Hi there! I am currently a sophomore in high school, on track to complete all my high school credits at the end of the 2nd term in my junior year, please note my school does trimesters. I originally started my freshmen year at a Early College Highschool within the same building as my alternative high school I attend now. I had started my freshmen year in state custody, legally a foster child, and had to switch out of the Early college due to workload with court and other things. At my alternative school I have maintained high grades, have over a 3.5 gpa, I am student council vice president, and I am taking accelerated college prep classes next term. I am also in the national honor society, and on a district wide council. Furthermore, once I complete my high school credits I will be a sponsored student at the college that my high school is on campus.
My school does not offer any sort of AP, or college credit classes. I am taking the closest equivalent that we do have, which are accelerated classes at the college on campus. I am wondering if there are any other ways I can boost my chances and my application for getting into a private school. If it helps at all, I want to major in chemistry, and have interest in pharmacology and medicinal chemistry. I want to study medicine in a lab type setting.
Private colleges are often easier admits than public schools. If you can pay, you wil certainly find private …and public colleges…available to you.
OP said in (or was in) foster care. That should get you independent status for FAFSA, so you should get pretty good financial aid.
If you have a school or two in mind, you might contact them with your back story and ask them for suggestions. They might recommend you not graduate early and take some electives, or take a gap year (especially if you are young and would graduate at 16). You might also find a mentor at the school who would help you with applications.
Have you looked at Questbridge? Posse? They have arrangements with private schools to support the students they accept into their programs, both financially and academically.
Hopefully their school has a counselor that can work with them - but there is still potentially private options (and public) - but hopefully OP will have expertise from someone to help them.
Obviously there are private schools to meet need, Quesbridge and more - and publics that usually have a safety net.
Sounds like they are doing fantastic. Hopefully there’s someone at their school who can work with them on specifics.