My daughter is a junior at a large (2000 students) inner-city public high school. She excels in Humanities - English and Social Studies and is currently taking all AP courses that school offers for those areas of study (AP Lit, AP Eco, AP US History, AP US Gov) which were left for her to choose from (she took other AP and elective courses in those areas of study as a sophomore). She struggles with Math and Sciences and does not enjoy those courses - regardless, she is in Honors Physics and Pre-Calc but does not wish to continue on with higher level courses in those areas next year.
What are the best options for her for next year?
She is talking about a PG year at a boarding school; a senior year abroad; or an “early college.” Because all of those options are uncertain (based on acceptance and our financial abilities) she has also thrown out that she might as well just enter her 1st year of college. She is not interested in going to the local, public college but has not even toured some of the campuses for school’s she has mentioned liking - and it’s almost November.
Advice MUCH appreciated.
Does she not want to do dual enrollment? Early college I would suggest. But since you are worried about financial issues and acceptance maybe studying abroad would be a good idea
I think senior year abroad is a great idea. But she should get her college apps as well organized as possible before going ( all testing & visiting, knowing where to apply, asking teachers for revs).
Note that if she actually graduates from HS this year, she has to be careful not to take college level classes. She doesn’t want her status to change from incoming freshman to transfer student.
-I think studying abroad would be amazing, but it may be difficult during application season, as well as expensive.
-Boarding school could also be good, as long as you can afford it (b/c you’re in the “inner-city”).
Very few colleges really admit junior applicants and it’s probably too late anyway.
A high school year abroad would be perfect - what language(s) does she speak?
You should contact different organizations that specialize in sending high school students abroad (living with a family, attending a “regular” school) to compare offerings and costs. Some have scholarships but you need to move fast.
Applying to be a senior at a boarding school may be difficult - she would be a regular senior and many do not admit in the 12th grade. Look into a variety of schools (ranging from Putney to Choate to Milton to St Paul plus local Day schools?) and their admissions as well as FA policies.
I had an exact same problem, in my sophomore year of high school, but completely opposite of your daughter’s. I excel in math and sciences and I finished all hard sciences by my sophomore year (AP Chem, AP Bio, both AP Physics Cs, AP Calc) as well as a few other APs (AP Human Geo, AP World History, AP Chinese). I don’t want to stay at high school for another two years taking nothing but history and langs (like APUSH, AP Lang/Lit). Instead, I took CHSPE and tested out early (There would probably be some kind of similar tests in every state.) I went straight into community college and starting the summer right after my sophomore year. I took heavy load of classes, and is able to transfer to UC San Diego with only one year of community college, and is planning on graduating UC San Diego with only a year of UC (which puts me exactly four years ahead of my fellow peers at high school). Biochemistry and Cell Biology major btw. I am planning on doing a one year masters with thesis right after that and then apply to dental school.
That’s my story, your daughter should be able to go on a similar path if she really has genuine passion for Humanities, English, and Social Studies. Wish nothing but the best of luck to you and your daughter!
^ that’s only a real possibility in California, where community colleges offer good equivalents to 4-year college’s intro classes, as well as good state financial support for transfers who get into one of the state’s many excellent public universities and a transfer path that’s fairly straightforward.
In most cases, it’s better for financial reasons to stay enrolled in high school and dual enroll ( also called pseo or running start depending on state. ) Transfers can’t access merit scholarship (reserved to freshmen ) and no college promises to meet need for them, even the generous ones.