You guys have been so helpful for my own kiddos. I am hoping for more excellent advice.
Currently, I am mentoring a young lady who needs help developing a college list.
She is currently a junior at a prestigious boarding school in the northeast. While they don’t rank, I am pretty sure she’ll finish somewhere in the third or fourth quarter, especially since she has only taken a handful of honors classes and earned average grades.
Her SAT scores fall between 900-1000, M and CR.
She has lived through a lot. Her only support is financial. Community college is not an option to her family and, even if it were, moving home is not a possibility. She does have the resources for full tuition anywhere.
After living through this past winter she wants a warmer climate. She’s gravitating towards a communications major. She will not be able to explain her circumstances on an application form.
I know most of the parents on here have high achieving kids but, you guys have been well informed in the past.
Any school suggestions?
Loyola New Orleans
It has the climate, the communications major, and would likely welcome a full pay student. It’s a good school, too!
The counseling offices at boarding schools tend to be excellent. Are they not giving her good advice?
So far the advising for her has been terrible. The schools she discussed with them were so far above her ability, there is no way she could compete there even if they just took her for the money. (One example of a “target” school was USC)
I am worried she’ll be left without an acceptance.
Thank you @neatoburrito for the suggestion.
I would also suggest she try the ACT. But she really needs to do some test prep before she doesn’t this…as well as a retake of the SAT.
There are a number of smaller schools where her full pay status will help her. What about a school like Guilford? It’s small, and she might find it nurturing in the same way as her prep school.
Are they giving you/her access to Naviance? The stats that get kids into colleges from top tier boarding schools can be very different from what you see posted here on CC, in the college’s CDS, etc. First, if she is in a top boarding school, it is a selected group of smart kids and there can be little to no grade inflation so GPAs are lower and colleges will know that. A student can be in the bottom half of their class and still be a good student and bright. (I never really got these 4.whatever GPAs a lot of high school kids post on this site, as an aside!) Perhaps, the college counselors aren’t too far off if they know this info.
She sounds like she is a poor test taker. Has she studied? Can she get some tutoring? Has she tried the ACT as an option? She might be able to get her scores up with some effort. Another option is applying to test optional schools.
There are certain colleges that have good relationships with boarding schools and LOVE students from a particular school. Again, Naviance is helpful here as you can see a very positive acceptance pattern.
I would also suggest some of the women’s colleges. They provide a wonderful education and acceptance rates can be a little more forgiving than colleges with similar academic reputations. I’d also recommend smaller colleges so she doesn’t get “lost”.
I am a parent of BS kids, one of which wasn’t the best test taker. I’d be happy to help and offer any guidance I can. Feel free to PM me.
Agnes Scott College? Her test scores would fall in the mid-range. It’s just outside of Atlanta with great connections and temperate Southern weather. Only thing is I don’t think they have a communications major, but it’s such a great little women’s college that she might want to take a look anyway.
Oxford College of Emory University might be worth a look if she happens to get her score up. One applies directly to the Oxford campus, then it’s two years at that campus which is smaller and LAC-like, and then the last two years
As someone who has lived only in the north east, I don’t know warm climate schools for suggestions. I will suggest one that is a lovely school, but maybe too cold and snowy for the young lady. St. Bonaventure University. It’s not prestigious or selective, but it’s a lovely place with a very warm hearted campus. It’s a smaller school, so lots of personal attention. Small class sizes. I know a former coworkers child is currently a senior and he didn’t have the highest stats, ADHD made some aspects difficult in high school. The school has a pretty good support system. It’s a more rural school than many are used to, but I think that helps unify the students more (watching the Bonnie’s play basketball is fun too).
@pokeyjoe - Also, could you tell us more about her in terms of her interests, extracurriculars, personality, etc so we can help in making suggestions that are not only a good academic fit but a good personality fit as well?
Whittier? Eckerd? Flagler? College of Charleston? New College of Florida might be a slight reach, but a bump in scores would put her into their range. Southwestern, in Texas?
Test optional schools are a great suggestion. This student apparently doesn’t require financial aid. That being the case, her HS academic record would be what is used to determine admissions. Some schools require submission of a paper or extra essay…but that shouldn’t be a problem for her.
Here is the link to test optiona schools
http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional
Thanks for the replies so far. I’m creating a list. She has been doing ongoing test prep over the summer and through her school. Her existing results are after extensive prep.
She did say the SAT was a better test for her but, she hasn’t taken a real ACT yet. Maybe that idea came from all the test prep?
I appreciate the poster above suggesting that she may be more academically able than her grades show. Knowing her history, I don’t think that is the case. She was an average student before she started at the boarding school. (Bs and Cs)
As to activities, she is involved in theater sporadically. Other than that, her primary focus is on school.
As to personality, she is an outgoing young woman who comes across a good 10 years older than she really is. She’s independent, vegan, and likes to have long conversations about any subject that comes up.
Thanks for the help!
I just looked a little at that test optional list. Three that I would look at…Guilford, Furman, and Sewanee. All great schools.
Also, @doschicos, I do not have access to her Naviance account.
Will her school counselor be able to explain how she has overcome some adverse circumstances on the counselor recommendation? I’m not sure how soecific this has to be…but it might help in terms of the admissions folks looking more carefully at this student’s assets, and not her shortcomings.
That test optional list has all kinds of schools on it…from schools that are highly competitive for admissions, to others which are less so. Take a good look at it…and start looking at some websites with the student.
Thank you @thumper1. I can’t wait to show her so many options. We’re meeting again next week.
I second College of Charleston.
Southern Methodist University. (Both CofC and SMU seemed to like grads of my kids’ boarding school VERY MUCH.)
Eckerd
Bryn Mawr - test optional, a little bit warmer than New England and not a Communications major school but Naviance shows they like BS kids - strong academics, and beautiful campus!
American University - good in Communications and test optional.
Wake Forest - test optional
Sewanee - test optional although no communications major
Pitzer - test optional although no communication major
If she is flexible on the warmer weather preference, I could make more suggestions in the Midwest and the Northeast. Some of the southern schools have a certain ‘flavor’ to them so she should think whether they would be a good fit. When I think vegan, I tend to not think so, but don’t want to stereotype too much. 
@pokeyjoe - If you are one of the main adults in her life helping her with the college process, it would be great to get Naviance access. Perhaps she would share her login and password with you? I think you would find it helpful to get a better reflection on how her school’s grads do at specific colleges.
I’m curious about this … “She will not be able to explain her circumstances on an application form.”
Why not? I assume you mean her family circumstances? Why do you think they aren’t appropriate for an essay or a GC letter?
I don’t know if they have her major but I would suggest Lynn University in Boca Raton. I know several full pay prep school kids who didn’t have very good stats who have gone to Lynn. I’ve heard the campus is beautiful, too. IMO, if she is truly an average student, some of the suggestions ( Bryn Mawr, Wake, Pitzer for example) seem totally unrealistic to me.
I think she needs to look at the test optional list carefully. She still needs to be in the range for GPA. And she would benefit from a strong school counselor recommendation.