@KojouPW Thanks for the advice! My state has an option for students who have completed 30 college credit hours to get a high school diploma, as well as the traditional GED route. Will probably wait to receive my diploma through the 30 credit option just to save money, but I’m all ready to take the GED if the colleges I’m applying to require it!
@Dustyfeathers Thank you for the well-rounded advice. Penn LPS and Columbia GS were schools I was considering at first, but the stories of all the students that went into debt after completing their degrees scared me off. (The no-loan policy that is in place for traditional students is not there for the LPS and GS programs.) Money is a big factor for me, so I’m looking for a school with generous aid. The admissions officer at Penn LPS also expressed concern for how well I’d fit in with the LPS community, seeing as how I’m the age of a traditional undergraduate. She said it might be worth a shot just applying through regular admissions. However, if I receive significant aid from outside organizations, they may very well be viable options!
And I am looking at other options as well. Out of the ones you mentioned, Bryn Mawr and Barnard are options that I’ve been looking at and that I really like. (Especially Bryn Mawr; I like all the schools that are affiliated with it, i.e. Haverford, Swarthmore, and Penn.) My mom is agaisnt me attending a women’s college, mostly due to her own experiences at one, and the limited world exposure she felt she got, but I think things have changed a lot since her days. So I think I’ll start looking into some of the ones you’ve mentioned.
I’ve heard that about UChicago, and although it’s a bit worrisome, everyone I’ve known personally that’s gone there seems to love it. I will probably apply to Cornell due to their good linguistics program AND their openness to transfer students, but it will probably not be my top choice, granted I get accepted to other schools. Sunny CA would probably be nice for me and my mental health, and UCLA and UCB are in my radar, but I’m from the east coast so I’m worried about the prices associated with going so far away (plane tickets + housing + OOS tuition.)