So most of you know about my dual-enrollment situation. I am taking 5 courses this semester at Stony Brook University and 3 at my high school. Of those 3 courses, 2 are required for graduation - English & Psychology. This does not include gym, which is also required. Unfortunately, its near impossible for me to keep up with high school attendance, which the administrators understand but the teachers don’t. My gym teacher has given me an incomplete so that I can make up the missed classes, which was very kind. However my psychology teacher has threatened to drop me, despite the fact that every absence has been cleared. Apparently, it is the teachers discretion that determines who remains in the class. That class is the last of the day, and conflicts with Sociology at Stony Brook every few Monday/Fridays…I think I’ve had 8 absences, including college visits and what not.
Anyways, what I’m getting at is that I want to drop PE and Psychology. Neither of the courses are important to me, and provide absolutely nothing to my education. In addition, they are a HUGE hassle as far as grades/attendance is concerned. I really really want to drop the classes, but I would then not be able to have a diploma. My options (I think) are the following:
-Emancipate from the high school and home-school myself.
-Drop the classes, and just give up on the diploma thing.
-Attempt to fulfill the requirements myself, and then try to gain approval at the end of the year (through taking psych at college, etc.)
Anyone have experience with this kinda thing?
I’m applying to:
Princeton
Georgetown
UChicago
Harvard
Columbia
Haverford
Middlebury
Trinity
etc. etc.
<p>Ilcapo, if you gave up the diploma, you would need a GEd I think. But there are moms like Marite, Bookworm, Soozievt and Dmd77 here who would know better - their sons are graduating/graduated early. But these kids graduated age 17 or earlier and Susan's daughter is getting a diploma. I don't think this would look good; that's my opinion. I think it is too risky. Homeschooling is good but you should have been doing that earlier, not at this stage.</p>
<p>The reason I say it could be hard is, my son got the acceptance letter from college and it said the admission is contingent on graduating high school (or something to that effect). Now that you have sent in your transcript to Princeton, you are a highschooler and not a homeschooler.</p>
<p>I don't know, its strange because the high school courses (Psychology & Gym) contribute nothing at all to my academic profile for colleges, so I FEEL like they shouldn't care about a diploma...but I know that they probably do.</p>
<p>First, my S and Soozie's D are graduating early but earning a diploma. They will have both fulfilled graduation requirements and garnered enough credits to graduate early.</p>
<p>As far as needing a diploma, a number of schools do not require them, nor do they require GED. They, in particular, are very welcoming of homeschooled students. I know that Harvard, MIT and Stanford do not require high school diplomas.</p>
<p>But of course, some--perhaps the majority-- do, and so you need to check the requirements of the schools you are interested in. Of more immediate concern, however, is the impact your absences will have on your grades. If your psych teacher threatens to drop you, what kind of grade will you expect from her? Admission is contingent on maintaining good grades not just before being admitted, but throughout the rest of senior year. </p>
<p>Well, I ALWAYS make up the work in psychology...in fact I think I have a 96 average hahah. The problem is we have this Board of Ed Policy that stipulates after 5 absences, the teacher has discretion of whether he/she wants to drop a student. The administration ALWAYS have the final say, its just frustrating to deal with a teacher who is so unwelcoming to my situation and clearly inflexible! </p>
<p>It just bothers me that I am letting two pointless courses really really really stress me out. Today I had a near nervous breakdown, frantically calling the Dep't of Ed, Superintendent, Center for Alternative Education, running back to my Assistant Principle, etc.</p>
<p>Its awful, my high school is a complete bureaucracy. I cried today...in front of my principal :( how embarassing</p>
<p>My suggestion is to see if psych is offered at a better time for you. Gym is usually available at any period, and sometimes going to a gym can count. I would suggest you try to negotiate with psych teacher, perhaps doing extra paper, or doing well on the exams. Now that you are thru with interviews, you should be more available. Psychology may not seem necessary for your education, but thoughout life it helps to understand human behavior and it can improve social skills.
