Helping Me Find the Best Fit

College Search & Selection
1

Hi everyone,

tl;dr at the bottom.

I thought I’d make a post here since everyone here seems to be so informed on such a wide range of colleges. If this isn’t in the right place please let me know and I can make a new one in a different spot!

So I am wondering if anyone knows of a college (or multiple) that are looking for someone like me. I know that sounds really general and impossible to answer, so let me explain some more-- from what I have found, there are a lot of schools that are looking for specific people. Though there are some common denominators, I think that certain schools focus on different aspects of an application than others. Since my situation is rather unique, I thought I would ask to see if anyone knows of a college that is looking for someone like me. DISCLAIMER: I understand that my situation is less-than-ideal for pretty much every school; I understand I show some negative traits here that would turn-off a lot of schools.

Here is the story (another disclaimer: nothing sad or heartbreaking, I know people have been through worse!):

I am an online student. I started homeschooling (different than online) with my mom teaching me in 2015. After two years to finish a really simple pass or fail online course, I started my grade 10 and had the same results. In that year I finished maybe half of a math course and not much else. I was 16 but I didn’t really have any academic progress since I started high school. I decided to turn things around and, to make a story short, I transformed from a useless person with nothing to show for to someone who was completely self-managed and self-motivated. I found an accredited online school, picked out my classes, then did everything in regards to my schooling for the next two years (except pay for it). I didn’t have any help nor anyone pushing me, but I managed to push myself and (almost, parents did pay and give me some praise!) single-handily go from a guy who was extremely close to dropping out to working on high school throughout age 19 to a 4.7GPA and all that stuff.

Another disclaimer: I’m not trying to sound arrogant here. I’ve gone through far, far less than a lot of people and I simply haven’t done as much as a lot of applicants; I am simply trying to find out if there is a school out there that is looking for people like me!

TL;DR:
I guess this could all be summarized by asking if there are any schools out there that really want
“dont-give-up!” proactive/initiative and self-motivated students? There are positive and negative character traits shown from online school, I’m just trying to find some colleges that want really want people with these positive traits.

Stats + Information:
I have a 4.7GPA (around there, haven’t calculated it lately). I had a B in Chemistry and an A- in History, but straight As in my APs and everything else. I got a 1400 on the SAT, no subject tests and no AP exams. I am Canadian, the school is American. Nearly full APs/Honors with the exception of foreign language, science, and history. My teacher recommendations are quite possibly the best part of my application because they are such great people and provided some really helpful insight. And since I already know people are going to be wondering why I talked myself up to be alone during high school but I just talked about how amazing my teachers were-- they were nice, but they were very hands-off. I would always reach out for questions and they would answer them, but they wouldn’t actually teach the course, they would just grade my work by telling me what I got wrong.

I completely understand that top schools are really tough to get into and my chances are extremely slim, but if you think of any that are looking for traits that I’ve shown, I would really appreciate hearing them.

I’m sorry if this seems scrambled! I am bad at articulating myself with this kind of stuff.
Thank you all!!

2

Well, you have a HS diploma and you’re only a year older than “normal,” right? So I think that lots of colleges would take you. Most state schools, for example, would let you in easily, and most of them are solid choices.

However, if you want a “top” college, it’s a little different. How do you define a topb school? What type of school do you want (big/small, urban/rural, liberal arts vs. preprofessional, etc)? What do you want to major in?

The problems I see here is that yes, elite colleges might feel differently about an online school, and you also didn’t mention any extracurricular activities, which are a must for selective schools. Why didn’t you take any AP tests, if you’re in AP courses?

Also, have you finished high school? If you’re graduating this year, it’s obviously a little late to apply now, though not impossible, so you’d need to consider what you’ll do with your gap year.

Lastly, do you want to go to school in Canada or the US? Being an international student, you might face tougher competition and less financial aid.

3

Apply to all yhe unis you don’t hate. It’s the only way for online students cos lots of colleges will look down on you cos you don’t have HS diploma.

4

@Clone1461 I will have a high school diploma. It’s an accredited online school with certified AP courses and graduation requirements (which I will have met).

I understand schools might look down on online students, but I think that’s because of social concerns more than anything else, right?

5

@JakeTheMan24
An online degree puts you into great disadvantage tho it’s not your fault.

AOs look down on online degrees because: A They know nothing about them. B These degrees are somewhat easier to obtain C Lots of fake degrees so they can’t confirm whether yours is real.

