Helping homeschoolers with reach admissions

Parents Forum
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<p>Some top schools are actively seeking applicants like your daughter. Socioeconomic diversity is very important to them at the moment, and they have financial aid to back it up. Students from families under $60k or so go for free, and it’s 10% of income after that, up to $180K, for Harvard at least.</p>

<p>Ivies and some top liberal arts schools may very well be totally free for your family.</p>

<p>I would think that community college courses would mean AP exams are not needed. SAT II’s often are. I would check websites for schools, and if you have questions, call admissions (preferably once the rush is over for this year.)</p>

<p>Also look into summer programs, internships, that kind of thing, though is your daughter needs to work, colleges understand that too.</p>

<p>Don’t get her hopes up too high but let her know that it is good for financial reasons, to apply to range of schools. She probably has a great shot but noone ever knows.</p>

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<p>Many homeschoolers applying to competitive colleges have taken community college or four-year college classes. We often discuss whether those students should also take AP tests. The answer is-- sometimes. Some colleges offer credit for college classes and not AP tests, some offer credit for AP tests but not college classes, some offer both, some offer neither.</p>

<p>An aspiring medical student who is a freshman might want to take the freshman-level science classes at her school, even having already taken the same labelled classes at community college. Solid As and a solid background in science would serve her well as she moved to the higher level classes. Same for calculus.</p>

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<p>Well, some weed more than others, but also, thousands of kids go into college thinking that they’ll be pre-meds and change their minds, so planning where to attend solely on the basis of being a pre-med might not in fact be the best plan.</p>

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<p>Steve - what I see with my own son is not all I see. I work in our local high school, and like every other high school, a respectable number of students head out thinking they are going pre-med. Many end up never applying for the usual reasons (grades or changing their mind), but I’ve also seen some be successful at pretty much any level of college. I wouldn’t discount any college for pre-med - myth #1 is probably that one needs a top college for med school. That one is busted. Myth #2 is that schools with top med school admissions stats are better than those without. That one is equally busted via the “tricks” many use. There are several threads about both on the Pre-med forum here.</p>

<p>What is important is finding a good fit for the student whether a research U (like my son wanted and fits right in with) or an LAC (great for the right student - like my older son, though he isn’t pre-med).</p>

<p>One should never be promoting pre-med myths IMO. I’d like to see what the pre-med acceptance stats are for the 100% school when the student applying has a 3.0 - 3.19. I fully suspect there won’t be any applications, but maybe I’m incorrect… The student who attends a school that will support an application with a 3.0 GPA has a better chance even if the “odds” look better at the 100% school. There are schools who will support anyone who wants to try, there are schools who will support students above a certain amount (like URoc - I believe the minimum there is a 3.0), and there are schools who will not support those they don’t feel will get in even if they might with support. One should know which way they are headed, and if they are ok with it, then fine.</p>

<p>The OP should apply to different schools, but should look closely for a good fit and known good financial options. In some circles homeschooling can even be a plus due to the diversity offered. I wouldn’t say the OP’s student is “golden” as I’ve seen many where the finances still didn’t work out or acceptances didn’t happen at top schools, but I’d say they are competitive and should try for them. At schools right below the top - if they find the right fit - I think they will do VERY well. Some of those offer decent $$ too. URoc is one of those IF the fit is right - hence - my suggestion. I’m sure the OP would be open to other suggestions.</p>

<p>IF the OP’s D is like my guy, she’ll be bored at a lower level college. She’ll do well (it’s what she does) and will get into med school, but will also do well at a more rigorous place and will enjoy it more while still getting into med school. Only they can decide which path they want, and, once receiving offers, what is affordable. We’re all just mentioning options.</p>

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<p>She needs to apply to your instate flagships (Michigan, Michigan state given your mention of Wayne State). Do not presume a college with a medical school willl favor their own students. Choose schools based on other criteria without regard to this. Do look at the schools ranked as high or higher than the mentioned flagships. Private schools can often offer more money than public schools. Do not go with a lesser school than your public options just because they offer more money- they are paying your child to upgrade their student body.</p>

<p>The peer group she has dealt with in the local college is likely not as rigorous academically than the typical 4 year college she should attend. Of course those professors will be delighted with someone academically talented and interested. Big fish in small pond.</p>

<p>She needs to be challenged and among her academic peers. Elite private schools or Honors at a flagship. The caliber of courses is not equal at all schools- her CC may not have taught as much in her courses as at many better colleges.</p>