My S had to rotate missing 6th period at HS and class at CC. The HS teacher took attendance and graded class participation, but at CC, they cared about grades.
Another suggestion is to see if you can complete the psych course on-line.</p>
<p>Basically, in NY you are required to take a Participation in Government and Economics course. Somehow, Psychology, Criminal Justice, and other courses were grandfathered into this requirement. They DO offer an online hs class in economics that will fulfill it, but my HS is literally incapable of doing anything, so when I asked they got all confused. I am still trying to go along that avenue, but my HS truly does not like people who dont work directly along the typical avenue.</p>
<p>It will vary by the state you end up going to college in, and the policies of the school. My d. didn't get a diploma - she took the G.E.D. for purposes of the Byrd Scholarship, but didn't get a diploma. It would have been an issue if she had gone to college in New York State, or so I am told (but we could have just made up a homeschool diploma, and since that is accepted in Washington State, I think it would have done the job.) The colleges didn't seem to mind, and they all knew she was entering at 16 (but had completed 66 credits, which she wasn't transferring.) I am sure that Smith, Mount Holyoke, Williams, Amherst, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Evergreen didn't require it. I think Bard (in New York State) did, and I am pretty sure Pomona did (they LOVED paper.)</p>
<p>I think it matters. S got chased down for his 'diploma'--which his school doesn't give out. (A student doesn't graduate, he simply 'leaves' and by doing so, becomes a 'leaver'. No such thing as diploma--or graduation. Showed a few US graduation invites and they could hardly contain their snickering).</p>
<p>Anyway, S got a very threatening letter from adcom in July asking for a diploma--or else. Had to re-visit the whole 'left' school in November because it's the Southern Hemisphere issue. Sorted it, but it seemed like a stickler.</p>
<p>Basically, once you have a college degree, it will be a rare occasion indeed when someone asks you whether or not you have a high school diploma. Most of the colleges/universities I have checked with common data set information, which includes an item about this, indicate that they do NOT require a high school diploma for admission. Check details of your particular situation, but don't let not getting a diploma, if that possibly ends up happening, spoil your enjoyment of life.</p>
<p>My S's college didn't require diploma, but it mattered to me. It seems that the graduation rate at his college is something like 75-80% in 6 years (That may be low). Anyway, I worry that if he leaves college, he wouldn't have any degree. Once he takes an English course at college, then HS will grant him diploma.
Nothing was easy when not following the typical HS route, and 2 or 3 times requests had to go to County Superintendant's office. The only time I got involved was in figuring out a way to obtain HS degree.
I'm sorry to hear that your mom is ill. Is she able to help you navigate thru the HS system? Is your GC behind you?</p>
<p>Most schools are bureaucracies. My son was told that he had to make up for Physics last year because he had 5 absences! Somehow if you could attend, it would be great. As well as getting gym in somewhere in your schedule.</p>
<p>I am sorry to hear about your mother and hope she gets better soon. While you may not need the Psych class, you can not graduate fom a New York state H.S. with out gym, so no matter how you are doing in your other classes, if you fail gym or don't have enough credits- no diploma (you would be suprised the number of students in summer school taking gym). You may have to go to night school or double up to get this gym in, so I would suggest that you find out what your options are now.</p>
<p>There is also an attendance requirement for the minimum hours of days your must be in class, so whether or not your absences have been cleared if you don't meet the minimum number of days your teacher cannot pass you.</p>
<p>I believe that you need 40 credits to graduate so you really need to see your guidance counselor to see where you stand -do you have enough credits for a general diploma (have you taken the minimum number or regents couses and passed -Math A, Global, U.S. History, English, and i believe 2 sciences). Since you are applying to some pretty selective schools they will probably expect you to graduate with a regents diploma. Also because you are still in day high school, you will not be able to take the GED.</p>
<p>Please go see where you are as this term is wrapping up. I hope that all of this works out.</p>