So I’ve gotten accepted into a few schools already and I’m waiting to hear back from the rest (no rejection letters to date ! ), but I’m having some issues with my high school right now. I was wondering if I dropped out of school and got my GED instead if colleges could un-accept me? Actually, I’m sure they could - but is it likely that they would?
nonessential backstory:
They’re threatening to not let me graduate because of a scheduling conflict. Basically I took all the math classes at my school except for 1 by junior year and I wasn’t able to take both AP English and the remaining math course this year. I assumed that since I had enough math credits and my guidance counselor didn’t say anything I was fine, but now over half way through the year she tells me I might not be able to graduate because of this?
If you want to ask about the GED call the colleges that accepted you.
How could this have happened? Didn’t you talk to your guidance counselor before creating your schedule this year? And more importantly you need a definitive answer on if you will graduate. “Might not graduate” is not an acceptable comment at this point. Perhaps some type of remediation can be worked out (even a summer course) so you can graduate.
@happy1 Yeah my school is really incompetent - I met with my guidance counselor multiple times in August/September because I figured this would become an issue and she was clueless. She’s pressuring me into taking a low level course in “daylight” (not sure if other schools have this - but it’s basically a condensed version of low level graduation requirements for kids who failed a year) but since my school has a weighted GPA system, it would drop my GPA even if I got a 100.
Also if I had to take a summer course I wouldn’t be valedictorian/get to make a speech at graduation and if that were true, I’d rather just drop out now!
Hopefully if it comes to it at least one of the colleges I got accepted into would allow me to just get my GED and still attend. I’ll wait to call until my guidance counselor comes back with a more conclusive answer.
Dropping out second semester of your senior year because you are ticked off that you won’t be valedictorian is just plain stupid. Sorry, but it is. In the long run, finishing HS with an almost valedictorian GPA is worth so much more to you than a GED. Not to mention of course that passing the GED exam series within the timeframe you might need is not guaranteed.
Get a print out of the school’s graduation requirements, and work through them carefully with one of your parents or another responsible adult who you trust. Do your own level best to determine whether or not you are indeed missing any of the requirements. Write out your notes. Go see your guidance counselor again, and if necessary, move your issue up the food chain. Unless you are at such a tiny school that your guidance counselor is the only one and also serves as the high school principal and school superintendent, there should be other people for the two of you to consult about this math credit issue, and at least one or two layers above her with decision-making power if it is determined that you need a special rule-override.
@happymomof1 Thanks, this was definitely the level headed advice I needed. I wasn’t necessarily planning on immediately dropping out to pursue a GED, but wanted to know if it was a viable option before I threatened the school.
I’m hoping that the fact that I exceeded the number of credits required to graduate last year, was unaware of this policy and could sue the school for letting me go this far on a path not set to graduate on time is enough to deserve an exception!
@happymomof1 That’s a really good idea! My school definitely can’t handle any more bad press. Honestly, I think even mentioning taking this to the local news would be enough for them to grant me an exception.
I finally found on the site where it says in the rules that I’m ineligible to graduate. It’s surreal… Last week I had an Ivy League interview and this week I find out I might not be able to graduate from my underfunded, noncompetitive public high school.
It’s going to be difficult to file a successful appeal claiming ignorance about a policy you’ve been discussing since August.
I doubt appealing to the press will help. You can sue all you want, but schools are required to follow state education law. If the state says you need x number of math courses to graduate, then the school can’t award a diploma until you have those credits. It was a mistake to take AP English over regular English when you knew you needed a math course. If you knew in August that it was likely to be an issue, why didn’t you switch to regular English so you could take the math?
What state are you in? Can you take a course at your local cc to meet the requirement? If you can’t fit it in now, maybe you could do it this summer. Depending on your state, there may be an online course that meets the requirement too. Not being valedictorian won’t hurt your app a whole lot, but not having a high school diploma could. Quit looking for ways to get around the requirement and go figure out a way to complete it.
@austinmshauri
My school doesn’t offer regular English. There is AP, duel enrollment (which I didn’t take the test to be able to take in May, because the reason why my schedule doesn’t work ((a teacher left)) wasn’t apparent at the time), and college prep, which is a step below Honors and would be a completely joke. (However, if they suggested that it was college prep vs not graduating - of course I would’ve looked around for different options in AUGUST)
I have exceeded the math graduation requirements (4 years required - I currently have 5 credits, despite no math this year) and when I met with my guidance counselor, she told me that my 5 credits were more than enough and at no point mentioned potentially not graduating. I met the total credit requirement last year and essentially the only reason why I’m still in high school is because I needed a 4th year of English.
Anyway- I was literally told this information yesterday. Reaching out and finding out what my potential options are my way of figuring out how to complete it. I know how I can graduate through the school - but I also don’t want this to happen to any of the underclassmen when they become seniors and face a similar conflict.
–Agree,dropping out would be immature and just plain silly. You have too much at risk. All acceptances are contingent on continuing on the path you have laid out in your application.
–Consider meeting with the principal about this. Get your parents involved.
