TL;DR I’m a homeschooled freshman who’s not shooting for an Ivy, just for full rides at decent universities where my classes would probably transfer. Am I on the right path? All my community college and university classes are as a dual credit student. I’d like to be a statistics/math major.
SAT (May 2013): 1980 (730 M, 630 W, 620 CR) - taking the March SAT on Saturday
And this is what my HS transcript would look like so far (h means non-college/uni):
Semester 1
Physiology (Advanced Biology, a year course I did in a semester - with labs - h) - A
English (composition and classic lit - h) - A
Music (piano and voice - h) - A or pass, whatever
PE (h) - A or pass
US History 1 (community college) - A
Calc III (community college) - A
Semester 2
Music (h) - A or pass, whatever
PE (h) - A or pass
English 102 (community college) - will be an A
Linear Algebra for math majors (university) - struggling a lot, will have to work really hard for A/A+
Ordinary Diff Eqs (university) - should be an A/A+ if I keep up with the work
Introductory Statistics (community college) - should be an A
Please give me your thoughts on my (hopeful) plan for next year (10th grade, possibly 11th grade but unlikely)! 
Semester 1
French 1 (CC)
Data Analysis 1 (uni)
Partial Diff Eqs OR Numerical Computing OR Advanced Calc 1 OR 400-level statistics (uni)
History OR English (CC)
English OR History (h)
Music (h)
PE (h)
Semester 2
French 2 (CC)
Data Analysis 2 (uni)
Partial Diff Eqs OR Numerical Computing OR Advanced Calc 2 OR a sequel 400-level statistics (uni)
Physics I (with calculus) or General Chemistry 1, with lab (CC)
English OR history (h)
Music
PE
Thanks
You are taking an impressive amount of advanced math but if you are struggling you may want to cut back a bit. Also, I am a little confused by the course sequencing. if you’ve taken calc 3 this year, why would you take calc 1 next year?
Are you meeting high school diploma requirements? Our school requires health for instance, and a few other state mandated classes.
Have you considered graduating early? Seems like you are already attending college anyhow. Must be costing a lot–why not take those classes as a college student on scholarship?
I’m partially struggling due to the instructor. (I currently have a high A in the course - hopefully I won’t fail the midterm tomorrow.) Advanced Calc 1 is nothing like Calc 1 - it’s proofs and topology. Calculus is a pre-req.
My high school diploma will be the GED (in my state, that’s the only way homeschoolers can get diplomas.) I have checked the state graduation requirements and am meeting the minimum requirements. The earliest I could take the GED would be next year.
That’s exactly my question! I will need a full ride academic scholarship, though (note: my parents can’t pay and I won’t qualify for meaningful need-based aid). Currently I’m not paying tuition (just textbooks and transportation), and if I graduated now, I wouldn’t qualify for most scholarships. Also, I’m 15, and my parents aren’t willing to have me living on campus quite yet. The current uni I’m dropping in at would be the one I attended if I graduated right now, and I wouldn’t qualify for any sort of scholarship there yet.
I’m hoping that I’ll do well enough on this Saturday’s SAT that it will seem likely that I can become a national merit semifinalist by taking the October PSAT (essentially skipping sophomore year). I kind of doubt it, though.
(I’ve checked automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com already, btw.)
Are you dual enrolled (for free, with classes counting toward HS graduation)?
Your schedule looks good, well-balanced.
Are you able to maintain one or two EC’s of interest?
Yes, I am dual enrolled. I have three major ECs - choir, Civil Air Patrol, and chess.
P.S. One reason I can’t graduate early is because I haven’t had any high school language or much science. I may learn a high school science in the summer.
I am not sure how national merit handles students who graduate early but you need to look into that.
Maybe cut back one of the math classes next year and try to address some of the classes you still need? That would give you more flexibility in when you graduate.
Some colleges don’t actually require a high school diploma. Not sure if National Merit does.
You and your parents might be surprised at how generous the Ivies can be to mid income students. Don’t rule it out before you have them run the numbers. They may not transfer the credits but you probably would get placement and end up taking a lot of graduate courses–the same as you’d be doing if you go to your state U or U Alabama on their full ride scholarship.
Good luck to you.
@mathyone I’ve looked into it already. I still have to take the PSAT as a junior (earliest would be next year).
Well… I can only take one semester of a language at a time. I’m assuming language and science will be challenging classes. History and English should be relatively easy. And if you look at what I posted - I have 2 levels of French in one year (so 2 years - may or may not take 2 more). I would be tortured taking two sciences the same semester. If I cover another high school science before fall (physics, biology, or chem), then I’d only need 1 or 2 more HS years (CC semesters).
National Merit doesn’t require a GED for homeschoolers. (My sister is a NMF on a full ride at a different university and hasn’t taken the GED.)
Ivies aren’t a necessity for me. I’d probably qualify for some aid, but I’m not taking out loans to cover the rest. Working even 20 hours a week while going to school full-time would be difficult. Don’t think I qualify for the full ride at U of Alabama yet.
(My dream schools are Oxford and Cambridge. I’d like to be a Rhodes scholar so I can go to Oxford for grad school. For undergrad, my goals are to learn the necessary statistics to be an actuary/pass at least six actuarial exams with study, without going into debt or attending the absolute worst universities.)
Thanks =)
Run the NPC:
https://admission.princeton.edu/financialaid/estimator
What’s your result?
Haverford or Davidson don’t package loans. Not sure about Williams, HarveyMudd, or Northwestern, all of which are really good for math. St Olaf is well-known for math and music.
If you want a UK school, you have to choose between Oxford and Cambridge and be ready before Oct.15 of your 12th grade year. Then you can add 4 UCAS schools (Edimburgh, St Andrews, Durham, Warwick are popular but I don’t know which ones are best for your subject). Preparing for Oxbridge takes a lot of time.
