are doing/have been doing, and how they got the internships (ie., through family connections or through the college’s or the faculty’s advice and connections.)
If grad school: what sort of programs? specialities? universities? Fully funded? Any fellowship?
What are the study abroad programs that are especially suited for English majors? Are they “immersion” programs (students take classes with the local students) or just for American students? Do they cost extra? Are there “Honors only” study abroad opportunities?
What foreign languages do you recommend for English majors? How are these languages supported at the college (ie., do they offer a French minor? What about Latin?) What senior level seminars are offered this Spring and how many students in each?
Is cross registration with any other university offered and if so, can advanced honors students take grad classes during jr and sr year?
How many freshmen total are in Honors? (If the answer is “40”, that’s really not very many for instance). How many Honors classes are offered in the Fall in general, or this Spring? Are they offered in most core curriculum requirements? How are they different from regular classes?
Is there an Arts&Humanities-based living-learning community within Honors? What are the majors most Honors kids have? (In many cases, the answer will be Engineering and Business, so you want to make sure there is an Arts&Humanities LLC or group or club).
@MYOS1634 I’m printing out your list and taking it with us. I want DD to read it and ask the questions, though, as I don’t want to be THAT mum that takes over the session and shuts out the kids! It’s going to be exceptionally useful.
Re the Honors program living-learning community, I know that if you’re accepted to the Honors Program, you get separate housing facilities with more areas for quiet study space, but I guess I don’t know if they separate out into disciplines such as Arts and Humanities versus Science and Engineering. It seems the Honors students live with the athletes. Not sure having hunky basketball players parading around naked in the dorm will be especially helpful to the academic concentration, mind you! :))
I can’t thank you enough for taking the time. I’ll keep you updated on how we get on. You rock!
The questions can be used at UTK too. 
(The question about separate Honors LLCs in the residences might be more useful at UTK where there are about 500 honors students I think).
Another question: what percentage Honors students live in Honors housing? Is Honors housing guaranteed to all first year students? What about subsequent years?
WRT UTK…
You could ask your daughter whether a program for rising Honors freshmen called “Literary London”*, in London, would interest her… If so, contact The Honors College Provost. thulsey@utk.edu because the deadline to register passed 3 weeks ago. However they might still have a spot, you never know, but it does sound right up her alley since the theme is basically places that’d interest English majors in London (I assume they’ll have a side trip to Cambridge, which is about 1h by train, because UTK has a program there for upper class Honors students).
Honors Bridge Program: Honors and Scholars will offer a summer study abroad courses for incoming students in 2018. The Literary London program will provide incoming students the opportunity to study abroad before even stepping foot on campus through International Experiences 150, a one-hour credit. Honors Bridge is an exclusive chance to jump-start an interest in global issues, catch the travel bug, or meet a program requirement prior to the start of classes.
coming very late to the party, but on the CS + English combo: using data analytics for analyzing texts is a hot new field. As an example, I know a student currently applying to English PhD programs who is proposing using cloud analysis to resolve a long-standing debate in literary circles.
Here are two Economist articles on the subject (if you aren’t a subscriber you will hit a paywall, but you can usually get through on library accounts):
https://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2017/03/revenge-maths-mob
https://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2018/03/o-fractions-my-fractions
I’m a big fan of the Jesuit colleges, but if they are only producing a handful of English majors per year, then you can do better than Xavier–especially if you are full pay. I think you can easily find a better fit than Tennessee, too.
This American college derby IS insane…so many things are different than in “real” life: you don’t always get what you pay for, it’s sometimes better not to be well off financially, it matters which state you are from and if your parents went to college, etc. Even people who are brought up amid this system make big mistakes the first time around.
So, I would write off this year’s applications as a learning exercise, and do it all over again next year. Pick only colleges where there is a critical mass of English majors and literary types; don’t focus on personal problems in the Common Ap essay; don’t waste applications on colleges unless you know they are a wonderful fit; visit as wide a variety as possible. Get your daughter involved in any activity that will make her more mature and interesting.
@moooop We already broached the subject of a gap year with DD and she rejected that outright. It’s a shame because hindsight being what it is (and the help of this wonderful website), I’m confident things could turn out very differently second time around. But it is what it is now. We’re going to the admitted students day this weekend and we’ll see what happens from there. Thanks for your advice.
If you are still around, the NACAC list came out. There are some good schools on it.
https://www.nacacnet.org/news–publications/Research/CollegeOpenings/
As I suspected. The ones who generally attract really strong students are
Belot
Hendrix
Truman