<p>Hello everyone!</p>
<p>I'm a homeschooled student who just graduated this year (homeschooled all my life) and applied to college. I've taken the SAT.... total score 2160. Pulled an A in HS. I applied to Boston University, Harvard College, Dartmouth, Franklin & Marshall College, and Duke University. I was waitlisted for F&M (just got the letter of rejection today), but rejected by the others. So now I'm wondering what to do next. Gap year? College credit courses? Any ideas?</p>
<p>I would either take a gap year or college credit courses, and try apply again, but do things to beef up your application in the mean time.</p>
<p>There are similar threads on CC about kids who don’t make it into all their top choice universities; unfortunately, I don’t know any off hand. Unfortunately, your predicament is all-too-common. If you take a gap year and reapply, realize that it’s almost application season already; you need to come up with a plan AND some results before reapplying. You also (obvious in hindsight) need to come up with safety schools. I wouldn’t recommend early applications to schools of the level that rejected you before; you have to have completed, or at least made a significant dent in, the “beef up your application” that Jason mentioned first. </p>
<p>In addition to safety schools, try to determine where you went wrong. For Harvard and Duke and maybe some of the others, your failure could have been nothing more than not winning the lottery. But it could also be your essays or your recommendations; analyze your essays carefully. Ask your recommenders if they could in good conscience recommend you for Harvard-caliber schools. Figure out what it is that you like about the schools that you applied for and see if you’re really a good fit, or where you may fit better.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that if you take college credit courses, you may have to apply as a transfer, and transfer admissions are more difficult than Freshman admissions at most top schools.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>In this case, just curious, is OP able to be a senior again?</p>
<p>Sorry to hear you are in this situation. It’s really late in the year to be coming up with Plan B.</p>
<p>I did a quick search on some of the other forums and came up with these for you to look through. You might find something to help.</p>
<p>There used to be a list of colleges that still had openings for Fall, but the link is no longer working. It was on this site: [Research[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Try:
[url=<a href=“http://www.petersons.com/college-search/late-deadline-schools.aspx]List”>College Search | College Finder | Colleges by Major & Location]List</a> of Late Deadline Schools- Locate Colleges with Late Application Deadlines at Petersons.com](<a href=“http://www.nacacnet.org/PublicationsResources/Research/Pages/default.aspx]Research[/url”>http://www.nacacnet.org/PublicationsResources/Research/Pages/default.aspx)</p>
<p>Here’s one thread about “Gap Year”; do your own search to find more:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1043104-gap-year-most-wonderful-gift-if-you-can-swing-your-kid.html?highlight=gap+year[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1043104-gap-year-most-wonderful-gift-if-you-can-swing-your-kid.html?highlight=gap+year</a></p>
<p>Is attending a community college for a year or two and then transferring an option? There’s nothing wrong with that. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I guess that is one of my questions, “What can I do to beef up my application?”</p>
<p>I know I need to get some letters of recommendation…my family traveled a lot so I never took any outside classes. I’ve only done self teaching, video series, online research, etc. So the only letters of recommendation were from my parents. I don’t know if that had something to do with it.</p>
<p>“transfer admissions are more difficult than Freshman admissions at most top schools.” I’d heard that too. </p>
<p>“In this case, just curious, is OP able to be a senior again?” Can you do senior year over again? Even if I could, I’d really like to do something else. Because of all the travel my family did, I’m twenty now. The sooner I can start college the better! :)</p>
<p>Thank you all for your replies. I really appreciate the ideas and advice.</p>
<p>Oh, a question about recommendations, too. How in depth should they be? Should they be more than, “This student is dedicated and muture. I highly recommend them…etc?” </p>
<p>Traveling a lot, I’ve been to many museums and every state east of the Mississippi as well as a few to the west. I also traveled for a week abroad with my brother. Should I include this in my college apps. If so, how?</p>
<p>I think the most difficult thing is that you didn’t do any outside classes. Did you take any AP tests or SAT II tests? For homeschoolers, one of the things all adcoms have told me is they want to see the “home” grades substantiated. SAT/ACT is one aspect of that (and a 2160 is not super high for the schools you applied to), but community college classes (dual enrolled), AP, or SAT II tests are almost a necessity for more competitive colleges even if they don’t say they are on their web pages. You could likely get into a less competitive college or state school based on what you have.</p>
<p>The travel is a nice EC, but remember, many have traveled, so it’s not uncommon. Have some other ECs too. You want to stand out in a good way to get accepted at the competitive schools.</p>
<p>My suggestion to you would probably be to find a job and sign up for a couple of community college classes - then apply again as a freshman next year. Talk to your cc adviser for most specific advice.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you’re going to manage a top school like Harvard. Getting into a top school like takes yearrrssss of preparation, it’s quite an ordeal! What about a local private liberal arts? I am sure there a couple really nice ones in your area that you would enjoy.</p>
<p>Creekland wrote, sign up for a couple of community college classes - then apply again as a freshman next year.</p>
<p>@Creekland, are you suggesting OP to take college courses as a high school senior? I too was curious if its possible for OP to have that option. I mean, could OP be a senior again under the homeschooling (after OP declared that he/she graduated from homeschool)?</p>
<p>I don’t know if all schools allow it, but a few I’ve heard about have allowed students to enter as freshmen if they only have a couple of courses (NOT a full load) from a community college. It’s not the same as dual enrollment. They may not allow credit for those courses (esp top colleges), but they use the grades in their assessment for admission.</p>
<p>Those I know who have done this had lower GPA’s than they would have liked (from freshman or sophomore year) and wanted to show they had changed.</p>
<p>I have no idea if the OP can redo a senior year. I would think they need to be creative, and perhaps less selective, for applications next year while augmenting their application.</p>
<p>If homeschoolers want highly selective schools, they really need to show outside grade confirmation. This is what I think the OP lacks.</p>
<p>^ I see what you mean now. Thanks.</p>
<p>The OP is already 20 years old. There are still schools that would admit for this fall.</p>