To vastly shorten a long story, I had a number of significant things happen to me when I was enrolled in junior high, which left me with emotional whiplash. I suffered with severe depression at a young age and let my attendance crater. My parents were pushed to drop me out and move to an online homeschooling curriculum by the school, which then cut my family off and never communicated with us again. When my parents divorced, I was left without any ‘academic guidance’ and basically fell off the charts, allowing myself to go uneducated for years.
I recovered emotionally awhile back and became a much more hardworking, homebody person. I studied on my own without a program, learned piano, Latin and classical Greek (this is all mentioned because I figure it is relevant to my question). I’m obsessed with ancient history, legislative law and more; pretty much found this out about myself in my long mindless journey wandering through the internet. I’ve held multiple jobs, two at the same time (unsure if this is relevant, but it was necessary to pay for my future online HS program). I’ve found myself to be an extremely curious, philosophical and bookish type, but I worry I might never move past the damage done by giving up on life during my early depression.
I have become ambitious and, maybe, illogically idealistic. The mindset that has driven me is that with enough hard work and due diligence, I have a shot. Yet partly, I fear that I’m hedging my bets in the impossible. I’d like to see myself in an Ivy League school (particularly because of the expansive history programs I’ve heard of) but I don’t know if I’ve just been too off-the-grid, in an academic sense, to make it. I should say that I’ve enrolled in a program online that provides a legitimate diploma accredited by a southern regional board. I expect to finish completely in a year: by then I will be 20. I also have the ability to take additional AP courses, but those will cost as a separate program. I think that I’ve decided I’d enjoy those, just haven’t put my money to them yet. Anyway, onward.
Summed, my question for you kind folks who’ve read this far is; what are my chances? How far can I realistically go with an online HS diploma and a sketchy academic record? What can I do to increase my horizons, at my age?
Thank you, and I look forward to any answers or guidance I might receive.
Check out course offerings and costs at your local CC. You will, no doubt get A’s. Talk to faculty.
I was taught public speaking by a Harvard graduate with a remarkable story. He was a peanut vendor in Boston prior to WWII. He walked the streets of Boston with an organ grinder and a monkey on his shoulder. In Boston slang he was a “D’s, dens and does” guy. WWII vets received the GI bill so he decided to go to Harvard as he new it was a good local school. When he was not admitted, he went to a CC, received straight A’s and re-applied. Rejected… more A’s, reapplied, Rejected. After three rejections he walked into Harvard and spoke to a dean asking, "What do you want of me.’ on the next cycle they actually let him in. He obtained his AB with high hinors and entered the PhD program in English, but never passed his orals because he could not get rid of his street accent.
Well, that was what he told us at the start of a public speaking course for a bunch of engineering students. It caught my attention. He was a great Professor for years and was abl to make a living doing what he loved to do… read! He had been a classmate of President Kennedy.
Start at your local CC with a class. You may not get into Harvard right off, but start with the CC and ACE it! As an older, motivated student, you will do well. I completed College on the GI bill (Vietnam era) and we older students used to say that education was “wasted on the young.”
Do not underestimate the English Departments at many less well known institutions. By way of example, Stephen King went to the University of Maine which accepts many more applicants than Harvard (over 90%). Some would say he has done quite well!
Congrats on your progress! I agree with above! Take next step at your local college and do well! Get a good foundation in general education subjects. Keep up your hard work! Maturity will take you a long way.
I was a high school dropout myself. I eventually got a masters degree, but starting was not an easy road. Take it one step at a time, because the rigors and structure of college is not something you’re used to yet. If you do too much too soon, you could discourage yourself right out of college. Right now, don’t worry about Harvard. There’s plenty of strong affordable universities to choose from, but right now, you need a starting point. Instead of spending all that time making-up for high school, just get your GED and start community college. You’ll get further ahead that way, because if your reading skills are strong, you’ll be able to start taking college level classes right away. When you take your placement exam, expect that you’re going to be strong in some areas, but very weak in others. That’s OK, the community college will have all the remedial courses you need to get caught up. Take it slow, not more than 2 classes at first. Then gradually increase your load over a semester or 2. If you have top grades, at that point, feel free to apply somewhere prestigious.