My unique situation

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
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<p>First, I want to say that CC is a fantastic forum; I've been lurking the SAT Prep forum in particular for a while, and the people there are very helpful. However, some of the advice regarding the things most important to me doesn't apply to me, since I'm far from the average high school student. Hence, this thread.</p>

<p>I used to be unschooled--that is, I received no formal education whatsoever in my elementary school years. Eventually, I got tired of doing nothing: I decided to study by myself. My studying has certainly paid off. For instance, I have gone from not knowing what division is to understanding calculus concepts (though I still have much to do in other subjects, namely history).</p>

<p>The only lingering problem from my past--a huge one as I see it--is that I lack a secondary school record and a high school GPA, both of which, I have heard, are extremely important. Moreover, the highest SAT score I have gotten is a measly total of 1780. My score wouldn't be a problem had I not decided that I want to get into a very good school like MIT. Also, even if I get a good SAT score on my upcoming test, my older scores will forever stain my record--they will make me look obsessed with standardized tests and show that I am overall not a good applicant. Finally, because my family isn't super rich and somehow ignores the possibility of financial aid, I am constantly pressured to get a full scholarship. Indeed, I, with a low SAT score and lack of a high school GPA, am supposed to get a full scholarship.</p>

<p>While I admit I do have a lack of self confidence, I am not pessimistic--I'm just not so willing to believe that even a 2400 on the SAT can get me a full scholarship at schools like MIT or Stanford.</p>

<p>Despite all the bad things, there are some (possibly) good ones. First, I'm taking college courses at my local community college. Hopefully, that can somehow be used to compensate for the lack of a high school GPA. (Keep in mind that I plan to take more courses, such as English and physics.) Second, although I'm unsure if it will be useful for applying for top schools, I have gotten a certificate from the CHSPE, so I'm essentially exempt from high school--with my dad's permission. Third, I plan on taking some SAT subject tests to highlight my strengths: math and science. Fourth, I'm taking the SAT again. If I get a score of at least 2100, I will probably have a better chance at getting into a good school. Unfortunately, though, it will look bad on my record when I apply for schools without the score choice option. Finally, I might to volunteering in the summer as an EC and maybe find some linguistics class I can get into as it is my favorite subject.</p>

<p>Even with all of the above, though, I still think a full scholarship is out of my reach. </p>

<p>So, CC, do you guys have any ideas? Anything I should do that would really help me? Also, be honest: do I really have a chance to get a full scholarship? At this stage, I'm ready for all kinds of criticism. I'd rather be criticized openly than be told that I'm smart regardless of what I do, as I have been told constantly when I was a child. </p>

<p>I am also considering going just to a less competitive university to complete my undergraduate studies and then go to a much better school to master in computer science and linguistics. Is that more reasonable plan? Or should I try to get into an excellent school from the start?</p>

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<p>This is confusing. Did your parents ignore you all day? It may be a case of child neglect if your parents did nothing to further your education.</p>

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<p>Home-schooled students have been admitted to several top-notch universities. The quality of the home-school makes a huge difference, however.</p>

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<p>The brutal truth is that’s a very low SAT score for any university. However, your chances at Ivy League are, realistically, very unrealistic.</p>

<p>I’d continue taking classes at your community college. When you’ve built a solid GPA, then you can think about transferring to a 4-year college. I’d be very wary of anyone who tells you that a full-ride scholarship right now is a possibility.</p>

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<p>I really appreciate your honest response. </p>

<p>I’ll elaborate on the unschooling part. Unschooling is not necessarily, as the name suggests, abandoning education. It’s basically homeschooling without any semblance of structure. That is, unschoolers do not follow any curricula, take any exams, do any homework, and even study anything at all. In retrospect, it was terrible, as bad as anyone would expect.</p>

<p>Also, I know that my current SAT score is too low for most schools. I plan to take it again, though, hopefully getting a score of at least 2100 total. Will that, along with good SAT Subject Test scores, help me increase my chances of getting a scholarship? If not (as I expect), then I think your suggestion is the only option.</p>

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<p>I understand what unschooling is, but it has been successful with some people. We all learn via different methods, and the real success is pairing a person with the method of learning best for that individual. I’m sorry it didn’t work for you.</p>

<p>Usually a 100% full-ride scholarship is either for merit (very top scores) or for need (good scores but with a hook such as a minority status, etc).</p>

<p>Your only chance for an absolute no is if you don’t apply. The word “scholarship” is extremely broad, and it’s difficult to predict chances, because they vary, depending on the award. Certainly, the higher the score, the higher your chances are for snagging scholarships. Beyond that, I really don’t know.</p>

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<p>1780 is not a “brutally low score for any university.” It’s just very low for the highly selective schools. That’s a great score for your state schools.</p>

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<p>I know someone with that score, no hooks, who got into Duke with that score…</p>

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<p>1780 is 271 points above the national average for SAT (class of 2010 data).</p>

<p>[Average</a> SAT scores fluctuate slightly within class of 2010 - USATODAY.com](<a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-09-13-satscores_ST_N.htm]Average”>http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-09-13-satscores_ST_N.htm)</p>

<p>For the great majority of very good universities, that is a perfectly acceptable score. The 25th percentile 2010-2011 composite SAT for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (state flagship) admitted students was exactly 780.</p>

<p>[University</a> of Illinois: Student Enrollment Reports](<a href=“http://www.dmi.illinois.edu/stuenr/index.asp#CDS]University”>http://www.dmi.illinois.edu/stuenr/index.asp#CDS)</p>

<p>(scroll down to “Common dataset for UIUC” at the bottom of the linked page)</p>