–Get a copy of the school’s graduation requirements in hand and see if you meet them.
–See if you can take an online class or something that would transfer in to your HS as a p/f class and not change your gpa.
–And if you are not valedictorian so be it – skip the graduation ceremony if you want to protest/sulk about it – but do not jeopardize your college acceptances. Time to do what you have to do to graduate so you can move on to the next phase of your life.Trust me once you walk out of HS nobody at all will care at all if you graduated #1 or #30 in your HS class.
@coolchic8000, I’m sorry your district is giving you such a hard time. They do sound like they could use some help. If you need 4 math credits and you have 5, why are they giving you a problem? Is there a specific course you were supposed to take?
I agree that you should have your parents step in if they haven’t already. Make sure you look at the requirements yourself. Don’t take the district’s word for it. Let us know what happens.
@coolchic8000 You and your parents (to demonstrate that actual taxpaying adults are concerned about the outcome) need to visit the guidance counselor, principal, superintendent and school board (in that order) and find out why the class valedictorian was told one thing and allowed to create a schedule under those assumptions, and is now being told in February that there is a problem with her graduation requirements. Don’t threaten, go to the press, or anything else like that yet. Work the system. They don’t want the bad outcome any more than you do. And don’t “jailhouse lawyer”. Just stick to the facts and let them figure out a way to graduate you under their rules.
@happy1@austinmshauri@Dramadaddy
Since I would have basically given the same response I’ll just reply to everything so far.
Basically, I met with the principal today with my mom and she told us that it is the state of Delaware’s law that requires me to take a math my senior year, despite my 5 existing credits. It is also worth noting that I have taken every (honors/AP) math class at my school except for AP Calculus, which conflicted with my English and science classes. (Once again, of course if I was told either adjust or don’t graduate in September, I would have adjusted accordingly!)
She told me that the best course of action would be for me to find a college course (however, most spring semester courses have already started) on my OWN and it would not count towards my high school transcript (or GPA), but would fulfill the graduation requirement. She said there would be no compensation.
She also offered that I could take classes through the school for free, but they would count towards my GPA and since my school has a weighted GPA system, a 100 in these low level classes would still drop my standing. I would also have to notify the colleges I’ve applied to that my transcript has changed and that I am taking embarrassingly easy courses.
Ideally, I will be happy if: 1. I receive compensation for an online class, because the way I see it is my school is failing to provide me the next step math that I need to take to graduate and there is also compensatory funding for scenarios like this.
2. The school takes full responsibility in finding a course that I am eligible to take and doing the necessary steps to enroll me.
3. As I am taking the course, the school actively seeks to appeal to whatever higher up is necessary to attempt to rule me exempt from this requirement. Basically our logic behind this one is that since the requirement is not intended to help people like me (AP/Honors/Etc) kids, that the rule should not be applied to me. My sister said this is subject matter jurisdiction but the vocabulary could be wrong.
Also I’m sorry this is so long !! but part of me wants to go and fight this full force to not only protect myself but future kids who are placed in a similar situation, BUT of course the bigger part of me wants to just get this over with. I think @Dramadaddy has the best plan, just keep demanding answers as to “why” until they comply, but what exactly is my end goal in that scenario? Do you think they’ll eventually just give me an offer I can’t refuse?
@coolchic8000, Thanks for the update. Ask your mom to read [Delaware Education Law 8.0](505 High School Graduation Requirements and Diplomas). It explains options for awarding credit (like independent study). Maybe your principal will be willing to reach a compromise.
@austinmshauri Thank you! Do you think my principal could grant me an independent study credit based on my SAT Math 1 Subject test? I received a 700 and self-taught (or retaught, I suppose) myself the material. I have a completed Barron’s prep book that I could use as evidence!
@coolchic8000, Try to get your hands on whatever book your school uses for the class you need and compare the topics. The district will probably be sticklers for having you complete the material during your senior year. I think you have to appeal to your school board, so have your mom follow up as soon as she can.
@austinmshauri Well the problem is that I don’t need a particular class, I just need A class and I did complete the material during my senior year! I took the subject tests in October ! We’re meeting with my principal tomorrow and I really hope she goes for this!
At this point I think that it is more important to find an acceptable solution than to keep asking why…I would meet with the principal and perhaps the math dept. chariperson with concrete ideas to remediate the situation…Some ideas…
–Perhaps you can solicit a former math teacher to “supervise” your independent study math course pass.fail and that would be acceptable…
–Or if you have to take the lower level class maybe you can take it pass/fail so it won’t count in your GPA.
–Or find a cheap online course and do it.(may be hard to find one starting now unless it is some kind of independent study)
Once you are out of the school and in college (but NOT until then because you don’t want any final documents held up) you and your mother can write a strong letter to the principal and cc the Board of Ed describing your situation and the bad advice you got.
), but I’m having some issues with my high school right now. I was wondering if I dropped out of school and got my GED instead if colleges could un-accept me? Actually, I’m sure they could - but is it likely that they would?