For LACs with notably flexible curricula and generally unrestricted access to classes, look into Amherst, Hamilton, Grinnell and Smith, with the first three being potentially good choices for either your son or daughter. Based on her interests, your daughter, in particular, may want to look into Vassar, Kenyon, Mt. Holyoke and Pitzer as well.
This site offers a convenient alternative to NPCs, especially during the early stages of a search:
To piggy back on this - OP, are you also hoping to help pay for the graduate school you seem certain your daughter is going to attend, or is she on her own for that? If she’s on her own, does she know that? Do either of you know how much that graduate school might cost and what kind of salary she might get with a job afterward?
Hi Cinnamon1212,
Thanks for your encouragement! I love the Univ of Chicago, as does my DD, but don’t feel like it would be physically safe. It’s funny to read about college kids and their safe spaces - that place literally needs some safe spaces.
Kelly
JAF09,
We will help, if we can and that’s what she wants. But usually if someone is admitted to a PhD program (at least in the US), the tuition is remitted and students receive a modest stipend for living expenses. She has also told me that she never wants to be an academic! Teenagers. What are you going to do? I hope I’m still alive.
Kelly
Hi Merc81,
Thank you for your great ideas. Many of these schools I am just learning about, like Grinell and Kenyon. I will try out myintuition, too.
Kelly
That’s funny – I just bought the “great books” set (used for $200!), and told the kids that if colleges don’t work out, they can just read this 54-volume set of books summarizing all of Western Civilization (bit thin on math/science). I will look into St. John’s.
-Kelly
Compmom, thank you for your insights. I am kind of shocked about the top schools financial aid contributions; if one can get in, it’s great.
I found the “college that change lives” book at our library. I was really impressed with some of the schools, like Davidson, which made me consider some LACs I’d never heard of. I like that at schools without grad programs, profs work intensely with undergrads, classes are small, and there is a strong sense of community. College rankings are high for places like Univ of Michigan, but I think it would be easy to get lost there (literally and figuratively).
Kind regards,
Kelly
Hi Twoin18,
We will look into UCAS - esp. Oxford. They are possibly better than Cambridge, as you noted. Arch and anthr does looks really good. They also have this “philosophy, psychology, and linguistics” course that looks like it would be a good fit for DD, and the math and computer science looks good for DS. (Not that they need to attend the same school.) I appreciate the information you passed along about language and linguistics. And there are other UK schools we need to investigate, too. St. Andrews looks more like the US model - one can change one’s mind a bit more easily, I think.
You’ve given us lots of food for thought!
Kelly
Hi Creekland,
Yes, I believe you’re right about UR being a hybrid with regard to gen ed. I like that there is some flexibility - it’s wonderful that your son got to have 2 majors and 2 minors! This school was already on our list to visit, but we did not think we could afford it, even with aid, because we heard that UR’s understanding of what families can afford often doesn’t match reality. That “aid” might just be a pile of loans. But this is why ED is out, and RD is in. We need to be able to compare offers. Based on what others have said here, we are going to seriously consider the smaller schools without grad programs (or foreign programs).
Take care,
Kelly
What about Brown?
Kelly, look at the website as well
You might also want to google “Little Ivies.”
Your kids sound very interesting. High test scores, tons of high AP scores, all done as homeschooling because their school district didn’t offer much for advanced students. As for ECs, who could do much of anything from March 2020 through June 2021, due to Covid?
They don’t need to write sob stories about trauma for essays. I’m very curious to hear what kind of a home these kids come from. I’m imagining some kind of Bronte-esque household with tons of independent learning going on!
Your kids definitely could get into top schools that offer full fin aid. Your daughter who is interested in Linguistics should look at UMass Amherst. Very strong in Linguistics, Comp Sci, languages, big, has beautiful new honors campus. She’d definitely get a 16K/yr honors scholarship, but I don’t know if they’d give her fin aid beyond that - if your income is that modest, and there are two in college, they probably would.
Your kids would probably get into most T50 schools, might get in anywhere. See if you qualify for an application fee waiver for them, because they’re each going to need to put in a lot of applications, to chase merit aid.