Take GED if possible. Or A Levels. Have stellar SATs and Subject Tests and take some APs if possible. ECs should be your least concern. If you have high scores you may be able to get into a good college.

6

If you have a high school diploma, I’m pretty sure that a GED is impossible-- it’s redundant.

You have a 1400 SAT and a high school diploma. There are plenty of schools that would love to have you— though they may not be the “top” schools. What’s your major, and let’s talk finances and geography. There are thousands of great colleges here, and thousands more in Canada, so help us narrow down the field a bit.

As to online vs brick and mortar schools, that ship has sailed. You have the diploma you have. I’m sure some of the people here will be able to help you once you give us a few more details.

7

^^ Agreed - you should have many options, so in order to make good suggestions, we’d need to know what you’re looking for. Presumably you have avoided the “institutional” experience in high school - do you now want to acclimate to a traditional campus experience, or would something more “alternative” be better? If you just don’t like crowded, overstimulating environments, would a small school be better? Or, if you prefer a certain level of anonymity, would you like a big school better? Geographically, where do you want to be? What do you want to study? What’s your budget?

Getting into very competitive schools will be hard. It would help with college admissions if you had done some dual enrollment classes to gain classroom experience and to have recommendations from teachers who have experienced your participation in person. Having more EC’s would be a help too.

But there are tons of good schools that would admit you just based on your solid stats. Among those, there are many possible settings.

One example: If starting small would be good, you might consider U of Minnesota - Morris. The Morris campus is a small, public liberal arts college with a great reputation. It’s very affordable even for OOS/international students. (Even more so for Native American & First Nations students, for whom tuition is free.) You’d be well qualified with your stats, and the manageable size and small classes could make for a great transition to a classroom-based college education. You could get a well-regarded four year degree there, but there’s also an internal transfer process to the Twin Cities flagship campus if you eventually wanted the experience of a large, urban university.

Another example: Given that you’re accustomed to being self-motivated and self-directed, it’s possible that you might find a more traditional college experience stifling. Students at Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA design their own degree programs based on an Academic Statement of their own creation https://www.evergreen.edu/academicstatement This might give you the kind of freedom you’re accustomed to, while still having a campus-based college experience. More than 95% of applicants are accepted, so getting in wouldn’t be an issue.

But at this point, any/all suggestions are speculative until you tell us more about what you want and need.

8

And what you can afford, too.

9

My apologies for not including enough details! Here is some information that could help:

I will be graduating when I’m 19, my birthday is in January. I skipped kindergarten or something so I was a year ahead going into high school. I am currently in Grade 11 and 18 years old. Sorry for the poor wording in the original post, I thought it would be easier to communicate like I was already 19.

My current college list is: (apologies if this is messy, this includes some notes)

Harvard (Stats) Early Decision?

Dartmouth (Computer Science)

Stanford (Symbolic Systems / Robotics?)

U Washington (Direct admission to CS or don’t go)

Northeastern

Vanderbilt

USC (Video Games)

Waterloo (Canadian)

UBC (Canadian)

CU Boulder

Chapman

UBC Okanogan

***Please note that the Canadian schools on this list are far easier to apply to, so I think I should be fine applying to 12 colleges. I might cut-out Stanford because that might be too far of a stretch, even for dream.

Major:
A lot are listed above. Generally, Computer Science is the field I want to go into. I would also consider Stats or Entrepreneurship depending on the program. For example, I would definitely look into a CS/Economics combined major, or maybe something like Stats/CS or CS/Entrepreneurship.

Financials:
It is a factor-- if I got into, say, USC and Vanderbilt, I would likely choose Vanderbilt because it costs nearly 20k less. With that said, my family is still able to afford high tuition and are more-than-willing to pay for it. Tuition isn’t really on my mind at this moment, because no siblings are going to college and so we have the money to pay.

Social Aspects:
I am completely confident in my social skills. Though I am introverted, I would feel very comfortable in a state school. Size would best be around 20k-30k, higher would be less-preferred but not a big deal regardless.

Campus:
I really, really liked the San Diego State University campus when I toured. I love a more modern campus where it feels somewhat like a small town. This isn’t a big concern either, I toured SDSU, Chapman, and UCSD and I really loved all campuses.

