I think that virtual/online school would be a great option.
Another thing -this would not help very much in terms of admissions, but self-study would help her be more prepared once she gets to college.
In the end, do what you and she think is right for her. Please, don’t overdo it. Let her enjoy being a high school student.
Good luck to your daughter!
- No, her school will NOT put her in an automatic "no" pile.
- If "moving her or us is NOT an option," then there is no point in stressing over something that you have no control over.
Good luck, and I’m sure you will be very happy in the end!
Many elite universities are looking for applicants like your daughter. And they will do everything possible to help her succeed. At Harvard they found that lower rated students often out performed higher rated ones. So don’t sell your daughter short. Indeed, if you wait two weeks, you’ll find many parents screaming how their brilliant child with 50 APs and 30 ECs was rejected everywhere…
I relate to this situation to some extent. I went to one high school for freshman/sophomore years and another for junior/senior years. I would probably say that the rigor at both schools was average to somewhat below average, depending on the subject matter. I only took three AP classes in high school, psychology and both AP math courses. However, I took four community college classes (which is an option I would highly recommend for students who don’t have many AP options available).
I’m currently attending an ivy league school. It’s hard. I’m currently in the engineering school. My grades on exams typically range from average to above average. It depends on what the class is and how good I am at the subject matter compared to all the amazing students in the school. However, there have been times at Penn where I’ve found myself cheering after getting a C on an exam because the material was very difficult, and I thought I failed the test. I don’t think that I have any major gaps in terms of my knowledge coming into college. There have been a few, but it hasn’t been a big deal. However, the rigor at an ivy league school is so much more intense than the rigor at my high schools. It takes some getting used to. However, just about all of my friends find their classes to be challenging. Many of them admit to having at least one C on their transcript. But this is life. We can’t be the best at everything. In fact, I know people who went to amazing prep schools who still struggle to achieve the grades they want at an ivy.
So, here is my advice. Whether or not any student should go to an ivy depends on their temperament. If a student plans to work hard and accepts the fact that their GPA is going to be lower (maybe significantly lower) than their high school GPA, I would tell them to go for it. As I said earlier, just about everybody finds the course load and material to be very challenging regardless of their academic background. There are exceptions, but to be the exception, you have to be one of the smartest people at a school that is made of valedictorians, salutatorians, and otherwise amazing people. This is easier said than done. Most people don’t fall into this category. If a student thinks they will be extremely discouraged and depressed if their GPA drops, or doesn’t want to put in the effort, I wouldn’t reccomend an ivy. But honestly, if your daughter wants to apply she should just apply. Everybody struggles. I didn’t have an amazing high school background, but with hard work and dedication, I’ve been able to succeed.