I’m a soon-to-be junior at a really small high school in Kansas. I am currently taking a writing class at the county’s community college for the summer (I’m the youngest there!), and I am enrolled to take a chemistry class and a trigonometry class in the fall (both will lead me to more challenging courses in future semesters). At high school, I have gotten great grades and have taken the most difficult classes I can (Physics, English 3, American History, Anatomy and Physiology, and a higher level computer class are what I am enrolled in for next year). I have looked many times and the most academically challenging thing I can do would be going to the community college. I don’t know what my major will be, but I know it will have something to do with science. I hope to get into Stanford, UC Berkeley, an Ivy, or a similarly ranked school. I know this dream has a high likelihood of not happening, but I should still try, right? Anyway, I looked around on here to see if anyone else was having a problem like mine. Some did, but apparently these top universities don’t like community colleges as much, but would it be different in my case, as I don’t have any AP/honors courses at my high school and little in the way of extra curriculars available? Also, would it be better for me to take all the courses I can at my community college and apply directly to the top universities, go to the community college for the full Associates degree and then apply to transfer to top universities, or to get my Associates, transfer to the University of Kansas (or possibly Kansas State University) for my Bachelors degree (which I know I could do in two years due to a deal that the community college has with the state universities in my state of Kansas) and apply to a top graduate school? (More to the point: what would be the best route to a top school in my situation?)
In general, is it even possible for someone with limited resources available to get into a school like Stanford or an Ivy? Assuming I could be stellar on the other aspects of the application (test scores, recommendations, essays, etc.)?
Thanks for reading this! I’m sorry it was really long…
So, what extracurricular activities ARE available? What do you like?
Other than taking classes, that is.
You seem fascinated with “top schools”, yet the only experience you have is a small high school and a community college, but you don’t seem bothered by going to KSU. What’s the idea of the “top schools” for you?
I’m going to Harvard this fall. I also went to a very small high school with no AP classes; we only had one dual enrollment class with a community college that isn’t even nearby, so I definitely get where you’re coming from! Just know that the top schools will know how limited your opportunities are and will take that into account when evaluating your application 
It’s possible!
This is purely my opinion, and it’s probably a little biased because of my experience, but if I were you I’d just take all the community college courses you can and apply to universities as an incoming freshman. Transferring to a top school is WAY harder than getting in as an undergrad, and if you don’t get in this time around there’s always the plan you mentioned for attending one of your Kansas schools for undergrad and then trying for a top school again for grad.
Your test scores would be how they measure you. If they are high you will have a good chance of damson into a top university.
JustOneDad,
I do a lot of theatre (I’m a registered Thespian in the national Thespian Society), Scholars Bowl (which is a team quiz competition activity. Mostly academic stuff), and just joined the leadership group at my school that helps freshmen transition into high school and tutors underclassmen. I do some other stuff here and there, but that’s the extent of my extracurricular activities. There’s also Volunteer Club, which is something I am considering joining this year. The only other things there are at my school are sports (they love them here in the Midwest) and some artsic things (the painting and drawing kind of art). I am not very good at, nor am I inclined to join, either. The marching band is prettty good at my school, but halfway through high school is a little too late for joining it (they’re actually quite clique-y and musical instruments aren’t my forte 
).
KSU and KU are fine, but EVERYONE at my school ends up going somewhere in state like that, and frankly, I want to leave this state. Kansas is incredibly boring, as if no one knew that already. I don’t mind having to wait a few years if I have to, but I would love to leave eventually. Here, people don’t always amount to much, but I want to go places and do things, and I feel like a top school would be a good place for that. Basically, I feel like if I don’t go somewhere like that, I’ll get stuck, and I want to get out of here. I also am really commited to school and learning (obviously) and I think going to a highly ranked university would be a good fit for me in that realm as well.
Thanks, radmadeline! That was really helpful!
There are hundreds of good schools that will get you out of state. When you say “top schools”, it presents images of the top ten or twenty schools that are very difficult to get into.
Frankly, your application is substantially anemic for those top schools and there doesn’t seem to be much hope for improving it in the next two years based on what you are in right now.
What makes you think you will be “stellar” on test scores, essays and recommendations?
Many people can and even do get into top schools from a small town/small school. There is nothing wrong with taking CC classes when you don’t have challenging enough options at your school. That happens a lot and CC classes (unless they are remedial) are as challenging or moreso than AP. The top colleges don’t 'not like CC very much;. When you have limited options where you are and you go for challenging classes it shows you push for more and that is a big positive. Just select classes with care, take core academic classes as well as what you are interested in, don’t take accounting yet or supervisory practices or some junior college-y thing. Take as much math, lab science, English as you can handle. And where is your foreign language? Take that at your HS probably, college moves faster.
But the same has to happen extracurricular-ly. It is not impressive to just contemplate which club to join or not. That isn’t a wow factor. You have to look outside what is presented to you and find a way to make an impact. That is the sort of student they are looking for. You have to make yourself the candidate that turns their head.
Trying to get in as a CC transfer is very difficult. Sure people still do it but the odds are better as a freshman. There are also many more great schools than those you mention. Get a Fiske Guide and start browsing it. For grad school top schools are all over the place. You don’t pick grad school based on prestige of the undergraduate college. You pick it based on the department reputation and many state schools have the top reputations, depending on the field.
One thing you didn’t mention is finances. There is a huge difference in aid given at top privates vs publics and you may be full pay at Berkeley. Or other colleges for that matter, y6u didn’t mention.