Columbia in NYC has an awesome DPT program.
Rice is on the list. They also have a karate club, which is a plus.
Boston University, Wake Forest, Rice and Duke are the ones she is interested in.
I don’t think anyone can say whether Ivies are possible or even a good fit for a freshman in HS. I think I’d be looking at a reasonable path to state flagship at this point. An accelerated, home-schooled student might be taking community college classes or online college courses for credit within a few years and could conceivably spend only a few years pursuing a BS at USC, UNC, etc. If the DPT is still the goal after her Junior year of HS, she might decide that pursuing Ivies, Duke, etc. would just slow her down. Or not, but right now I’d stay positive about all the options. USC honors program attracts good students. Just don’t dismiss it at this point.
If she still wants to be a PT when she starts applying to schools you might want to look into guaranteed admission programs . DPT school is competitive . Duke’s website indicates 1000 applications for 82 spots . There are programs out there that are 3+3 that would take the pressure off grad school admission and get you out working with one year less of tuition.
Some state universities have combined bachelors/masters programs in PT for those who got an associates degree at community college.
The karate would certainly be admired by admissions. So would her perseverance through health issues.
I know students at Ivies who don’t have perfect scores or grades but pursued something outside of school that impressed. However, it is indeed harder when schools don’t have karate on campus.
She is way too young to be thinking about college anyway. Honest, try not to think about college admissions and let her live high school years authentically, so to speak.
When the time comes, she will find her niche.
As a former homeschooling mom, I don’t think it’s too early to think about what top schools want to see. She may decide Ivy/T20 schools aren’t the best fit, but you want to leave her options open.
In terms of academics, now is the time to consider objective standards that support her work, including AP and DE. There are a number of online options for AP. FLVS was already mentioned, but I’ve heard many good things about Pennsylvania Homeschoolers; they have a significant “live” online component with some wonderful teachers.
CLEP is not as rigorous as AP, but it still provides external validation for her hs grades. would also suggest some dual enrollment courses, as well.
Some schools require or recommend SAT subject test scores for homeschooled students, even though they don’t request them for traditional students. SAT/ACT scores factor in more heavily as well, so consider adding some “test prep” to the curriculum. This should definitely not be the focus of her high school career, but a little practice could go a long way in making sure she has options.
While you mentioned that she doesn’t “have a ton” of meaningful EC’s, I actually think her ECs are quite strong! She has such an interesting, unique story - I imagine her essays will be unique as well. Good luck in her journey!
Her ECs at this point, pretty much all related to Karate, are boosts. They show commitment, passion, dedication, community involvement and are related i. Some way to her future plans. Let that concern go.
My advice to you would be to obviously keep doors open for highly selective schools, but don’t put all your focus and energy on them. Work harder at building excitement and enthusiasm for less selective schools. Believe me, it’s a good thing if you get to a point where you are comparing offers from a less selective school and a highly selective school and your child knows they will be happy and successful at either. Sure beats the possible alternative of having a child shut out of their dream selective schools who only has the dreaded safety.