Daughter is studying in India and registered in IB diploma program in her 11th and 12th grade. She picked HL Math and Physics. 11th grade so far has been challenging. We just got her 11th grade results and she’s got a very low score of 2 in both. She’s quite active in other extra-curriculars but none of them would be sufficient enough to cover for the low score. We are US Citizens and are open to relocating to California any time. We were exploring US colleges for her undergrad(Engineering because I’m not familiar with any other stream) – through the community college route; looking for the transfer option to a UC/CSU. Possible Options:
1. Move to US and redo Junior High. I don’t know if this is possible at all. Even if we do this will this affect her chances for a transfer from community college to UC later?
2. Move to US and continue senior high. In this option, I don’t think she can finish her requirements for high school in 1 year and be eligible for community college in the next academic year.
3. Move to a different curriculum in India and restart her 11th(Junior). This will increase her chances to be more ready for an undergrad in the US or satisfy prerequisites in Community colleges in California. Need to know if this will be an issue during the transfer applications; Or if we end up doing undergrad in India will this still be an issue in Graduate School applications in the US later. This option will also increase her chances of getting into a good college in India.
4. Move to a different subject choice in IBDP to reduce her work load. Can she still take the community college route if we do this? Will the prerequisites for CCC and the time spent on it make the transfer option unviable?
Of course, we will be happy to have her apply for any other college under-grad in US if there is a chance for a STEM course. But I’m taking the CCC option only to increase the chances of her STEM education in a US college.
Requirements says that:
“California community colleges are required to admit any California resident possessing a high school diploma or the equivalent. Additionally, California community colleges may admit any nonresident possessing a high school diploma or the equivalent, or anyone (resident or nonresident) over the age of 18 without a high school diploma or the equivalent who, in the judgment of the board, is capable of profiting from the instruction offered.”
In other words, it is not difficult to fulfill the prerequisites to enroll in a California community college. If a high school diploma is not completed, and the college does not have space to admit students without a high school diploma, the equivalent can be earned by passing the GED or HiSET.
What is the student interested in? Not doing well in math and physics may not be a good sign for studying engineering (although IB HL courses are relatively difficult ones).
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Her interests are also in Math/Physics.
Is there any impact on taking a gap year in Junior high when she’s applying for UC transfer?
For UC Transfers, Junior High and HS grades/courses are not considered in the transfer process except IB/AP credit. UC’s accept Junior level transfers with 60 semester units/90 quarter units so basically you can wipe the slate clean and start new at a community college and transfer to a UC.
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In the US, and typically, in California, “junior high school” is “Middle School”.
You’ve mentioned considering an option (1) of redoing middle school?
I don’t think it’s possible to redo middle school if you’re trying to increase her abilities in math and science. Plus, I would worry about her self-esteem. Being of high school age, and going to a middle school with a bunch of children, who are 11 -13 years old, doesn’t sound like a good choice.
Middle school is grades 6 to 8. None of those courses, would count towards her college credits; foreign language courses and any advanced math course would serve to allow entry to a higher level course at the high school.
Is this child even a STEM type of student? I would not force my child to redo physics and math to get into engineering. If it’s not inherently in her, or, if the courses are being taught in manner where she isn’t naturally drawn to the subject, then please don’t force it.
All three of our children were drawn to the science and math courses. They were very adept in literature, but it’s the streamlined math courses that were their forte. You can’t force it. We want happy children who love what they are learning and will love what they do as adults; anyway, that’s what my husband and I wanted for our kids.
I didn’t mean redoing middle school. Just the 11th grade.
OK I guess when I hear “junior high” it translates to “middle school”.
I’ll respond about our local community colleges in San Diego.
She needs to be 18 years of age, or have a high school diploma, or completion of a GED.
Also, she needs to pay “out of state” fees because nonresidents, who have not lived in the county or State for at least a year, are charged nonresident fees. Since you are moving here with her, you can establish residency for a year, and pay OOS fees for a year of school, until the residency requirements have been met.
Just a heads up, cost of living in California, right now, is insane. San Diego County has become extremely expensive for rents and home mortgages. LA County and the Bay Area are even more expensive. Our son was going to move out to an apartment. Although he can afford $2500 a month for an apartment, not including deposits, utilities, cable, transportation, meals, etc. We just told him to save his money to buy something later.
Thanks!
Yes, I am getting to know of the cost.
By redoing the 11th grade, she will increase her chances of getting better GPA.
If she does that, we will encourage her to apply through the regular process to UC’s primarily. Losing this 1 year, will this impede her application to engineering courses? How can we mitigate this?
You may not have a choice with her being placed in 11th grade again. It really depends on the high school that you intend to enroll her in, and whether or not they think she needs to repeat 11th grade.
This is especially true for the high schools in California. If your daughter attends a California high school, a counselor will look at her transcript and check off, not only the requirements for colleges, but mostly the California high school requirements for a HS diploma.
Also, I don’t know of too many high schools that offer engineering courses, so I am unaware of how this will impede her current status. At a CC, she will be required to have prerequisites to enter any engineering courses. Most of those will involve math and physics requirements with certain passing grade levels. Her “engineering” courses will likely be at the universities.
“What is the student interested in? Not doing well in math and physics may not be a good sign for studying engineering (although IB HL courses are relatively difficult ones).”
I agree with @ucbalumnus, if your daughter is currently not doing well in these courses, and she likes physics and math, this does not bode well.
Our eldest daughter is an electrical and computer software engineer. If your daughter is targeting engineering, she needs to have the basics down in her math and science courses.
Engineering and computer software majors are impacted majors at many of the UC’s and CSUs in California.