I don’t have the info on hand to run it, thanks. I’ve tried before and I don’t qualify for enough.
No, I said for grad school. Undergrad will be in the US. I know I can’t apply to both Oxford and Cambridge. Undergrad in the UK would be (a) too expensive and (b) an academic shock.
Then you’re not middle class… the Ivies have financial aid even for families that make 200K a year (ie., well into upper middle class). Just a reference point
Hehe, my family makes less than that. I do not qualify for ENOUGH financial aid to attend without paying some - which is why, in my OP, I asked after “full rides at decent state universities.”
P.S. My SAT score is not Ivy material.
You will have to “pay some”, at the very least right now your parents pay for your food, transportation, and books. So, it’s normal they should continue.
Full rides are very rare, especially for non-NMFs, but some exist for 1400 new SAT. Your best bet is to be top 1% for your state on the PSAT this Fall. (1980 as a sophomore could well be “Ivy material”, since you still have time to improve it.)
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/
http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com/
Hmm, my parents are not going to graduate me early if I act entitled. I am not entitled to their money for me to go to college (it’s something extra). If I am attending full time/as a high school graduate, I will be responsible for paying my transportation, books, etc - hence why I need to try to get an academic full ride.
Thanks, I’ve been checking those sites out. I assumed they are listed with old SAT thresholds - how do I find out they are meant for the new SAT as well?
You’re right, those list the old thresholds, but typically where you have 2100 => 1400.
You shouldn’t graduate early.
Is your dual-enrollment paid for (ie., part of the homeschooling system/public school deal) or do you have to pay for it?
You’re right that you are not entitled to their money for college, but most parents understand that nowadays, without parents to pay tuition, it’s almost impossible for students to attend college. Also, most parents want to help their kid get an education and they gladly invest what they can if the child did their part, because investing in one’s child is considered a good investment in most households.
Now, many parents also can’t, but you’re not acting entitled by respecting what colleges say, ie., that the primary responsibility rests with the family, even if the college helps.
Do you know your EFC?
If not, look into it.
Most parents have a near heart attack when they see their EFC.
So, bring the EFC to them gently and make sure they sit down before you show it to them.
If it’s high, indicate you understand they can’t invest that much into your college education, but you’d like to know how much they can offer, and that you’re trying to do your utmost to reduce their expenses.
You’re right that having full rides or at least full tuition scholarships helps tremendously. However, because most universities consider that food&housing+ books remain the parents’ responsibility, full rides are very rare. Full tuition scholarships are more numerous and have deadlines between October 15 and December 1st for the most part.
Yes, it’s paid for, except for books and transportation. I can NOT depend on need-based aid (that’s not what I’m asking after - I have looked into it). I have plugged necessary info into financial aid calculators, and the EFC is very high (far past what my parents can even hope to pay). Yet again: I do not qualify for ENOUGH financial aid to attend without paying some- too much. I need to depend on merit/academic aid.
Additionally, if I don’t graduate early, it won’t be an issue, since I’ll attend maybe a semester or two for undergrad after HS graduation. Graduating a year early makes some sense, but in order to be allowed to do that, I must do well on the March SAT (doubt I will score high enough to have it appear likely that I will become a semifinalist if I take the October PSAT).
be careful about attending a college after finishing HS- it may make you ineligible for some scholarships (you could turn into a transfer v. a first year student.
Thanks, I’ll do so I have no plans to attend college after finishing high school without being considered a freshman, though.
Your SAT score is 3 years old! It means very little and I don’t know why you think you won’t make NMSF. Most NMSF couldn’t come close to handling the coursework you are doing.
@MYOS1634, I think it’s very unlikely that a smaller college like many you listed will have a suitable program. The OP will already have a lot of college math credits and should be looking at Universities with graduate programs and if a full ride is required that will be a very small list. Yes, it’s sad that someone with so much talent and work ethic is getting zero support from parents apparently with a 6 figure income to pursue education but we have to respect what the OP says and if OP is cut off at hs graduation she will just have to fend for herself.
And be careful about taking college classes after hs graduation. Why would you do this–you’re apparently getting them free as a hs student, and yes it could knock you out of eligibility for scholarships.
@mathyone I’m scoring about the same on practice tests (I’m bad at standardized tests in general, scantrons freak me out). I don’t think that if I skip ‘sophomore’ year and take the PSAT in fall, I’ll get a qualifying score. BTW, my parents have many financial constraints that don’t come into the financial aid picture, which makes what they actually can contribute pretty low (so please don’t judge). Regarding grad school, I do not intend to study math, so graduate math programs aren’t my top priority (actuarial science, business, economics, or unrelated grad programs would interest me). If statistics goes well for me, I may well drop my math major into a minor…
I don’t know there the idea of taking college classes after high school graduating (assuming without getting a scholarship or something) came from, and I’m well aware that doing so would be rather foolish.
You stated " if I don’t graduate early, it won’t be an issue, since I’ll attend maybe a semester or two for undergrad after HS graduation." from which we thought you meant you would take more college classes between hs and college. Are you thinking you will get a college degree after just one semester in college? I don’t think most colleges would do that. You need to look into that. Besides there are many reasons to stay longer in college–chances to do internships and gain experience that will help you land a better job when you graduate, social experiences, personal growth, doing a double or triple major that may help you later in your career.
On the SAT, practice a lot. You are still pretty young and you have time. Apparently the NM scholarship will be extremely important to your ability to earn a college diploma so I would drop any idea of taking classes over the summer and make it your business to do well on the PSAT. One more college class is not going to make a difference like a nice scholarship will–you have so many college classes already. Obviously you can handle the math but you may need to review it and practice for speed and accuracy.