Home schooled ’05 grad with perfect SAT?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey! This is actually my first time to join a discussion. I figured that this was a good place to start. Sorry if this entry is longer than most.</p>

<p>I graduated from my family’s home school in May 2005. I am currently applying to colleges for freshman admittance for the fall of 2006. (One of my parents has major health problems my senior year and I was needed at home this year.) So I’m taking a “gap” year between high school and college. I’ve taken no college classes, so I am a freshman applicant, not a transfer student.</p>

<p>HS Academics
- straight-A student
- 4.0 GPA
<a href="I%20realize%20these%20grades%20and%20GPAs%20may%20not%20count%20for%20much%20with%20some%20people%20because%20my%20teachers%20were%20usually,%20but%20not%20always,%20my%20parents.%20%20My%20SAT%20scores%20should%20answer%20any%20questions%20about%20the%20legitimacy%20of%20my%20education.">i</a>*</p>

<p>SAT Scores from fall of senior year
- perfect 1600 on the old two-part SAT I (800 V, 800M, obviously)
- 750 on the SAT II: Writing Test (which no longer exists independently because it was incorporated in the new three-part SAT I)
- 710 on the SAT II: U.S. History Test</p>

<p>Academic Recognition
- National Merit Commended Scholar, based on my junior year SAT score of 1420 (750 V, 670 M)
- 2005 Presidential Scholars Program candidate</p>

<p>ECs
- very involved with local 4-H Youth and Development Organization (9, 10, 11) – won awards and received recognition on County, District and State levels in numerous projects, most noticeably photography – active county 4-H teen leader; club vice-president (9), secretary (10), president (11); county council reporter (10), treasurer (11)
- volunteer work in community, both through 4-H and independently (9, 10, 11, 12)
- acting, vocal and stage production classes at a youth theatre school (10, 11, 12) - performed on stage in several musical choruses and in both supporting and leading dramatic roles - received awards like “Director’s Award for Senior Actress” (11) and “Best Actress” (12) for season’s non-musical drama - worked running/technical crew for several shows
- Student Stage Manager for a large area-wide, professional-quality, student musical (summer after grad) – 30+ hours a week for 6 weeks</p>

<p>Unlike many of the students on this forum, I am not applying to Ivy League schools or large universities. I am looking for a small-medium liberal arts college or university that is especially strong in my areas of interest. I want to find a school where I can feel at-home and be challenged both academically and creatively.</p>

<p>So far I have applied to Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY, Hollins University in Roanoke, VA, and Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, VA. I have also applied for top scholarships at all three schools (Park Scholars Program, Batten Scholars Program, and Presidential Scholars Program, respectively). I wish to pursue majors in or related to creative writing and theatre. Ithaca is my first choice, doubling majoring in Cinema & Photography (with a concentration in screenwriting) and Theatrical Arts Management.</p>

<p>I was very pleased with the applications I sent into each school! I think that my essays were very strong and will serve me well. In addition to the school counselor/teacher recommendation that my parent was required to write, I also included with my application letters of recommendation from theatre instructors, a teacher whom I took a chemistry class from my senior year, and the local 4-H director. I could not have asked for better recommendations than what these instructors wrote.</p>

<p>So, “What Are My Chances” forum members – what do you think?
~Theatre Chic</p>

2

<p>Judging by your SAT and SAT2 scores, you should be accepted to all three schools you applied to. In fact, considering your stats, I'd call all of these schools safety schools for you.</p>

<p>Have you considered any other schools?</p>

3

<p>amptron2x-</p>

<p>Looked at also applying to SMU and Columbia, but ran into a problem applying to SMU as a homeschooler (plus I decided I'd rather go to Ithaca than SMU if given the choice), and since I come from a very small, rural town, I thought NYC might be a bit much right off the bat. </p>

<p>I may well end up somewhere in NYC (or LA) after college grad, either working or at grad school, but for now Ithaca is close enough to the big action for me (especially considering their LA semester of study program). :-)</p>

<p>Plus, my understanding is that Columbia requires all applicants to have taken two SAT IIs (in addition to the Writing Test if you took the old SAT I) *... plus** two additional SAT IIs for homeschooled students. I don't have five SAT IIs and didn't have the time to take three more before their app deadine.*</p>

<p>The biggest reason that I applied to these three particular schools was they seem to be the right fit ... they seem to be very, well, me. They may not be THE most academically challenging, but they are strong in what I love, what I want to study and pursue.</p>

<p>Thanks for the great post!</p>

4

<p>There is about a zero percent chance of you getting into, I mean rejected by these schools.</p>

5

<p>easily in to all three.</p>

6

<p>in. in. in.</p>

7

<p>hmm it's always interesting to see home-schooled kids apply to colleges....
you're probably an exceptional student who could do pretty well at a public school. why choose private?</p>

