Homeschooler with Ivie Dreams

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am a female, caucasian homeschooler who desperately wants to attend the Brown/RISD (it really enbodies the indepent learning style I love). I'm also applying to Yale, Amhurst, and Pomona as reach schools and Claremont Mckena, Scripps, and Barnard as match/safeties. Am I reaching too high as a homeschooled student?</p>

<p>*High School: Homeschooled. All academic courses are taken online through The Potter’s School, a college-preparatory distance learning program. I log in to a virtual classroom once weekly for each class, interacting with incredibly talented students from all over the world. The website provides detailed information at The</a> Potter's School</p>

<p>*Test Scores: SAT-2150 (Retaking and hoping to top 2200), ACT-31, SAT US History-780, SAT English Lit-760, AP US History-5, AP US World-4 (All self taught no history classes available) </p>

<p>*GPA: 4.0 Unweighted, in the most rigorous courses offered. No class rank available. </p>

<p>*Extracurricular Activities<br>
• Happy Day Cards (Founder and president). I created Happy Day Cards, an organization to craft and collect handmade greeting cards, mailing them to soldiers in combat and those recuperating in hospitals such as Walter Reed in Washington D.C. Using my graphic art skills, I designed a company logo and enlisted a fellow Potter's School student to help create a website. I have hosted card parties with retirement home residents, Boy Scout troops, and Sunday School Classes. A global card drive, enrolling digital artists from around the world to contribute card designs is also currently underway. Website: [url=<a href="http://happydaycards4soldiers.com/default.aspx%5Ddefault.aspx%5B/url"&gt;http://happydaycards4soldiers.com/default.aspx]default.aspx[/url&lt;/a&gt;]
• Classical ballet (since age three, serious study since age ten). For the previous three summers I was one of 200 dancers chosen from over 2000, to study with Pacific Northwest and San Francisco Ballet (considered to be two of the top three programs in the nation). Currently Level 7A of 7- three classes a day, five to six days a week. Past two years performed the lead role as Clara in the Company’s Nutcracker. There were 17 performances, with an average audience of 1000.
• Church Children’s Ministry for 7 years. (Now teaching my own 2 year old class which includes coming up with lesson plan and controlling 12 screaming toddlers for 3.5 hours)
• Photography and digital art. I currently am "fluent" in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign and have finished countless textbook on the subjects. I spent the summer at California College of the arts, in their graphic design program and have a pretty good portfolio. I recently designed a Fetal Alchohol Poisining Awareness poster and had it displayed throughout the community.</p>

<p>*Jobs
• I design and create custom ballet wear, selling them to fellow dancers. Ten percent of my profits support Happy Day Cards. The remainder funded a summer trip to France, where I explored art and architecture in conjunction with an online photography course.
*Honors
• Jericho International Honor Society. Unlike other honor societies that use only grades and scores as the primary basis for membership, recognition in the Jericho International Honor Society is based primarily on participation in service and ministry. However, a 3.0 GPA is required.
• Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth<br>
• One of 12 out of 500 to win a 2008 scholarship for the graphic design program at CCA. </p>

<p>• My history papers have been published on hyperhistory.net, a website designed as a resource for high school World History students. I am currently working on a collaborative project two other Potter’s School students, one in Ulan-Ude Russia and one in Hawaii. </p>

<p>*Notes
• I live in a rural, mountain community and will be the first member of my family to attend college (my parents attended community college) and the first grandchild to graduate from high school.</p>

2

<p>Home schooled children fair quite well at top schools. That said, your current SAT scores are marginal for many Ivies. You are not really a first gen student since your parents went to a CC. If you can raise your SAT I into the 2250+ range and find a 3rd SAT II over 700, you will do ok. No Ivy admission is a lock for anyone however. Scripps should like you a lot. You have NO safeties in your list. You need to find some.</p>

3

<p>Any suggestions?</p>

4

<p>Since you evidently like the open curriculum at Brown and Amherst, you might as well look at Vassar, Grinnell, and Hamilton as well. Your chances at the last two would be very good.</p>

5

<p>Homeschooling is definitely not a disadvantage when applying to top schools. </p>

<p>Although I agree your SATs are not great, I like your initiative in your EC's, and I'll bet adcoms will too. I think you have a shot at all the schools you listed, with the usual caveat that Yale is a reach for everyone. Pomona in particular tends to look beyond the grades at the person as a whole, and I think they'd like what they see in you. Good luck!</p>

6

<p>*Ivy
*Amherst
*McKenna</p>

<p>Damn.</p>

7

<p>^ lol I know... i know. My spelling is absolutely horrendous-such is the penalty for growing up with spell check! Forgive me?</p>

8

<p>Oh my word! From TPS? No way! Who are you? I wish you could (safely) pm me your name because I go there too. I am almost positive I have to know you, because I've been with TPS for years.</p>

<p>So weird. :)</p>

9

<p>WOW! too cool. It's a small world.</p>

10

<p>you clearly over-estimated yourself. definitely find more safeties.</p>

11

<p>I know I need more safeties-I'm just having a hard time finding any with a good balance of strong academics and a really good art program. Although Brown is def. my first love, I also really liked loved Barnard because they have a great dance department and are so close to NY (for internship opps). Any possible safeties in that area?</p>

12

<p>How about NYU? Boston University?</p>

13

<p>Unless you like partying, dont come to BU.</p>

14

<p>I don't know about safety, but Skidmore has good art I think, & dance & is a somewhat easier admit. No big city though. Also, if you think you can get your needs met at Amherst, IIRC all its dance is actually at Smith or Mount Holyoke, so you might try them. And Hampshire kids seem to take lots, or maybe even the majority, of their courses at these various schools through the same consortium.</p>

15

<p>Not big on partying! <em>crosses off BU</em> Thanks for the tip!</p>

16

<p>No problem.</p>

17

<p>Tried to look you up in the yearbook, but you don't have an entry done! :) (I took your first name from your card webpage...)</p>

<p>But then, neither do I, so that's OK I suppose. What classes have you taken over the years w/ TPS?</p>

18

<p>Another tip: learn how to spell "Ivy."</p>

19

<p>that was already addressed, southeasttitan</p>

20

<p>bard seems like a good match and maybe lawrence in wisconsin as a safety.</p>