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<p>On CC we normally recommend that a student apply to their state flagship as a financial safety. But for this particular student, a private college would be cheaper. The University of Michigan is going to give her $6000-7000 a year of loans. That’s a lot of loans for a student headed for med school. But there are a lot of private colleges that would throw money at a low income high-SAT student with great grades.</p>

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<p>Creekland–where do you pull this mythical GPA from? Where did I say that kids with low GPA’s are applying to Med school. I SAID(typed) that of the kids that took the MCAT and APPLIED to Med school…hopefully the pre-med advisers discouraged kids from applying to med school with a 3.0–at Harvard or at State Directional U. I said from the start getting into med school is all about GPA and MCAT score to start and that the OP’s DD should go to a school where she can be a star and not be “average”. I gave her a range of schools to consider that may be better financial choices for her based on our experience applying to schools with kids number 3 and 4 this year. And total BS that she will be bored at a “lower” school. You don’t know that, you don’t know the schools. Comparing a CC class to these “lower” schools is just not really a good comparison. In our area CC is EASIER then high school classes so I would HOPE she got all A’s there. We don’t know test scores, she hasn’t taken the ACT or SAT yet. The mom says she is bright but all of our kids are bright…you just never know. NO kid is “golden” anywhere these days so cast a wide net, especially if you need financial aid!</p>

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<p>Steve, I think you are applying my posts to your situation. I am not. I am talking about schools in general. The “mythical GPA?” The only thing I can think of that I mentioned with GPAs are from that site I linked with acceptance rates based upon MCAT and GPA. That site is from the AAMC. It’s not mythical. It’s reality.</p>

<p>In REALITY, roughly 20% of students who apply to med school with a 3.0 - 3.19 GPA get accepted. While that isn’t a great number, it isn’t hopeless either, so I disagree that someone should be discouraging an otherwise promising student from applying. Many schools do - mainly so they can keep their artificial high stats. Some schools do not - and show lower stats even though, by numbers, they will have more students accepted (assuming the one in five make it in). The differences is the mythically higher stat school will have cut off the option from those other students. You may think they should. I disagree, but the main point is I think those considering such schools should beware of what they are comparing.</p>

<p>It’s fine with me that you chose whatever school you chose for your D. I have no bone to pick with you at all. I just think the OP should be able to consider a bit that they might not know and this is one biggie.</p>

<p>It is also NOT BS that a top kid can be bored at a much lower school than they are capable of. I hear back from kids often… It’s not bad to be in the top 25% (you want to be there if pre-med), but to be so much higher than everyone else can, and often does, lead to boredom (pending the student - and the school) as the student misses out on a bit of what college can be. It can be like putting an honors level kid into remedial classes in high school. They will get an easy A, but they could be doing so much more. An Honors College at a lower level school can remedy it, but again, it depends upon the school.</p>

<p>I do not know the OP (nor do you), but I have seen thousands of high school kids over my years, many of whom return to relate their experiences. I’m basing what I say based on the description from the OP and my experience. They should be considering many schools and see what fits well coupled with finances. I suspect they could have many options and should be aiming Top 50 - either LAC if they prefer that or Research U if they prefer that. They can apply to both and decide later based on financial packages and fit.</p>

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<p>OP,</p>

<p>You’ve gotten a lot of good advice. It’s probably good to keep e-folders with all the info.</p>

<p>Hopefully by now you’ve joined the HS2Coll list. I am sure you’ll get some great advice there.</p>

<p>We are a family of 5 and aren’t low income (2012 looks like 79K); we are very middle income (perhaps lower-middle to many here on CC). My dh is also a high school graduate while I have a degree in Communicative Disorders. He supports us on his blue collar job and I homeschool the children.</p>

<p>I was definitely where you were during my oldest son’s junior year. I had assumed he’d be heading to a Christian college. It was during his sophomore year that a professor from a particular Christian college told him he needed to go somewhere else because there wouldn’t be enough courses in math and physics. My son began part time college at age 12 and had exhausted all the math and physics courses by the middle of his sophomore year. </p>

<p>By his junior year, we began to look at schools such as Princeton and Penn. I used two resources mainly: College Board Big Future and a book, <em>Choosing the Right College</em>. (Keeping in mind we are a conservative Christian family; this book might not be for everyone) </p>

<p>By his senior year, we had compiled a list of reaches, matches, and safeties and ended up with 10 schools. (He had 11 as Stanford was on the list but he didn’t finish the application in time)</p>

