<p>To put it frankly (as we tend to do in the Northeast) you have both an SAT problem and a financial problem. You are budgeted for state directionals (and in many cases, in the northeast, you will pay more than $30,000 per year to attend a directional as a non-resident student). Lower-tier northeastern schools often hand out merit aid like water at a marathon, but it’s meant to bring their price down to where they clear the market. They know they are competing with directionals, and yet their discounts often leave a middling student paying more than the state directional price range. These are tuition-driven schools that need full payors and also need to fill their seats. If you borrow, it’s just as good to them, but it’s not the same for you.</p>
<p>You must also think realistically about her odds of successfully completing a bachelors degree in 8 semesters, particularly with the distractions of being away from home, when most kids with her academic background and additional challenges do not. That affects your budgeting enormously.</p>
<p>Some time at community college would permit her to bypass the SATs or ACTs altogether, as they are usually not required of transfer applicants who have a good 3-4 semester track record at community college, when it is time to move on to a four-year school. It would also stretch the budget and permit her to be sure that she can do a full load of college-level work.</p>