<p>(grant that 40% of public school is a waste of time)</p>

<hr>

<p>a d m i s s i o n c h a n c e s . c o m</p>

8

<p>intherow1250-</p>

<p>Most of the public colleges that offer what I want to study are larger than I am looking for... a student body of about 10,000 (including grad students) is about as large as I want to go at this point.</p>

<p>What do you feel public colleges could offer me that private colleges could not? Thanks!</p>

9

<p>Not even a question you are getting in, you should get scholarship money. I would have appied to some places like Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, or Brown just because of the strong entertainment industry contacts those schools have. Its easy to write these off as places for prestige sell outs ,but the truth is they foster some incredible contacts into the industry. I also would have looked at USC cinema and tv, its very small and has an incredible network.</p>

10

<p>intherow1250-</p>

<p>In rereading your post, I'm wondering whether I answered your question correctly. Were you asking why I am applying to private colleges and universities rather than state college and universities? Or were you asking why I was homeschooled instead of attending public school?</p>

<p>If you were asking the second question: The choice to homeschool was just a choice my family made in trying to provide me with the best education possible in our area. It's worked really well for me and I think that I am well-prepared for the future, both academically and socially. Sorry for any confusion my reply created.</p>

<hr>

<p>slipper1234-</p>

<p>I did actually consider USC briefly my sophomore year ... I would have LOVED to go there, the school and the city offers such wonderful opportunities. But as with NYC, this small-town girl isn't ready for LA quite yet! :-)</p>

11

<p>I think what people here are trying to tell you is that you seem overqualified for your choices. Since you've been home schooled, it might be hard to understand that you really want to be at a school with your intellectual peers. You will become really bored if you are always the smartest.</p>

12

<p>My d. is a homeschooler with similar stats and background to yours, big into music and opera, and is a very, very happy 2nd year student at Smith, which loves homeschoolers.</p>

13

<p>for you, these are safety schools.</p>

<p>it sucks that you didnt apply to better schools in time.</p>

<p>apply to umich or something thats better!</p>

14

<p>in but randolph-macon's funny.
i'm a male and they sent me an app and i remember putting male on my PSAT form. lol
funny how college mailing is.</p>

15

<p>Also, Wesleyan might is a great choice you can't miss. It has a strong film/ theater program and a tight-knit LAC environment. Also, Yale has one of the best drama depts in the country. I am in film/ advertising and I know the doors open bigger for Ivy grads.</p>

16

<p>What about schools like Barnard or Brandeis for some more variation?</p>

17

<p>Wow, everybody! I really appreciate all the great feed-back. For my first time on a CC forum, this has definitely been productive.</p>

<p>You all have given me a great list of colleges, that is for sure. During my college search, to narrow the list from the hundreds (thousands?) of colleges and universities available, I used the CollegeBoard's online college search to locate a list of schools based on three criteria:</p>

<p>-school size
-creative writing major
-theatre major</p>

<p>Not all schools offer "Creative Writing" as a major, and those that do are not always schools that I would feel very comfortable at. I consider myself very lucky to have found Hollins, which has one of the best CW programs in the country for a school its size, and Ithaca, which offers a very specific "Cinema & Photography major with a screenwriting concentration." I had not expected to find a screenwriting-specific major in (1) a school outside of a large metropolitan area (like LA or NYC) where, as I've stated, I'm not wanting to spend my first four years away from home; or (2) a school that is not very large (like USC or NYU) where, coming directly from a town of 16,000 people, I think I would feel very overwhelmed.</p>

<p>I realize that none of my three schools are Ivy League, but they are also not 'less selective' or 'academically weak' schools. I have taken into account how I stack up against these schools' average students, academically, and I do not feel that I will be especially out-of-place. Particularly if I am chosen for a Scholars program at the college I attend, I think that I will easily be able to find students similar to myself, both in terms of interest & creativity and in terms of academic ability & dedication.</p>

<p>Thanks again! :-)
~TheatreChic~</p>

18

<p>I think your schools are less selective and academically weaker than what you are capable of. Places like Vassar or Wesleyan are small, not in big cities, are intimate, and have stronger industry contacts and academics than the schools you are currently looking at. At worst they are worth an application, and once you get in then check them out more deeply.</p>

19

<p>Theatrical-
I was referring to the past...as in why'd u choose home schooling as opposed to public high school. sorry if that caused confusion..haha</p>

<hr>

<p>a d m i s s i o n c h a n c e s . c o m</p>

20

<p>Did you look at Bard? In "the country". A creative writing department a major more intense, and with more and better faculty, than any of the Ivies, a huge core faculty in film and electronic arts, </p>

<p><a href="http://inside.bard.edu/film_elect/index2.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://inside.bard.edu/film_elect/index2.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>and a big theater program.</p>