<p>A few things you should know about: (And please PM me if you have more questions)</p>

<p>*If your DD will be a National Merit Semi-Finalist, you will need to give grades for all her courses. Even if you give all As (which I did) to her “mommy” courses, NM wants to see them. My son also had 55 units of community colleges (all As) and 19 units of audited university classes. All of these were on his homeschool transcripts and all had grades. If you don’t like the idea of grades for college applications, make two copies of her transcripts, one with and one without grades. I didn’t have a problem assigning grades.</p>

<p>*Yes, many schools have money in their budgets to fly students out for visits after acceptances. Princeton paid for my son to visit after he was accepted. (Ultimately, he chose MIT) </p>

<p>*Schools also have special programs for “underrepresented” (URM) students which, in your case, could be your income level that labels you URM. For instance, MIT looks for first gen, low SES, and minority kids for their WISE program in the fall. It can’t hurt to apply for these types of programs since they pay for your flight out, as well. (FYI-my son is 1/2 Puerto Rican, and so is considered a URM) </p>

<p>*This spring semester is the time for your daughter to take some more standardized tests including SAT II and AP exams if she is shooting for a selective school. My son took three SAT II exams and 6 AP exams (though he only had five during application season). It’s probably too late to sign up for the January SAT II tests but I believe there are some in March, May and June. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong. Pick the tests that you know your DD will ace. In my son’s case, because I thought he’d be going really early to college (like 3 years), he took SAT II tests in 8th grade along with the SAT I. Like you, at that time, I was assuming he’d go to one of two local colleges since he was going to attend early. He changed his mind and decided to wait until the “normal” age. That gave him time to do lots of fun and wonderful things (not all academic, for sure!)</p>

<p>*Contact a local high school and ask if your DD can take AP exams. My son took AP exams that corresponded with his college classes, ie., Calc B/C, Physics C, Statistics, and Lit (this one he took after taking a homeschool class). My son developed a good relationship with a local counselor since he started his AP exams in 8th grade.</p>

<p>*I’m sorry I don’t know anything about pre-med. I do think Caltech has some sort of pre-med agreement with UCSD so you might want to look into that.</p>

<p>*The reason I recommend Caltech is because they are incredibly generous with financial aid. Here’s a list of schools that my son got the best aid from:</p>

<p>Vanderbilt (You definitely want to put this on your list. They offer fantastic need-based aid and they also have a full tuition scholarship which my son won. The total out of pocket billed amount for room and board for Vandy would have been around $900 a year-insanely cheap!)</p>

<p>Caltech (Billed amount was around $1300-1400)</p>

<p>Princeton (Billed amount was around 5K)</p>

<p>I understand that Harvard, Yale, and Stanford all have fantastic aid, as well.</p>

<p>MIT has loans in their package, but they do allow my son to bring in up to 6K in outside scholarships which wiped away the loan and work study. </p>

<p>Penn had loans in their package, though I was told you could file an appeal and they usually come back with more. </p>

<p>Harvey Mudd has loans in their package. Even with the full tuition scholarship, it was too expensive.</p>

<p>Washington University in St. Louis (probably another school your D should apply to) has a full tuition scholarship and I’ve heard they offer great aid, but for my son, who didn’t get the scholarship, the out of pocket was something like 22K. If they had wanted him more, they probably would have coughed up more money.</p>

<p>My son’s three safeties all had potential for full ride scholarships. (Univ. of Pittsburgh, University of Texas at Dallas, and Baylor Univ) You might want to look into these schools, as well.</p>

<p>*You can begin to get letters of recommendation now. My son’s best recommender was his physics prof at the local state univ. and I have no doubt it was part of the reason he did well in college admissions. Get up to five recommendations if you want. Most schools only want two but some will accept up to five (Harvey Mudd) and some scholarships (McDermott Scholars Program at UT Dallas) will require extra letters. They don’t all have to be academic. My son had three academic, one music, and one chess.</p>

<p>*If your income hovers around 60K or below, I would recommend your daughter apply to Questbridge.</p>

<p>*A few pieces of advice I got from a private counselor:</p>

<ol>
<li>Show interest in schools-email, call, visit</li>
<li>On essays, make sure you answer the questions. Sometimes my son would write a good essay but he didn’t answer the essay question. And have at least one person edit your daughter’s essays.</li>
<li>On the Common Application, in the “extra information” section, write another essay.</li>
</ol>

