<p>For Floridadad55,
The reason that such threads become unwieldy is the same reason that financial aid information is such a swamp. There is a ton of “it depends”. Details matter. No admission officer would ever build a class simply on GPA and SAT stats. Somebody has to make the cross country team coach happy and somebody really should take home that alum sponsored tuba scholarship . . . </p>
<p>Truthfully, most of the CC information could be obtained by buying a coffee for the parent in your school district that 1) has a kid very similar to yours but 2) is one to two years ahead of your kid. </p>
<p>Passions so often trump scores – in anything but the top 100 colleges. I know a brilliant kid who took five years to finish high school (miserable GPA) who talked himself into a spot at a smallish public college by walking into Admissions and saying “My grades stink but I’m ready to study Economics and here’s why I think I can succeed here . . .” (The young man has been interested in Economics for years). </p>
<p>So, start with the passions – and then add in the GPA and SAT’s.</p>