<p>I'm confused...why are you in high school and college??</p>
<p>I know someone who went to CMU without getting a diploma at age 17. I know ilcapo is not interested in CMU but..</p>
<p>Achat, I realize there are colleges where you can go that do not require a high school diploma. But I don't know or think that is the case with every school on this boy's list. I also do not think that is his best solution given where he is at with his credits. I think there are other ways to work this out. I also think it would look best with his colleges to finish out this school year and graduate. </p>
<p>I know for my D when I called every school on her list about 10 months ago when she came to us asking to graduate a year early (but will have the credits to do so plus will earn her HS diploma), I wanted to make sure they would take an early graduate and in every case they said they do, and most also remarked "as long as she has a high school diploma, we do not care how many years it took" (in this case three instead of four). The diploma seemed to be what they cared about. So, for some schools, this may be the case. </p>
<p>The fact that Ilcapo has more absences than is the rule in this one course and the fact that he really just does not like the course is not compelling, in my opinion, to give up getting a diploma at this stage in the game.</p>
<p>Based on the school which you are condsidering applying to </p>
<p>Columbia allows early admission for high school juniors, however GED would be considered special students and would have to apply through the school of general studies.</p>
<p>Early admission is granted occasionally to students of special promise who have completed the junior year of secondary/high school and who meet these requirements:
1. they must have maintained an outstanding academic record in their secondary schools;
2. they must have the physical, intellectual and emotional maturity to handle the rigorous program at Columbia;
3. they must have the full endorsement of their secondary/high schools.
Applicants for early admission should follow the normal procedure in applying, but should indicate they are applying for early admission under the Additional Information section of the on-line Application for Admission or write Early Admission on the face of the paper application.</p>
<p>Haverford</p>
<p>Although a high school diploma is preferable, Haverford will consider students who do not have a high school diploma or GED. Important considerations are strength of curriculum and rades. Any student with an unusual educational situation should contact the admission office for more information. If possible, an interview would be the best way to discuss the student's particular educational background and plans. Home-schooled students should submit a regular application with the school record provided by parents and/or other persons providing teaching. Additional grades from correspondence schools and community colleges should be official transcripts. Home-schooled students also must provide all required standardized tests; these can be arranged online by contacting collegeboard.com.</p>
<p>Trinity Uses GED for transfer applicants</p>
<p>U of Chicago- Nothing about GED for first year students</p>
<p>I thought that junior/senior year gym might just be local requirements..hmm..</p>
<p>The state sets the minimum guidelines, the school sets the guidelines as to what you need to get a diploma from their school. I remember when I was in H.S. at Brooklyn Tech, many of my friends met the state requirements for a diploma by the end of Junior year, transferred out to a "regular H.S. took double english double gym was out of school before lunch and graduated 6 months early. </p>
<p>Things vary from school to school.</p>
<p>If you are on the brink of failing a course at your school, it does not matter how many A's you get in college courses, you will not graduate. I don't understand why you have all of these absences in psych. Do you feel that you are unchallenged, it's a waste of your time and you just are not going? Is it first period and you just can't make it. Whatever the reason, get your self there and do what is needed to pass and put it behind you. Next semester, take no college courses, take what ever your H.S> requires to get finished, even if you have a zero period and night school, you have too much on the line to not finish.</p>
<p>Susan, I agree. I'd advise my son the same way.</p>
<p>The reason for the absences:</p>
<p>-Typically, it is possible for me to make it from my Psychology course at high school to my Sociology course at Stony Brook on time. However, on test/quiz days, the way it works is that you MUST be on time because if someone starts the test and finishes in 5 minutes, no one can take begin the test after he or she leaves the room. Thus, on days when I have quizzes, I simply cannot take the risk, and so I must either a) leave early or b) not go to the class. Either way, it counts as an absence. Also, I have about 4 absences from college visits (meaning, I have four, full day absences). So it really isn't a matter of me not wanting to go, its just this is the way it has all worked out - and I have no control over the matter.</p>
<p>I must reiterate that I am in no danger of failing, and that the teacher alone can't "kick me out" - I simply would prefer to find another means of fulfilling this requirement. I don't know much at all about alternative education/GED sort of stuff, so I came here and got some great answers.</p>
<p>I promise...I'm not just lazy and uninterested...it is the fact that balancing a workload becomes difficult when you have a very inflexible teacher with major control issues!</p>
<p>Il,</p>
<p>Work with us... (i am in true "mom" form now :) )</p>
<p>The Sociology course at Stonybrook enhances your education. the H.S. course is REQUIRED for your education. As you get acceptances, you will b eout even more days before finalizing a decision. So you cannot afford to miss days at your required course in order to make it to your enhanced course. While your teacher cannot throw you out of the class, s/he can still fail you for attendance which really places you on the down side of this power dynamic so is it really worth the risk? One of daughter's friends did not graduate in June for the same reason absences (she wants to major in dance, applied to a lot of colleges and was out for auditions). The attendance issue for the most part is pretty black and white (you were there or you weren't, the reason does not matter).</p>