<p>Your daughter sounds like a wonderful candidate for any college! I know it seems overwhelming right now but you have some time before senior year. Believe me, I didn’t know what Ivy League was until just a few years ago. It was a steep learning curve but with the help of CC, HS2Coll, and the kind posters in both places, you can do it! :-)</p>

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<p>Creekland,</p>

<p>My son experienced this problem. He audited a senior level physics class at the local state university during his junior year. It just would not have worked for him to attend this school unless he decided to do all graduate classes for his undergrad and that just wasn’t very appealing; thus, he definitely did not apply to the local state univ.</p>

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<p>S - That was well-written, great advice! I also agree with the recommendation for Vanderbilt… my guy didn’t like them as they were too Greek for his desires, but their finances are superb.</p>

<p>Otherwise, we often get parents who assume College A = College B and Bio 101 is the same class anywhere. It simply isn’t true. I’ve been able to bust that myth with some locally just by showing them a first test from my middle son. It takes less than 10 seconds for them to see there is a difference, but before looking at it these folks would swear I was incorrect (BTDT).</p>

<p>All colleges are “right” for someone and have their place in society, I’m not knocking them (and my youngest will most likely go to a low level school as it will fit him best), but it’s a fallacy to assume a top student can get as good of an education at any school. They can get a degree anywhere, and they can get into med school from anywhere, so if that is all that is desired, pick anywhere. It works. However, the depth of class info and the variety of class choices is NOT the same anywhere. The vast majority of students who choose lower level schools simply can’t do the depth and won’t need the significant in depth variety that higher level schools can offer (pending major and specialties sometimes). Top kids can be bored. Not all are. Some love being at the top with little effort on their part, but many who visit higher level schools (and later attend them) come back loving them and realizing the difference. They thoroughly enjoy being with their peers academically and delving into academics. It all depends upon the student.</p>

<p>It really is like insisting top students take lower level high school classes vs Honors or AP. They can do them. They will graduate. They can get nice jobs. They will likely be the prof’s favorites if they get known and can get perks (if available) from it. But they are not getting as academically educated as they could be since the majority of the kids simply can’t handle the material in more depth and/or haven’t had the foundation to start in more depth.</p>

<p>I’m NOT talking about a student with a 30 ACT choosing a school where the top 25% is 28… I’m talking about a 33 - 34 ACT choosing a school where the top 25% is around 25 or less without an Honors College or specialty in the major.</p>

<p>But, to each their own. Not all want in depth academics. My research loving guy is loving both his education and his opportunities. He would have done well anywhere, but why restrict his opportunities? He got good financing where he is. He probably could have gotten total full rides had he opted to go to a really lower level school (maybe, not all of these offer full rides), but the academics and opportunities would not have been the same. His classes are more in depth than his older brother’s mid level LAC (though older brother loves where he is and is in a different major that his LAC does VERY well with, so no “wrong” decision there).</p>

<p>Each student needs to find their fit including academics and finances.</p>

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<p>Questbridge is a great suggestion. (Is is available to homeschoolers? Assuming yes but don’t know.) How does the original poster contact Questbridge and get things started?</p>

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<p>Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the wonderful people here who have answered or PM’d – you don’t know how helpful you have been! I have been losing sleep in a dead panic over it all, and dd has been worried and anxious now over the upcoming testing. I had to remind her (and myself!) that this is a GOOD thing, with more doors opening – not a bad thing that’s been laid on us (which is how it feels!) Even those of you with cautionary notes have been helpful – yes, I understand she’s in a “big fish, small pond” situation, but yeah, she’s frustrated with her many times lumpen classmates, who show up without having done the readings or work necessary. And she’s isolated, and lonely. There’s only so much swapping and discussing biological research papers or Shakespeare with Mom can do. It’s hard telling your child that yep, she’s going to be isolated until she hits her peer group, probably in med school. </p>

<p>sbjdorlo, thank you especially as you’ve been there, in a very similar situation! It gives me hope that I can get the situation under control and come up to speed even while “riding the rocket.” :slight_smile: Hahahaha, that’s interesting to know about going ahead and giving her all "A"s on her transcript! I thought admissions would roll their eyes at it – I know I would! </p>

<p>I’m going to do a slow and careful re-read of everything on here, and have dd read, too. I admit I don’t understand everything. Things are coming clearer now that I’m reading some admissions books.</p>

<p>Thank you all so much. It is SO appreciated. Keep it coming if you have anything to add! </p>