Why I chose online:
Online was chosen because when I was 14, all my friends moved away and I thought it was the best option. I kept with it because I fell in love with the traveling, freedom, and opportunities that came from it. It will have been 5 years since that point and I will be 19, almost 20 when I go to college. I am very confident with my ability to excel in a standard-social setting. I understand that colleges won’t know this, but I thought I’d include it here regardless. With that said, I would still prefer a some-what big school because, as you said, the anonymity helps with any social concerns I would have. Crowds wouldn’t give me troubles, but small groups could definitely pose some stress.

Location:
Anything on the west coast would be awesome. I love Washington (specifically Seattle) and I really liked SoCal. I would also love to go to the north-eastern states because education is so great there. The only states I would seriously rule out are the southern states (with an exception of Nashville, Tennesee and Austin, Texas)-- they are just too different from life in Canada.

ECs:
Been trying to get 2 different products patented and licensed. My main EC is mastering Python and making an algorithm for sports betting. I’ve been working on learning Python for the past 6 months or so and I am taking a few accredited courses from third-party sites. I am going to be real with you guys, I’m not the kind to become super well-rounded. I am going to be working really hard on a few select interests because that is what I am interested in doing. I would be doing all of this even if I was a dropout. From what I’ve seen, colleges quite like it when a student shows one strong interests and excels greatly in that field. Though I am still in the early stages of this, I hope that my algorithm can impress some colleges. The reason I didn’t include this in the original post was that my ECs could be either pretty impressive or rather underwhelming.

Do you guys think that AP Exams would be really beneficial for me? I can take AP Micro and Macroeconomic exams, my CS AP exams, and maybe my AP English Literature exam. The reason I haven’t done it previously is because I didn’t need any college course credit (I would like to relearn a lot of this stuff because I am generally interested in getting a solid foundation from a college) and I was under the impression it wouldn’t do anything else for me. All the schools on my list responded with no special requirements or recommendations for online students when asked about potential requirements such as SAT subject tests or AP Exams.

@Clone1461 In regards to online schooling.

Sure they are typically easier to obtain, but the AP courses which make up nearly all of my classes are certified and approved. This means they are the same difficulty as anywhere else. Also, I mentioned above that this is an accredited school, meaning that they are approved diplomas.

Thank you so much, everyone!!

10

I think you are underestimating the level of competition in top US schools, especially in CS. Kids who apply normally mastered several programming languages and often created several useful products - while having a number of other ECs and leadership positions. One algorithm is not going to impress much, and I doubt any AOs will even try to understand it. If you make a lot of money with it, then maybe. Otherwise, I think Canadian colleges and schools like SDSU are your best bet. You’ll likely get into CU Boulder as well, but it’s expensive for OOS students and may not be really worth it, so even if your parents can afford it I’d concentrate more on schools that give merit aid.

11

@yucca10

I guess I’ll try to make a lot of money with it then :wink: What % return do you think would be impressive for top schools? I honestly have no clue what they would consider as impressive.

I had no idea that people are applying with several mastered programming languages. I mean I figured that would be the case with CalTech, MIT, and Stanford, but didn’t really think Vanderbilt, UW, and others on my list would also be filled with theses competitive applicants.

Is statistics less competitive? I’ve been trying to figure out which major I would prefer. If I would be more likely to enter a stats program then I would definitely consider it (same with entrepreneurship).

By the way, I can’t actually apply to California state schools because they don’t accept online classes. With that said, SDSU was previously a probable school for me alongside USC, Waterloo, and UBC. Does this mean my college list is somewhat reasonable? I understand this isn’t a “what are my chances” thread, but it wouldn’t hurt to hear a reply from you!

thanks!

12

UW’s CS is getting really competitive, they rejected a number of very impressive applicants this year based on CC anecdotes. Not sure about Vanderbilt but it’s quite competitive in general.

I base my observations mostly on my son and his friends who have been programming for years. Some of them couldn’t get into any selective school. They might have had worse grades than yours but likely better SAT scores (1400 is low for top schools). I don’t have the statistics (and I’m by no means a college consultant so take my words with a grain of salt) but I think this is common among kids who like CS.

Statistics is probably less competitive but not many schools have a separate stats program, it’s usually a type of math major. I hope other people would have more to say about a realistic college list for you, but I think Canadian colleges might be your best bet, although I don’t really know how they consider online schools. Why not UToronto, by the way, is it because of the location?

13

Ah, okay, that’s much clearer.

I don’t doubt that you are as capable and accomplished as many students who get into elite schools. The reality, though, is that most successful applicants have more objective proof of their qualifications than you have. Your solid test scores, grades, teacher recs, and interesting projects will help you, and I assume you’ll write great essays. Nonetheless, you will be a bit more of an unknown quantity to the AO’s than a student with the same stats and a more traditional background.

