Seconding CTCL colleges.
If you’re not familiar with them (many different vibes& levels of selectivity) lots of people here can help!
100% agree on not making the kid miserable for a lottery school - and for students with real strength in art/humanities, calculus is not necessary indeed even there (I think that’s what I stated), precalculus regular and AP stats would be the usual “expectation”. And for many other universities, there’s no expectation of even precalculus.
That being said, OP mentioned a kid with “Yale or bust” syndrome and Yale wd definitely expect precalculus for a kid on the +2 advanced math track.
As for sciences, there needs to be a minimum of 3 years, sometimes 4, in a variety of fields (hence, typically, bio chem physics, or freshman physics chem bio for the physics 1st schools…)- depth is not expected for Humanities students (certainly not AP chem or physics C) but breadth&showing curiosity are. So, if not physics: astronomy, geology, physical geography (sometimes in addition to Human geo), A&P, Marine science also work, various experiential learning seminars - it really depends on the school.
I think I’ve consistently advocated along these lines on CC. AP Environmental integrates knowledge from all these fields so doing well in that class meets the points they’re looking for (breadth, curiosity, understanding of scientific phenomena).
And the more exceptional the kid is in one area, the more deviations are accepted/expected.
At the same time, unless enrolled in an Arts HS, 2 years of math+2 years of science wouldn’t be sufficient for any highly selective college. That’s not what OPs daughter is doing AFAIK though.
In short, @arewethereyet.24’ s kid will be fine overall and if these personal choices lead to a rejection, it means the college was a very bad fit for her.
That being said, there’s a dissonance btw some choices made in HS (which I find reasonable and advantageous for this student) and stacking the list with reaches that combine intensity and competitive students, as the child wanted to do. If I understand correctly, her parents know it may not be the way to go and want help in finding colleges that match their child’s intellectual profile without equating this with intensity or rankings.
Fortunately, there are intellectual colleges (from Vassar, W&M, or Brandeis, to St Olaf or Macalester to Wheaton MA and Wooster) that would provide the right environment without the problems.
And based on the above post, the GC doesn’t quite understand what it is this child wants - that Penn State Schreyer may not be the ultimate prize or that a kid who wants CMU may not be interested in Hamilton…and that OPs child is not interested in either (tech or rural) despite having the stats, on paper at least.
The good thing is that the HS is a “known quantity” in PA. Even if Guidance isn’t finely attuned in the way a high performing HS/prep school would be, with about 60% students going to selective colleges it means there’s a school profile (check though!) and it’ll speak well of the school to colleges who might not have had experience with it+ is likely to be known at many colleges your child is considering, which will be in her favor.
Does the school use “brag sheets”, for GCs or teachers? (It wd be an opportunity to customize for “intellectual” colleges.)
Note that rankings and intellectual vibe aren’t necessarily the same, just as SAT score doesn’t necessarily indicate intellectual curiosity.