<p>She’ll probably take the SAT II Chemistry and Bio, maybe one of the Histories at the end of the month to take the load off for May/June when she’ll probably do the SAT I and ACT and whatever AP’s or SAT II’s we can wrangle. We’re still not straight on the schedule of everything. </p>

<p>I dug up her SAT scores from when she was 13. Like I said, we just shrugged and said, “Yep, looks pretty good!” without really knowing. Reading: 740 Math:640 Writing: 730 Mult Choice: 76 Essay: 08 At that point, she hadn’t done Algebra so I’m sure that held her math down. </p>

<p>I don’t know if it helps with admissions, but she also has a hidden disability – severe food allergy/anaphylaxis, which is one reason why she was homeschooled. Comments? </p>

<p>Thanks ~</p>

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<p>For SAT Subject tests, she may want to look up which specific ones are required or recommended for the colleges being applied to (and whether there are any special requirements or recommendations for home schoolers).</p>

<p>Regarding big/little fish and big/little ponds, if she attends a school with much lower average student academic credentials, it is more likely that a big flagship-level school will have a peer group for her than a small school will.</p>

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<p>I’m assuming that SAT Math score will go up substantially, which it would need to in order to be competitive for top private colleges and universities–or the University of Michigan, for that matter.</p>

<p>Just to be clear, 2100+ SATs don’t guarantee you a spot at the most selective colleges and universities. I agree that RocketRider’s D could be an attractive catch for a lot of schools, including some that meet 100% of financial need (with the caveats that schools define “need” differently, and that the FA package at most schools could include loans and/or work-study). But like any applicant, she needs to apply to a range of schools, with one or two “safeties” and some solid “match” schools as well as some “reaches.” So far most of the discussion on this thread has been about schools that should properly be considered “reaches” for everyone. Identifying “reach” schools is easy; the harder part is often identifying safeties and matches.</p>

<p>Some sobering statistics: for its Class of 2016, Brown accepted only 24% of the 1,643 HS valedictorians who applied, along with 15% of the salutatorians; 21.8% of those who scored a perfect 800 on SAT CR; and 16.4% of those who scored 800 on SAT M. Of those who scored “only” in the 750-790 range, Brown’s admit rate dropped to 14.4% (CR) and 14.0% (M), respectively. Most other schools don’t provide as much detail on their admissions stats, but there’s no reason to think it’s much different at other highly selective schools. Clearly top grades and test scores are helpful, but most applicants to the most selective schools have top grades and test scores, and most of them are rejected. That’s not to say it’s not worth applying; but getting into the most selective schools is something not even the most gifted applicant can count on.</p>

<p>Assuming RocketRider’s D is a Michigan resident (as was suggested upthread), I think Michigan State needs to be viewed as a probable safety and the University of Michigan as a probable match, at least as a first cut. If there are private schools of comparable selectivity with clearly more generous FA policies, they can be substituted, but Michigan and Michigan State are solid schools that would serve most if not all of this student’s needs, and they’re a good starting point for assembling a realistic list of schools of varying degrees of selectivity. I believe the University of Michigan meets 100% of need for in-state students, but their aid packages usually include loans and work-study; on the other hand, this will also be the case at most private schools, only a tiny handful of which can afford no-loan/full-need FA. So if RocketRider’s D is in-state for the University of Michigan, it would be hard to see why she wouldn’t want to include it on her list. If she’s a National Merit Semifinalist, she’s all but certain to be invited to join Michigan’s Honors Program, which has student stats roughly comparable to the most selective private colleges and universities. Michigan also places a heavy emphasis on undergraduate research opportunities, and it’s got top 10 or top 20 faculties in just about every discipline imaginable, including all the sciences.</p>

<p>[Undergraduate</a> Research Opportunity Program | University of Michigan](<a href=“http://www.lsa.umich.edu/urop/]Undergraduate”>Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) | U-M LSA)</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>And this certainly doesn’t have to be the case. Is there any chance you can visit some local schools like U Michigan, Michigan State and perhaps some Liberal Arts Colleges near you? They don’t have to be schools you are really interested in, but they can give you a good idea about the type of school that appeals to your D. Then, if she also has an idea of a major she truly likes (need not be Bio or even science to go Pre-med), post back on here and folks can provide some schools to consider. You’ve already got Vanderbilt and U Rochester to consider (both are good with need-based aid). With her SAT scores she’s competitive for Vandy and a good match for U Roc. Others I can think of right off the bat to consider would be Emory (in GA) and Rice (in TX). If she ends up liking a Liberal Arts College, consider Franklin & Marshall ¶. You don’t need to try to visit any of these (yet) but look at their websites and see what they offer. Some may appeal (let us know these and what is appealing about them). Others might not (ditto).</p>