<p>You seem to be burning the candle at both ends. Now with your mom's illness things are going to be more frazzled. Trust us you are doing great. Sometimes you have to take the path or least resistance. Take some pressure off your self, sice the psych teacher is not budging (an in the end the administration, the union and the school board will back her) drop the sociology so that you won't jepordize the psychology. Get the psych finished so that it is behind you.</p>
<p>Ilcapo, I almost didn't graduate from hs way back when due to some administrative snafu... totally ridiculous, so I sympathize. However, I am distressed by the tone your posts have taken on and want to caution you as a sympathetic grown-up who has been around the block... in the real world (and admissions, sadly is part of that) when faced with two almost identical or similar people, one with an attitude problem, and one without, the nod always goes to the one without the chip on his shoulder. I've been part of hiring decisions where a moderately inferior candidate beats out a better one for a job just because people picked up on a vibe which suggested a bit of a prima donna.</p>
<p>Face facts-- some of the schools you've applied to claim they require a HS diploma before they let you enroll. Even if Princeton decides they don't care, if it were me, I'd rather have the adcom's discussion focus on what I bring to campus, rather than degenerate into a "he said she said" discussion about why you've withdrawn from HS second semester and are getting a GED or not graduating at all. You're a great kid, but so are ten's of thousands of others, all of whom will either have a HS diploma, or a reasonable facsimile. Everyone of those kids had to take some ridiculous required courses... gym, drivers ed, sex ed/health, etc. Kids from Catholic schools need to pass their required courses in Dogma and Faith; some prep schools have mandatory chapel attendance and if you have too many absences you don't graduate.</p>
<p>If it were me I'd be moving heaven and earth to sweet talk my teacher's into working out a solution which involves me showing up, doing the work, and getting my credits. I wouldn't be communicating even subtley that I felt they had control issues, were too stupid to know how to teach, or that I had outgrown them now that I'm heading for Princeton and Ivy league greatness. That attitude may come back to bite you big time... so march in there and ask your teachers to help you come up with a plan to graduate with your class.</p>
<p>Just clear it up. Look: the odds are very, very strong that you are going to get rejected at Princeton. Has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with numbers.</p>
<p>So just go through the next several months assuming that now that you've been rejected at Princeton, what do you need to do in order to assure the "next best alternative"? That likely means getting your diploma - no excuses. Doing well in all your courses - no excuses. Learning to deal with authority figures in such a way that there is a "win" for everyone. No bellyaching. Just do what you already know deep down needs to be done.</p>
<p>OK OK, I'll get my diploma :( </p>
<p>But I will still try and figure out an online alternative :)</p>
<p>Meanwhile, thanks for all the help!</p>
<p>Oh dear
Here I was posting that my S needed one English course at college and he'd get degree, and now he tells me he'd rather not. He could take a half year course on-line, which can be completed in 3 weeks (thats all first half took). It doesn't matter to him, but it does too me. Not everyone takes a direct route thru college, and its a lot easier to not have to explain a lack of HS degree.
So, Ilcapo, you've strove to write the best essays, you're a most interesting person, please see what you can do to finish those 2 courses.</p>
<p>Is there any way that you can test out of the PIG/Econ requirements? I know there are two exams at my school where juniors can prove their competence in those subjects and thus not be expected to take the course. However, we still need to take a social studies course as seniors, and I'm not sure where you stand on that. Maybe your school would allow you to demonstrate understanding of the course you need to do and then supplement it with an additional course?</p>
<p>The NY graduation standards seem to be pretty easy to fulfill for many subjects, but in other areas (such as English, gym, and social studies), I know lots of people who are basically wading through their senior years with required courses. I'm sure that much of the premise is to ensure that seniors actually take courses, but they do not allow for much flexibility. I will have 8 years of high school foreign language, 6 years of math, and 6 years of science by the time I graduate -- at least double each of those requirements -- and yet still have to take a social studies course. We are also required to take all our gym credits (2/3 days a week, all year, every year) and can not use varsity sports or community activities to fulfill those.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>bookworm - if your son didn't get his high school diploma and didn't finish college, he would indicate "some college" on almost any job application he ever encountered. Typically the application will ask what is the highest grade or level completed. So if your son dropped out of college after 2 years, then he would indicated that he had 2 years of college. At that point no one cares about the high school diploma. </p>
<p>My son has quit college by the way - he's 21 and has a great job in a management position. After this job, his resume will be very strong in the "experience" section, and as far as employment, I'm sure no one will ever ask him about high school again. So I don't really think the high school diploma is all that important for anyone who plans to continue their education.</p>
<p>Ilcapo,
It sounds to me like you might be suffering from senioritis. (My son is!) It's the feeling of "high school is dumb, I'm ready to get on with my life." The best students, I think, start suffering early in senior year as their minds naturally start wandering ahead to the elite colleges that they have applied to. This places high school classes (especially the lame, red-tape requirements) into stark contrast and makes kids resent the heck out of them and even the teachers. I agree with the others here who say, "do whatever it takes to get that diploma." You don't want to upset the apple-cart in mid-stream this way. Take a deep breath, meet with the teacher (and your mom) and do what you must to graduate from high school. If you need to lighten your college load in the spring, do it! (And yes, I understand that you love the cc classes and don't want to lighten your load there). Your senioritis will probably only get worse as the year goes on, but your priority should be your "essential" classes, as one of the other parents pointed out. Best wishes (and hugs to your mom!).</p>