The second piece of context is that wanting to major in CS puts you in a more competitive pool for any college that admits by major. And even schools that don’t admit by major will be looking at you through a CS lens, since you’re so “pointy” in that direction.

Plus, when it comes to US schools, you’re being evaluated as an international student. (Although the fact that you don’t absolutely require need-based aid is a help on that front, because only the very tippy-top schools are need-blind for internationals.) I’m not knowledgeable enough about Canadian U admissions to “chance” you at those schools, so consider all my comments as mainly applying to your US-based options. (You may indeed be a fine candidate for Waterloo, for example, and that’s a great math/CS school.)

Put all that together with the fact that you’re “unhooked” (not a legacy, or a recruited athlete, or a domestic URM)… and IMHO the realistic assessment is that your acceptances in the US will come from schools where are your stats are at minimum in the top quartile of the applicant pool.

I would be very, very surprised to see you accepted at Harvard, Stanford, or Dartmouth. (Don’t get me wrong, I’d be happy for you. But I agree with the statement above that you’re underestimating the extreme level of competitiveness for unhooked applicants.) Also, direct-admit to CS at UDub is highly competitive as a baseline and also very heavily favors WA residents, so that’s a long shot too. A 1400 SAT is below average for Vanderbilt, Northeastern, and USC; and that’s for those universities overall - the scores of CS admits will be even higher.

I’m sorry to sound so negative, but I think it’s important to understand what you’re up against as a CS applicant with a non-traditional background.

CU Boulder could be a good target. Other flagships with excellent CS and vibrant urban locations include UMinnesota Twin Cities, UWisconsin Madison, and U of Utah in Salt Lake City. Both U of Nevada campuses have strong CS programs too.

Since you like the Pacific Northwest urban vibe of UDub, I would suggest that you look at Portland State University as a safety. Computer Science is a particular strength there, and the student population includes particularly large numbers of non-traditional students, which gives it an independent-thinking mindset that you might really like. Not only would you almost certainly be accepted, but admissions are rolling, so you could apply early and have an acceptance in your pocket as early as September. Portland is a terrific city for students, and PSU offers a great blend of as much freedom and anonymity as you want, but also a warm and supportive community of students in on-campus and near-campus housing. The kids I know there have friends in CS who are going on to top-tier grad programs.

Not far from PSU in Portland, Reed College could also be worth a look. This is a very selective private U, highly rigorous and respected, but definitely tilted toward individualism and quite possibly very receptive to an applicant like you. Reed is a top producer of eventual PhD’s in an amazing variety of fields, both STEM and non-STEM. They are all about fit, and I can see them recognizing a potential “Reedie” in you.

If you like the co-op aspect of Northeastern, consider U of Cincinnati which is a public, urban U with a terrific CS co-op program. You might also like RIT in Rochester; stats are high in their CS school so it would be a little reachy, but potentially a great fit for you. (Early Decision helps a lot there, if you were to find that you really love RIT.) WPI (Worcester MA) and Stevens (in NJ, right across the river from NYC - as in, you can see the skyline from the campus) could be worth a try too. Just outside of Boston, UMass Lowell has an up-and-coming CS program that could be worth a look as well.

I’m sure you’d have a shot at Chapman but I’m not sure how many like-minded CS-focused students you would find there. It’s more known for the arts and pre-health. Santa Clara U could be a good CA private target, with excellent CS and great connections in Silicon Valley.

Hope that helps!

14

@yucca10 much appreciated!

With your comments along with aqua’s, I’ll probably drop UW from my list. Seems super competitive and unlikely.

I would much prefer to live in the US, I really enjoy it there and I would love to start a life there in the future. I really dislike Toronto as a city, so I ruled it out. Though education and academics are really important, I would still prefer to go to a place like Chapman over UBC. There are few selections for top schools here, and a lot of them are in cities which I dislike. I only added the Canadian schools because they act as a safety for both cost and admissions.

@aquapt Wow! Thank you so much for all that information!!

I totally understand and appreciate the reality check. I’ll likely still apply to Harvard and Dartmouth because they’re the dream, but I wouldn’t have much hope. I’ll be sure to check out every college you listed! Your reply could not have been more useful to me!