<p>After visits to local schools, come back and let us know what type of school she’s leaning toward (large, medium, small, urban, suburban, rural, Greek, not so Greek, religious, secular, etc) and potential major or field of study she loves. There’s a right fit for every student and I’m pretty sure with a “right fit” your D will find her peers at a price that’s affordable. That latter part is a perk with high stats and lower income. ;)</p>

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<p>compmom,</p>

<p>The OP can apply to Questbridge directly. She’ll act as the HS counselor and get letters of recommendation just as she would when going through college admissions process.</p>

<p>OP,</p>

<p>Yes, our kids are very similar. My son took the SAT I in 8th grade and got 2120-800M, 680W, and 640CR. He took it once in high school as a junior and scored 2320, so I am sure your D will be just fine with her SAT. Given that her PSAT score is NM level, I’m certain her SAT will be in a similar (or even better) range.</p>

<p>Re. the food allergy- I think you and/or your daughter need to call each school or do some research on their websites. You don’t necessarily need to disclose that fact (I didn’t talk about my oldest son’s ADHD, though he did mention it in an essay which is easy to find on the internet) but you want to make sure her schools will be accommodating to her needs.</p>

<p>I agree with bcl regarding U of Michigan. I know an exceptional student there who was homeschooled. He got lots of scholarships and was able to take a graduate level course his first year. It seems like a very good fit for him.</p>

<p>APs are in May but you’ll need to sign up for them in January or February, depending on the rules of the local school that you’ll be using.</p>

<p>I also wanted to mention that you’ll be writing a counselor letter in addition to a school profile/homeschool philosophy/curriculum and grading. In the school profile, you can mention how your daughter compares with others in your neighborhood or at the local school. For instance, our local high school’s average SAT scores are between 1275 and 1300, so it does stand out that my son’s score was over 1000 point higher than is typical around here.</p>

<p>In the counselor letter, you have the opportunity to talk about what makes your D so special and unique.</p>

<p>In the homeschool philosophy, you get a chance to explain why you chose to homeschool.</p>

<p>In the curriculum and grading, you can describe what curriculum, courses, methods, etc. you used and what grading system you used (or didn’t use, in your case).</p>

<p>HTH a little more!</p>

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<p>I agree with those that suggest looking at state flagships in addition to the reaches while looking for that perfect cost/fit ratio. My son is a younger than normal freshman honors scholarship student at our state flagship and has been able to find the appropriate challenge level and peer group with graduate level courses. It counteracts the 'big fish in a little pond" atmosphere somewhat. I’ve been very impressed with how helpful his advisor and the department head have been in allowing him to enroll in these courses and skip unneeded undergrad prerequisites.</p>

<p>Edited to add: he was also homeschooled and was admitted as such. However, while I provided the “diploma”, his transcripts all came from the universities in which he was dual enrolled and taking classes for his highschool credits.</p>

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<p>The US median income is somewhere around $50K/year. Do we have posters with that level of income or lower, who can report back about financial aid packages at various schools? </p>

<p>I second (third, or whatever we’re up to) the suggestion of Questbridge. RocketRider’s D sounds like their ideal candidate.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/[/url]”>http://www.questbridge.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>RocketRider,</p>

<p>Are you from a small town with few opportunities? That will impress the colleges even more if your D has taken advantage of everything your area has to offer.</p>

<p>My son, unlike your D was not isolated and lonely. We are in a large city and my son’s classroom was our large county. He did national math and physics competitions, tons of music, chess, church stuff, and sports. And even though many of the other community college students were in a different station of life, he had wonderful experiences there. In fact, one of his essays was about his calc. III class when he was a freshman and his classmates included a working father with young children. My son learned a great deal from all that he participated in even if he wasn’t challenged academically.</p>

<p>Definitely make sure admissions understands if your D has limited access to academics and extra curricular activities. We made a point of saying that my son took full advantage of everything we could get our hands on.</p>

<p>Cardinal Fang, I believe some of the top schools have “full rides” (tuition and room/board) for families of under 60K. There are also some good outside scholarships the OP should check into, as those can cover other costs such as books and extra living expenses.</p>