A different perspective could be to withdraw her now. Not start CC but take graphic design or just art classes in your area. Many places to get classes for both depending on your locale. This way she can build her portfolio and then reapply in the fall for better chance of merit. Many online classes also for foundation of what she would need. It might even help her place out. She can take basic Adobe classes for design and take some drawing /art classes to improve her skills and make a better portfolio. She can stay engaged in her field of choice. Depending on what she takes could make her a stronger candidate when she reapplies. Hope this makes sense to you. She would be taking similar classes but she wouldn’t be taking these for credit. Just to improve her skills.
You have to treat her health as the top priority, even if it means putting classes or a job on hold temporarily. You wouldn’t expect someone with artery blockages to do regular 5 mile runs in the morning. That someone would need to get medical care, then ease back into running again over a period of time.
Mental health is no different. Depression and suicide is no joke. If not treated properly, it can be fatal. The stress of college can inflame depression just like a person with heart problems can damage a his heart from running prematurely.
A full medical withdrawal has the advantage of erasing all W’s. If she withdraws from more specific classes, hopefully there are no W’s. If the withdrawal is medical, that is allowed. It is, however, a shame that she did not register with the Office of Disabilties since some schools won’t grant the deletion of W’s without that registration.
How is it going with the withdrawals already done? Did she get W’s?
I don’t know about art but I don know in music that many undergrad programs won’t take credits for certain classes because they have their own curriculum. The suggestion above to take art and graphic design classes without credit seems like a good one unless she wants to get a degree at CC or can get some gen eds out of the way.
If she does end up at a 4 year program, one of the accommodations often granted by the O of D is reduced course load.
The reason I suggested what I did is two fold. Many, many graphic design classes online or in my case through our art institute. My daughter did this before going into theater design. Took many higher level art /drawing classes. Her portfolio was very impressive because of it.
Secondly, you mentioned she’s not suicidal. Just mentioning that tells me where she is at mentally. This way she can focus on herself without the pressure of school plus gain experience and improve her skill set. She won’t be behind since she will be advancing herself and then has a chance of merit. She “might” just start some classes at a higher level due to her portfolio and skills.
I guess the other way to consider is to take CC classes for audit /no credit. Same classes but she wouldn’t get a grade but not sure if you have to report noncredit classes or audited classes??? Someone else might know.
Having a couple of Ws on the transcript can be explained due to illness - the type doesn’t need to be explained. Severe illness can happen to anyone.
We had our NMF-winning son use a medical withdrawal. After the first year, we stupidly pushed him to return to his school, after he had met weekly with his counselor at home. He had never had a history of mental health issues.
This top ten, small, “research institution” tried to get him to return, but every time he went back, (he met weekly with his counselor at the school) he still would fail. It was not the right school for him and we kept pushing and hoping that he would graduate from the school, since his grandfather was a graduate and wanted his grandson to graduate from there. I was always on pins and needles hoping he wouldn’t hurt himself because he just couldn’t work at this school.
The funding for transfers just isn’t there. As a family you have to decide what’s more important: his mental health or the money. We chose his mental health. He has transferred to another less expensive/ less prestigious school and takes the majority of his classes online, because he can, and he’s constantly working with his academic counselor, while living at home. We pay full fees at his new university, and we’re fortunate that our other children have finished or are near-finishing their university educations.
Our son has come out of his shell, and is becoming the child that we once knew, with lots of support from his private counselor here at home. He communicates with his academic counselor at that school on a biweekly basis and his grades have returned to what he used to get in high school.
I hope this helps anyone who is in a similar situation. OP please PM me if you have any questions.
I will say that although we didn’t PUSH our son to continue in school after he was diagnosed with a very serious mental illness, we did allow him to stay enrolled when we should have brought him home sooner. It’s so hard to know! Each kid is very different, and we were basing our decisions on how he’d been in high school - hard-working, enthusiastic, successful in every endeavor. It was hard to comprehend how drastically he could change in the space of only four months. 
@gardenstategal thanks for the book suggestion. I’m going to order it right now, since parents call me regularly for advice. I have been surprised how many kids struggle in college.
@MaineLonghorn , I will be interested in your take on the book. A friend whose child had to withdraw for mental health reasons recommended it and it felt very practical to me.
@gardenstategal I’ll let you know! I just posted a link for it on my Facebook page. I’ve come to understand that we parents have no idea how hard college is on kids these days. It’s hard for me to comprehend that, since I loved my time at UT so much.
Ha, I always thought your name was garden-stat-egal. Just figure it out. I’m slow sometimes.
Just to let you know I have a few friends whose kids went off to a top college and it just wasn’t right for them.
One realized the pressure of an Ivy wasn’t for them and was suspended and went to a directional college and finished there and is now working in his chosen field of Robotics.
Another had undiagnosed Aspergers and didn’t even make it to Thanksgiving and withdrew and is taking one community college course a time.
ANother dropped out and once her mental health issues were addressed, is working and learning to be a yoga teacher
OP reporting in here. Just wanted to thank each of your for sharing your stories and ideas. I’m very grateful for the support I’ve found here, and a bit overwhelmed to respond to all it right now. You’ve given me much to think about! But it’s been a long day with lots of driving.
We were successful in getting W’s for the 2 classes my DD can’t finish, and she will be home in less than 2 weeks. The dean we met with today could not have been more helpful. Our priority will continue to be her mental health, and I am feeling more optimistic that the rest will fall into place eventually. Thanks again, everyone.
Not necessarily a relevant school for your daughter’s interests, but Muhlenberg recently announced they’re emphasizing transfer students a new focus for recruiting. Part of the plan is putting transfer students on par with freshmen for financial aid eligibility. I only mention this because other schools facing declining enrollment may follow this path in the coming years, making transferring less expensive than it’s been in the past.
You really never “know.” You do the best you can and forgive yourself for the mistakes. My own child had an MDE the summer following her freshmen year, and it was just a symptom of a another, bigger illness. We did let her go back to her school. It wasn’t a top school by any means, but she was in a pressure-cooker major. She battled herself that whole fall semester, but it was the right thing for her. I attended a conference where student mental health was a topic, and I remember a speaker stating pretty clearly that we tend to overestimate the healing power of going home with nothing to do. Sometimes it’s the right call; sometimes it isn’t. You made the best decision you could for your daughter.
@CheddarcheeseMN yes W’s can be explained but for kids with any kind of chronic or recurring issue, as depression sometimes is, the chance of future W’s is greater. One of mine now has a transcript littered with W’s and I only wish she had agreed to medical withdrawal.
Once stabilized, kids on break for medical or psych. reaons can do internships,WOOF (google it), NOLS( google it) or get a job if the structure of that helps. It can work out and be healing for sure.