This is definitely a possibility. I’ve seen the school go both ways on finances. For us it was the least expensive even beating known financial powerhouses like U Alabama, but for others it leaves folks scratching their heads and wondering what happened.
My advice to all students at school is to not fall in love with any college because they are likely to love wherever they attend as long as they don’t end up in too much debt or go to a school way beneath their ability with no Honors College or similar. (By way below I mean a school with an average 1000 SAT and no or few students on par with your kids.) Those are the only two groups that often come back disappointed with their choices IME of 20 years of teaching. (There can be individual outliers, but I’m talking the masses.)
My own guy who went to UR had Furman costing us 33K per year more after aid. Uh, no. That acceptance was quickly rejected - but for others Furman comes in affordable. Who knows how or why admissions and financial aid work out as they do? I sure don’t. My guess is when they really want a student they try to make it work.
Apply to several they like and then take a hard look at finances for all acceptances. Ditch those that really don’t work quickly. Among those that do, let the kids choose.
Don’t do this. If they attend a cc they may be considered transfer students, and transfers don’t get much aid. You need to preserve their freshman status.
Our kiddos were homeschooled and we needed LORs too. They all participated in classes in the homeschool community so those teachers wrote their letters, but there are non credit adult classes offered at our local BOCES (adult learning center). Maybe something like that would work.
Some volunteering. Both are currently working on software development, websites, youtube accounts, etc., and they of course help around the house, and help with disabled older relative.
These are all ECs. Are they volunteering or working now? Those are good activities too.
I’d have both of them take a look at Vassar College. It’s in a lovely part of NYS and I think they meet full need. Your DD might like their English dept. and your son would probably like their computer science.
Are you interested in larger Us and West Coast? USoCal offers some full tuition scholarships to students they really like. They’re a large U and do have grad students but undergrads can do research (ours did).
The Computer Science Dept and Engineering College are smaller. They also have offered generous need based scholarships to several kids I know, making them the most affordable option for them and their families.
Admissions officers love a unique story. Your kids’ story is certainly different. After all, how many applicants can say they’ve read Shakespeare cover to cover? So, whether it’s the essays or simply an extra essay, they each need to be able to tell their own story - where they’ve been, where they are, where they’re going, and what their aspirations are.
I think that interviews are critical for them, so I think you can take the initiative and try to schedule them at your top choices ASAP. An interview can be arranged by the college with an alum in your local area as well as on campus.
Their list must obviously start with realistic choices, but I wouldn’t rule out top colleges. Those top schools want serious students, and your certainly seem to fit the bill. Although it’s nearly impossible to get into for anyone, I wonder about Williams College for your daughter. She seems like a perfect match for their tutorials, which are described on their website. They’re great for financial aid for any student who is accepted.
I’d roll the dice with an Ivy League college or two that appeals to you. Again, they like a unique story and your essays need to tell who the kids are from the inside out. For example not just that your D read Shakespeare but what she learned from doing that and how she connected personally with it. I’d also look at colleges like Vassar, Bard, Wesleyan, Connecticut College, Bowdoin, New School in NYC, Reed, Lewis & Clark, Pomona and Pitzer. Perhaps Mount Holyoke for your daughter. I wonder about Rose-Hulmam Institute, RPI, or WPI for your son. I don’t know if it’s a match for his interests, but Olin College of Engineering might be interested in him.
Best of luck.
By the way, now that your daughter has read Shakespeare, she might be interested in the book “Shakespeare by Another Name”, by Mark Anderson.
Regarding letters of recommendation, maybe ask the schools if other adults in their lives (mentors/teachers/employers) can write letters. And mention the impact of COVID as well.
This doesn’t apply if they take the classes as Duel Enrollment (high school and potentially college credit - pending college). It’s super common for homeschoolers to add cc classes into their high school schedule. Around me, it’s common for public school students to do the same.
Not all colleges accept the college credit for these. UR did not for my son. My other two sons’ LACs did. (One of those homeschooled high school too and the other was ps for 9-12).
Can these kids take cc classes as dual enrollment even though they’ve already taken the GED?