Funny story...

Applying to College
1

Okay, so I have a too-long story that is somewhat explained in older posts, but here I have a huge question to ask. First I’ll get my BG info out of the way.
Synopsis: I have had a terrible (horrible) and rocky first two years of high school. My life feels like a snow globe- every time it settles, somebody goes and shakes it up again. But I’m also an over-achieving perfectionist who loves to learn- LEARN, not get-a-career-and-perfect-grades learn, but striving-to-educate-yourself-always learn. So I decided I wouldn’t give up and enrolled in K12 (that online public school) for the spring semester and got some credits out of the way. Now I’m taking a credit-recovery independent study school for summer to make up more credits (honors 11 English and honors US History). So, I’m pretty much entering the 11th grade. Now my credits are STILL all over the place, just because I needed to cut out undeserved bad grades that were stuck on my transcript due to my disappearance into mental-hospital land for a semester. So that’s the difficult situation for me. I need to create a very fine balance of things for the next two years- challenge myself and take a full course load without putting too much on my plate and killing everything.

Anyways, for many reasons I am moving down to my aunt’s house in San Diego. I need to figure out a few major things about my schooling before I start the next year.

<li>I’m enrolled in Insight (another online school, this one just for HS kids), and taking an elective-loaded course list:
a. Latin 1, Art History, PE, Pre-Calculus, AP Psych, AP Environmental Science, Drama in Literature, and Sociology (the last 4 are semester courses, and I’d be taking the AP semester courses in the spring, obviously)</li>
<li>If I was doing this online school, I’d need to concurrently enroll at the local CC and take a science (for lab requirement reasons), French (I love it and want to immerse myself in it rather than take insufficient HS level courses, and English (unsure about quality at online school). </li>
<li>Unweighted, my GPA is currently around a 3.5. Weighted, I’m unsure, but if I continue to get straight A’s, then I can get my GPA up to around a 3.96. </li>

SO, my big question is: are these online schools ANY GOOD? At k12 I was taking the stupid required courses, but I did extremely well. I’m really worried that just the simple fact of my going to an online (public charter, not an order-your-diploma school FYI) program might make me a bad candidate for other things. I can get a very high score on my SATs, and I’ve tested as a very bright student (highly gifted according to LAUSD).

I know I don’t do extremely well in a traditional school environment, because of the slower pace, long and much-wasted school day, and my history of dropping out (for VERY good reasons, but still, dropping out), but if by taking online courses and CC courses and sports locally I will be looked upon as a bad candidate for 10-20% acceptance colleges, then I am willing to go to a public school. There are a few nationally-recognized schools in the area that could be great experiences, or horrible experiences. All this information and nowhere to go for help is making me crazy. College Confidential, you are my only hope…

2

I think that you are confused by what the term non-traditional student means. Are you aged 25 or older, because that is what a non-traditional student is.

Also, how do you take an online PE class?

I have not heard of anyone else in your situation, so I don’t know what to tell you. If you are at least 16 years old, you can just enroll into a CC full time in the state of California. That might be your best bet.

3

All I know is that if you go to CC in california you are guarenteed at transfer into one of the UC’s which is completely awesome. So, be happy!

4

Although you might not be a candidate for any high end 4 year uni right out of that school, you can most likely go to any CC in CA and from there transfer easily into any of the UC’s. This is the path many students take these days, especially non-trads.

5

Wait, a 3.96 and a 2350 SAT/36 ACT, as well as 15 CC courses and 11 APs, is COMMUNITY COLLEGE level?!

Non-traditional means non-traditional, I’m sure you can tell what I mean in the context. Obviously I’m not a 30 year old veteran. If you are 16 years old, you can enroll full time with the permission of a teacher. I’m not at risk for not graduating, so I don’t see why I should do that. You take online PE by submitting logs signed by a parent or guardian, and if you’re on a sports team, signed by your coach as well. Yes, it is possible to cheat, but there are B&M schools like that as well.

6

alexandrafitzmor: No, in college speak, non-traditional means something quite specific, which isn’t what you’re talking about as far as we can tell. It’s not that you can’t post here, it’s that you’re not going to get your questions answered, because we don’t know anything about the subject. I would suggest posting to one of the more general forum about your question.

7

You can also just get your GED and start attending a local CC right now, instead of taking more high school classes at a not so great online HS. After completing your general ed (AA), you can transfer to any school you like. Get a job while you are attending college and with good grades, I guarantee that a lot of top tier colleges will take a serious look at your application, especially with those SAT scores. Good luck!

8

Thanks SO much, TrinSF and bessie, and I’m sorry about the misunderstanding. I’ve been called a non-trad by so many GCs its funny. I guess I’ll have to correct them next time. :wink:

9

alexandrafitzmor: No problem. My daugher is a non-traditional student: artsy, punky, working the peacock-colored mohawk. I am a Non-Traditional student: returning to college after 20 years, but no mohawk. :wink: Easy to confuse the two.