<p>I graduated May 2011 during my junior year, receiving a certificate from my district. I'm a very good student, I've taken maaany courses during my 3 years of high school. The thing is, I want to go to an Ivy League school for engineering, but I have no AP tests. I am about to turn 19. What do I do? Do I take AP self-study courses and then the tests by the time I'm 20 or go to community college instead? I need advice. Any other homeschoolers got into any of the Ivies?</p>
<p>Have you taken any college courses, including community college ones since you graduated and got your certificate? What have you been doing for the past two years? I don’t think AP courses are the issue here. Many highly selective schools including the Ivies have very specific things that they want and you need to focus on them. Most specifically they are interested in SAT1 or ACT test scores and often at least 2 other SAT2 (subject) test scores. They do not ask for any AP courses or test cores. Look at the requirements and recommendations of the schools that interest you and start there. </p>
<p>Homeschoolers do get into Ivy league and many, probably nearly all of the highly selective schools. With the right preparation, they are welcomed. But standardized test scores, such as the SAT and ACt become very important as grades are not as easily interpreted and getting an impartial counselor and teachers to write the recs is not easy. Taking college courses after high school graduation will put you in transfer student category, and there are not a lot spots for transfers at many of the most selective schools. Also, though we all use the word “Ivy” as though they are a unit, there is a huge difference between, say, Princeton and UPenn. Cornell and UPenn are schools most likely to take transfers of the Ivies, for the rest, there are very few spots, and you would have to be an unusual case to be get one.</p>
<p>An option to investigate would be Columbia which does have a school for non traditional students. Take a look at that.</p>
<p>Do not restrict your list to the most selective schools. Look at your test scores and see where you fall in the top ranges and carefully examine your options. If you have financial need, that can also be a restrictive factor.</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply. I was also wondering if I take community college for 2 years, earn an Associates, and then go to one of the Ivies, BUT, not as a transfer student, but as a freshman. What I want to go to CC for is to have proof that I’m capable and that I have completed something, or have experience + proof. Do you think that is a possible option?</p>
<p>Probably not possible, since you have already graduated from high school and have a certificate showing it. “The Ivies” isn’t a realistic dream for most people, nor is it that important. There are hundreds of great schools.</p>
<p>You mentioned Engineering in another thread. Olin College is a tiny engineering school with a great reputation, and they at least used to take people with some college education and allow them to enter as freshmen.</p>