I actually have SCU on my backup list in case I decide to not apply to one of the schools on my list. The only reason I have Chapman there is because I think I would feel the most comfortable there out of all the options. I toured there and just loved the atmosphere, the city, and pretty much everything. If I was every worried about my social-health, I would probably choose that school. I also looked at RIT, and I’m honestly not too sure why I took it off my list a few months ago. I’ll be sure to revisit it!

As surprising as it might sound, I’m not actually too concerned with getting into the top academic programs. Of course, it would be awesome to tell everyone I got into a top30 school after everyone doubted me, but it really isn’t a priority. I would be (nearly) just as happy at a CU Boulder as an Ivy-- I just want to make sure I have a great fit and a comfortable environment so I can produce the best results. I appreciate the reality checks and all the other information!

I will be retaking the SATs. Any idea what a good target score would be for me? Keep in mind I would still like to keep my list of a Vanderbilt/Northeastern/USC reach. I should maintain around a 4.7 gpa and the ECs I mentioned above.

I really appreciate all the help!

15

Did you visit LMU when you were in LA? I’d say it overlaps with Chapman vibe-wise and selectivity-wise, but it has more extensive STEM offerings.

16

@Clone1461 With respect, you are perpetuating an outdated stigma about online schools and classes.

Admissions folks do not “look down” on online classes, generally speaking. There may be some providers that are unknown, but there are quite a few online providers that many adcoms seem to know and respect. Stanford Online High School, PA Homeschoolers AP classes, CTY Online are just a few. Students of these providers get into highly selective colleges every year.

Our state’s public online charter school - one with 100% online classes (that are not that interactive so my kids haven’t taken many classes with them) sends kids that have done high school full time online to a variety of LACs and Universities (some extremely selective, including Top 30s) every year.

Online can be extremely interactive, with live Skype classes, etc. The quality of the education depends on the provider/institution - just like public schools and private schools. There are great ones and not-so-great ones.

That being said - @JakeTheMan24, anything you have done in terms of summer camps/jobs/ECs that have you working with people in-person and learning with people in-person should be emphasized in your application. From what I have heard from communicating with a ton of admissions-related folks over the last few years, if you are doing all online and no dual credit, then they need to see and know you can work with others in-person, and that you can participate in seminar-style lively academic discussion. So if you have not done dual credit but can show through your ECs that you are a team player and work well with others etc, then so much the better.

And taking those AP tests would have helped - any and all standardized tests would help. Same goes for students everywhere. Can you register for some SAT2 subject tests? High scores (700+) would be optimal if possible. Even schools that say the scores aren’t required will be happy to have them (if the scores aren’t low).

The 1400 SAT is a good score, but, like others said, not good enough for the Ivies unless you have a hook. Shoot for at least 1500 if you retake.

17

@JakeTheMan24 - Something I meant to add above -

If you are a full time student at an accredited online high school, then that high school should have a guidance counselor. Have you asked that person for advice/help? Also, the school should have a list of colleges where they have recently (within the last couple of years) sent their graduated students. Take a look at that list, then have a conversation with your guidance counselor.

18

@aquapt I did not tour it, but I’ve heard of it before! I’ll be sure to check it out later tonight. Thank you.

@JanieWalker Yes, I have a guidance counselor. She has provided some insight, but I’ve found that the more reliable advice comes from these forums and actually checking myself.

Thank you for your comments about online school. My school is accredited and I’m taking certified AP courses. There is a sheet of schools that include all the Ivys, Stanford, MIT, and more. Although those people likely weren’t fully-enrolled at the school, they still took certified classes that counted towards their diploma.

I’ll see what I can do in regards to engaging with other people. Based on what you said, I think getting an entry-job and doing some AP exams is my best option. I’ll try to get this done, but I’m not too sure how I am going to get a job with my schedule as is. I’m taking a lot of courses as is!

Thank you for all the help!

19

@JakeTheMan24 Regarding AP exams vs SAT2 - registration for this year’s AP exams has passed - but SAT2s are offered multiple times a year, so you could probably schedule those for the fairly-near future. You can do three SAT2 exams in one sitting, if you’re up to that (my daughters don’t like to do more than one or two at once, so their SAT2s have been/will be spread out over multiple dates and years).

The list of college acceptances should say whether or not those students were full vs part time - if it doesn’t, then the guidance counselor should be able to tell you.

Anyway, I wish you well - education comes in many forms with many different paths. Sounds like you are a hardworking and intelligent fellow. You’re going to do just fine no matter where you go for undergrad.

20

@JanieWalker

Thank you so much! I’ll look into that! Happy Spring;)