<p>Momof2 in CA</p>
<p>snapple05 -</p>
<p>would you mind telling me what school district you live in? perhaps i could have my superintendent call yours to get a copy of the exemption exam....the administration is DEFINATELY willing to work with me as I have had quite a horrible experience in HS and they are aware, the problem is that they are not sure how to help me. I usually need to come to them to get things done! thats why id like to know about this exemption exam.</p>
<p>re: gym - im still confused why i need 4 years, but i dont really mind it, so i can stick with that class. im really more concerned with the psychology.</p>
<p>Ilcapo, as I mentioned previously and others have since, you don't want to disrupt the whole high school diploma thing and college admissions stuff over this one course that you actually have a GOOD grade in but just have this attendance issue to resolve! You need to put REQUIRED courses above the elective college classes you are taking. You may not like it but that is how that goes. These courses are first priority to graduate. You never answered if you could take a second semester course either at your high school or if there was a CC course that would satisfy this course requirement in lieu of the course this semester that you are having this issue with. I still would try to work it out with this psych teacher first but if you can do a second semester course, that is another option. Is the current HS Psych course year long? If so, will you have this schedule issue with the time next semester? Arrange it so you don't. I personally feel the college visits were excusable. In terms of the tight schedule on quiz days, I would have suggested you had talked to the psych teacher first on what to do about that before you took off knowing that the attendance policy is strict. I think you should be able to discuss this with your guidance counselor, the teacher, and your mom and figure out a solution. I would think the teacher would work with you on it given you are not failing in your actual work. I can't see not getting a diploma over this. </p>
<p>I also do not see you as a case for a GED. Instead, if I were reading your application and you had been enrolled in senior year full time but then just did not finish out a required course, I would not look favorably upon that. As well, I still believe SOME of your schools will want a diploma. As I mentioned in a previous post, all my D's colleges told me that her early graduation was fine as long as SHE HAD A DIPLOMA. Obviously this varies from school to school but I cannot imagine that every school on your list is fine with your lack of a diploma or the reasons why. I think you are putting your local college courses ahead of your high school requirements. I understand you do not like the HS course or question why you need it but believe me, there are going to be situations like this in your future and you gotta deal. I told you my D hates science but still took the Honors course and played the game because she looked at the BIGGER picture and wants to go to college. That subject has NOTHING to do with her intended professional degree program. You do what you gotta do to get to your goals. Keep that in mind. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Soozie-</p>
<p>I really have tried many steps to get this to work, as far as a spring semester course...my high school is just insanely slow and confused with the whole situation! My psychology teacher honestly does not want me in the class, I kill this woman with kindness and act very respectful, she just won't relent! </p>
<p>I am going to try all these avenues, especially the online HS classes. I also noticed that SUNY Farmingdale offers a winter session of Economics which I could take (it doesnt conflict) - and it seems that my high school would def. accept that. So I might have to resort to that...but it would be a pain to go to those classes every day for 3 weeks - nevertheless, I think it is worth it as opposed to strugglign the rest of the year with my teacher.</p>
<p>I'm 100% behind Blossom and Susan on this on, Ilcapo. This would be a whole different story if you had chose to go the home school or early college route at a breakpoint. Right now you look like another senior with senioritus to me. So many kids get tired of this and that requirement of highschool by the time senior year comes around. Part of the getting good grades and your diploma is really a test of your staying power, and my opinion is that most colleges are not going to be impressed with your reasons to drop out and take the GED. Unless you have some overwhelming accomplishments that will overshadow this kind of behaviour, it will not reflect well on you. If you are that one in a million kid with something really great that will have the top schools salivating over you, you can walk away right now and convince the colleges that you are too good to be wasting your time with the mundane highschool requirements.</p>
<p>My son who is graduated from college was a big time jock in highschool. Not only was he a state champion on a state champion team, captain, on an independent club team with international and national recognition, he was also a tri athlete in that he was welcomed in other sports as well and got varsity letters in them. He still took PE because his highschool required it. And he took it uncomplainingly and did his best in it. Never did he complain that he was too good to take PE, and I can tell you that the athletic director at that school said that he was the best all around athlete at that school of 800 boys in 20 years. So you need to be really careful about how you appear when you infer that you are too good, too busy to make your highschool requirements. Marita's son is very advanced in math and yet he is carefully working out making the requirements to get his highschool diploma even though I am sure it involves overlap in what he is taking. There is something to going through the paces which is what you need to do.</p>