Safety Schools for High Stats Homeschooler in Math/CS/Physics

Pre-College Issues Home Schooling and College
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<p>Just when I thought the college search was over, I discovered that my current safety school, CWRU, has a huge focus on applied fields and preprofessional development. As a theorist with hopes of attending graduate school, this doesn't really appeal to me, and I'd like to find an alternative safety school.</p>

<p>My original safeties were schools like UW, UCSD, UCLA, and UIUC, but I ruled out the first three as safeties because they seem iffy for homeschoolers, and I'm not a fan of UIUC's location. Anyway, here's some information about me:
-35 ACT, 800/730/730 SAT II, 223 PSAT (NMSF), 5/5/5/5/4/4 AP, 4.0 UW GPA, 4.29630 W GPA.
-Self-destructive course-load, with 12 APs, and bunches of post-APs in math and science. Two dual enrollment courses at local community college (both highest level in their fields).
-Strong extracurriculars (in my opinion), with focus on chess and academic competitions.
-Expecting strong recommendations; hopefully they'll like my essays.
-Undecided major, choosing between mathematics, computer science, and physics. Hoping to attend graduate school in physics, concentrating in quantum mechanics and/or quantum computing (it's all awesome).
-Urban schools on the west coast preferred but not required. Also, I like the cold, so anything up north is fine by me.
-National schools preferred. I've already got a safety in Canada (UBC), but I'd like to stay in the country if possible.
-Financial aid is not an issue.</p>

<p>I'm also applying to schools like Brown, Caltech, MIT, UCB/UCLA/UCSD, Harvey Mudd, USC, and Reed (as well as several others). I know that I'm defining safety in wider terms than most people on this site, but I already have some "true safeties," and I'm really just looking for not-so-selective schools I can probably be accepted to if everything goes south.</p>

<p><em>The reason I am posting in the homeschoolers forum and not the college search forum is that a lot of traditional safeties may not be welcoming to homeschoolers. Like I said before, the whole UC system doesn't seem very welcoming, and I'm just barely going to meet the testing requirements for UW. And when one removes the unwelcoming publics and highly selective privates, there aren't many schools left on my list. (In general, it seems like many of the less selective private schools have weak STEM programs.)</em></p>

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<p>Discipulus,</p>

<p>With your strong SAT II and AP scores, you will more than meet the UC “admit by test score” option.</p>

<p>For safety, I would <em>totally</em> add UCSB’s CCS program. Their physics is top notch.</p>

<p>My oldest son, homeschooled all the way through, and currently a junior math major at MIT, had three safeties on his list: UT Dallas, U Pitt, and Baylor (from which he later withdrew). He did not apply to any UCs-too big for him. In the end, Pitt is kind of crotchety about homeschool transcripts. Perhaps they’ve loosened up a bit since 2012. He got in with a full tuition scholarship but wasn’t offered more. (And for the record, he got into all his schools including Princeton and Penn, but he ultimately really wanted a STEM school).</p>

<p>For other safeties, you might try UMN TC.</p>

<p>These colleges all have physics majors and admit rates between 25 and 50%:</p>

<p>Boston College
Colgate
Occidental
Oberlin
UVA
Wake Forest
Cal Poly SLO
Colorado School of Mines
UCI
UCD</p>

<p>You might also consider Rose-Hulman, which has a great reputation.</p>

<p>The fact that finances aren’t a concern is a huge bonus! Apply liberally. I think you’ll do great in admissions!</p>