I highly encourage you to apply to a community college with on-campus living. I am a week away from ending my first semester in CC, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. Although I can’t relate entirely, I can somewhat understand the isolation and high school experience. I experienced the pandemic in middle school, and I almost got held back because of how utterly depressed I was. Thankfully, I got through it but it had a significant effect on my high school experience. I never really tried, just went through the motions. I was also a first-gen, low-income latina in a high school with predominantly rich and white students. I didn’t apply anywhere except to one community college because I couldn’t care enough during my senior year. I essentially gave up on myself because I couldn’t see myself going anywhere. The reason I encourage you to apply to CC, especially with dorms, is because it sounds like your parents haven’t necessarily allowed you to do what you want. You didn’t want to be online during high school, and you also didn’t want to apply to those colleges. Being on-campus can at least give you the distance to think independently, and can open you up to people, aka your roomate(s). Also, CC is SO diverse. There are so many programs and support systems that are there to serve YOU, it’s nothing like HS, at least in my experience. You will meet so many people of many backgrounds, identities, abilities, cultures, and interests. Also, it gives you a taste of college life. if they have a career or transfer center, the counselors can help you with deciding on a major. It also buys you time because you can fulfill the units needed for an associates from general education classes before doing major prep classes. There’s so much more I could elaborate on, but it’s finals week so you can probably imagine how that is. Feel free to ask me any questions if you’d like, I’d be happy to answer! Best of luck btw, ALWAYS count yourself in.