Is there a reason that you need to graduate early? A 12th grade year could strengthen your application and give you more background that would be useful in college.
Are your parents depending on you to continue to work and support them once you start college?
So, if you’re not happy with your admissions results this season, you can still do another year of high school? That’s a good option to have.
I don’t see a path to affordability at Auburn or Rutgers, for a low-income out-of-state student. Do you know something I don’t that would make these financially viable? Morehouse seems like a financial reach too.
My guess, if you graduate this year, is that you will go GA State or Clayton State. Your transcript is very solid, but you’re up against applicants who did everything you’ve done so far, plus a senior year full of high-rigor classes (Calculus, AP Lit, AP physics/chem). I don’t think you’re well-positioned for highly competitive schools, applying a year early.
There’s nothing wrong with the more-attainable schools, but they don’t have an ABET engineering program in your desired major, do they?.
See how this goes, but I would strongly consider doing your 4th year of high school, and letting folks here help you find attainable schools that match your goals and provide the financial aid you need.
You may want to consider whether staying in high school for 12th grade would allow you to complete the following while in high school:
4th year of English (many colleges want to see 4 years)
calculus (many engineering applicants have calculus in high school)
all three of biology, chemistry, and physics (the last two are most important for prospective engineering majors to prepare for college chemistry and physics)
Spanish 3 or higher (many colleges prefer to see level 3 or 4)
visual or performing art (some colleges want to see a year)
Check the net price calculator on each college’s web site to estimate affordability.
Auburn and Rutgers won’t be affordable.
You will definitely get into a GA public.
As an aside: Why not add Howard?
However, Gtech, UGA, GState won’t be going anywhere.
If you can decommit from early graduation and strengthen your application, you could be a valid candidate to one of the very generous meet need universities - they’re “reach for everyone”, ie., almost no chance, but if you get in you’d have no loans (all grants& scholarships + a small job), they’d cover room&board, books, plane tickets to go home (basically think of the rock star football players’ treatment but for academics& ECs), more than a full ride and guaranteed for 4 years… and with family income under 30k it’d be really helpful to you and your family.
You wouldn’t have anything to lose: beside that application you’d still apply to Tech, UGA GA State… And would still get in. You have nothing to lose.
(And we can spend the n ct 6 months brainstorming college ideas with you).
In order to boost your chances you’d need to take DE calculus 1&2, DE physics, DE Chem, College Spanish 2 &3, CS, and a few classes considered especially rigorous like Philosophy(freshman intro) and History (a specific seminar or a non-survey, because so far you’ve only taken surveys), with As. Train using Khan Academy to bring your SAT to a 1400 or your ACT to a 32.
Look into Questbridge, the rising seniors summer program to help you with your app and increases odds of acceptance through their CollegeMatch (the full scholarship program) Ă—7.
This is less reachy than the typical Questbridge universities but still impressive
My school doesn’t offer any calculus classes and any more DE classes besides the ones listed (for context my school’s avg sat is 810, there’s 2 aps and those DE classes) which is the main reason why I’m graduating early (and also my friends are doing it as well)
Also, if I do get another year, how would I strengthen my ECs? I know its very broad but :^)
As a 1st-gen student, you might get offered one of the conditional transfer pathways at GT (for example, this one: First-Generation Pathway Program | Undergraduate Admission), but if that happens, you’ll want to have someplace to go that first year that will get you started in engineering.
