Going to 4 high schools in 4 years... how does this impact college admissions?

Applying to College
1

Hi,

I’m currently a junior, going to my third high school. For freshman year, I was in a small international school overseas that I had been attending for the four years prior to that. I had straight A’s that year. I moved that summer to the U.S. due to my dad’s job, and attended a HUGE, highly competitive public school for sophomore year. I faced a lot of trouble adjusting to such a different environment, was depressed, and my grades slipped. I got half-A’s half-B’s. So the next summer, I transferred to a small private school again, which is where I am right now, and my grades have gone back to straight A’s for the first semester. I predict they will be the same for second semester as well. However, my dad’s job brought him to another state in the U.S. this winter, and I’ll probably have to move there over this summer. If that happens, I’ll go to another small private school of the same type, hopefully and most likely maintaining A’s.

I’m at the advanced level for every core class, but each school had different policies about the classes I was elligible to take, so at a glance my schedule may look a bit weak for some selective colleges I’m planning to apply to. For example, I was planning to take 3 AP courses in the international school for sophomore year, but the public school I went to instead didn’t allow sophomores to take any AP classes. Another thing is that the international school didn’t seprate classes into CP and honors, so it may look like I didn’t challenge myself at all for that year, when I didn’t even have the ability to do so. Right now, as a junior, however, I take 4 APs, and next year I’ll take 5 with 2 post-AP courses: Multivariable Calculus and Spanish 5.

There has been a lot of disruption in my life like this, but I still have been very involved in extracurriculars. I’m in varsity tennis, theatre, national art honors society, national spanish honors society, yearbook, and many community service clubs. Last year I was in MUN. I’m the current liaison for UNICEF and have won next year’s secretary position for key club, but unfortunately i don’t think i’ll be in my current school for that position. I have attended selective STEM programs over the summers before freshmen and junior year, and this summer I will attend a three-week math intensive course at a university and also volunteer with a nonprofit organization in Tanzania. However, due to all the changing of schools, I do not have so many leadership positions…

If I had stayed in one school, my schedule would’ve looked really solid and I would’ve probably had a 4.0 unweighted gpa, but unfortunately all the moving is not making things go the way I want them to. Therefore, when I apply to college, will admissions officers look upon me negatively for changing schools so many times? Will it look bad? Will they understand that each school has a different policy? Will they understand that being the new kid three times isn’t easy?

Thank you in advance.

2

You can succinctly and factually explain any offering limitations due to the changes in the Additional Info section. Ask your GC to mention that you have attended 4 HSs in 4 years due to family moves as well. I would not go into how hard it is to be the new kid – resiliency is a quality admired in admissions, so if you can show that without sounding like you are whining, it could help you.

3

Spin it to demonstrate the broad perspective you’ve gained in having the privilege to live in such culturally diverse places. And also spin “hit the ground running” resiliency that @intparent suggested.

You can really make yourself stand out w this unusual HS path.

4

You’ll be fine as long as you properly explain your case and work it to your advantage. I say you shouldn’t worry too much about the effect of appearing “not challenged” in your early years, especially with your rigorous schedule Junior-Senior year which are more important overall.

Best of luck!

5

You are in the same situation as many military families. Colleges have seen this before and know how to evaluate your record. You’ll do fine.

6

They won’t look negatively as the changing of schools was not because of anythign you did…if you had discipline problems and had to chagne that would be one thing…not because your parents moved.

I would consider working with your GC to make sure that they have info from all the other schools…

But it is good that you were able to move during the summers and complete full years at a school.

7

Thank you so much everyone! I feel better about college now!

8

Agree with the great advice above. Above all, you want to make sure the reasons why you have this unusual path are outlined clearly for admissions officers.

Additionally, you could write a very compelling essay on this topic, and it’s definitely something to talk about in interviews. I would urge you to go beyond the basics of attending 4 schools in 4 years (i.e. saw new learning environments, difficulty of forming new friends and retaining old ones, the different cultural environments you lived in, etc) and focus on the aspects unique to you, if that makes sense.