Hi everyone, I have kind of a unique high school situation and would like some advice on how to proceed.
I finished freshman and sophomore years of high school with a 4.0 UW/4.2W GPA. Last fall I had some serious medical issues and ended up having to withdraw from the school to save my transcript and GPA. At the moment I am not currently enrolled anywhere but there are several options on the table.
Option 1: Adult Diploma Program
This is basically a series of tasks that you complete to get a high school diploma. There is no GPA or actual classes. I am worried about getting into colleges with this. I have talked to some admissions officers and have gotten varied responses.
Option 2: Online School
I could finish the required credits this way, but it is expensive and will take at least 2 years most likely. It is also lonely.
Option 3: Public School
I could theoretically return to my old school. However, it would also take me longer to finish and I’m worried about having to fight with the school about my medical issues. My parents don’t really want me to return because I am already 18 and they want me to be done with high school.
If anyone has any suggestions that would be great. Sorry for the long post!
@iwantalltheinfo Thank you for the suggestion! I think that might be a bit far away for me though as my parents have decided on a 2 hour radius for college.
Option 4: “home school”, but take your courses at a community college until high school graduation. Can retain ability to apply as frosh if you do not take college courses after high school graduation.
Option 5: GED, then start college at community college and transfer to a four year school as a junior (when high school record or lack thereof is less or not important).
There are other early college programs in other locations–something I did not know. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to learn something new. Here is a link that lists some: I have no idea how complete this may be. Just to give you some more options. Good luck! https://cty.jhu.edu/resources/academic-opportunities/college-entrance/index.html
@ucbalumnus Thank you for the response! I have considered doing a dual enrollment type thing. Would rather not get a GED. I would like to start at a 4 year college with everyone else if possible.
I would encourage you to look more at the homeschool option as @ucbalumnus suggested. You could homeschool for a year and take a number of dual enrollment courses, possibly for free, and perhaps self-study for CLEP tests. You could then apply as a homeschool student; with solid test scores and grades from outside sources, you shouldn’t have any issues getting into a solid college. As an added bonus, you could easily earn enough credits in a year of “homeschooling” to enroll as a sophomore.
@TrendaLeigh Thank you I will look into it more. Would my parents have to do any teaching or could I do everything through community college? They got work full time so they would not be able to really teach me.
Home schooling at the high school level can be student led for the most part. I was not a homeschooler, so I didn’t get into the nitty-gritty, but I had friends who did and there were all kinds of resources. Not just community colleges, but things they put together as courses and activities. You definitely can be very social if you want to be. I’d suggest you google your town plus homeschooling and see what comes up.
By high school, many homeschooling parents take a back seat when it comes to direct instruction. For instance, my son is homeschooled and next year, he will take three or four dual enrollment courses at the local state college; my only role will be updating his high school transcript to reflect the grades he earns in his college classes.
This year, because he doesn’t drive yet, he’s studying for the CLEP test in American History and English Comp. To keep things simple, we are choosing courses that closely align with required high school subjects. So he’ll receive an A in American History on his high school transcript if he successfully passes the American History CLEP test.
It’s a great way to finish high school and get a jump start on college at the same time. My son actually doesn’t tell people he’s homeschooled at all - he just says he’s taking college courses.
Of course, all states are different, so you’l need to research specific requirements; hopefully, you live in a homeschool-friendly state.
@TrendaLeigh I was actually homeschooled from first to third grade so I think that my state is friendly with it. It is definitely a good thing to consider. @mathmom I was homeschooled before from first to third grade! There was a group that we found when I was doing some online classes a few years ago but they were into the “unschooling” method which wasn’t for my family. I will see if there are any other groups though!
If your state issues an Adult Diploma, then that should be recognized for admission at least within your state. Formally, it is the equivalent of a high school diploma and passing the GED exam series.
I teach GED prep classes, and I think that the Adult Diploma option is superior. For the Adult Diploma, the program organizers will evaluate your high school records and determine which classes you need to complete. You will study the material and take the exams or submit the projects or whatever the format is that is required. Depending on the state, there might be regular live classes to attend, or it might be completely independent work. In many ways it would be like home school.
@HImom has a child with health problems who followed the GED route to finish high school. She should have ideas for you on that topic.
Hi, @livvyxoxo! Sorry you’re in this challenging situation. Our D and S both missed a ton of school due to chronic medical issues (1/4 to 1/2 of most years in HS). After JR year, D was asked to leave her private HS.
Basically I told her we had 3 options:
Start as a SR in public HS in the district we live in—they had to take her but we would likely have challenged if she had too many medical absences.
Attend public online School—put in a reservation and visited.
Study, take and pass the GED test and start CCollege instead of SR year of HS.
After weighing the options, D chose to self study and take the GED. She found it much easier than the SAT and got everything right, so she was welcomed to the local CC.
At CC, many of her teachers also taught at the state flagship U, where the same classes were larger and there is hardly any parking. After her 1st term in CC, where she got 4As and 1B, she applied to transfer to her dream private U where her brother was attending. (Her HS recommended she wait until after completing 2 years of CC before applying anywhere.)
She was accepted in late July, to start after completing 3 semesters of CC. She had no trouble adjusting to her transfer U, where here HS friends and brother were attending. She did graduate from that U and had a very good college experience.
Good luck sorting through and finding the choice that works best for you.
I believe Clarkson has an early college program where kids finish high school and start college at the same time. I know a few kids who have gone and loved it.
I agree…homeschool to finish paired with community college could get you on track.
Check your state’s homeschool requirements to see what you need to complete high school. Dual enrolling in a cc is a good option. If you can raise your ACT score and you apply to college as a freshman you may get some merit aid.
Talk to your guidance counselor at school. See what options they could come up with.
I like the dual enrollment at Community College route where you get your HS and perhaps an associates degree at the same time.
@HImom Thank you for sharing! It’s nice to know other people have gone through this stuff. I know people with health issues but they are younger or not going to college. Your D and I have similar situations it seems like so it’s encouaging to hear that she did well in college!
@austinmshauri Merit aid would be nice. I’ve looked at some schools and my ACT was above their 75th percentile. How much more would I need to bring it up do you think?
