I teach adult ed pre-GED classes. That exam series is not a snap. Finding a way to finish high school is a better choice.
Another example of ridiculous bureaucratic overreach.
Does he have enough credits to graduate right now?
If he graduates now, he misses the 2nd semester courses he listed on his app and needs to bring that to the college’s attention. Obviously, same if he changes high schools or goes to self study.
I think we can’t guess the college’s reaction. Agree with Hanna that not every college will rescind- they know kids do some dumb things. But, they may still question his maturity and more.
Sounds like maybe a candidate for a productive gap year. This may be a way to keep his admit, if the college is willing
Worst case scenario, if the college he is accepted at rescinds, he takes a gap year and reapplies to colleges in the fall. Not ideal since it wasn’t part of the original plan but worse things could happen.
I still recommend hiring a consultant who specializes in such matters.
“Another example of ridiculous bureaucratic overreach.”
Actually, it’s not. At boarding schools, it is different than public schools. As the school serves as the student’s “home” in addition to school, the school serves a loco in parentis role. Rules and policies are very clearly laid out. The vast majority of students are underage, so students can’t go around vaping. Although I feel for the OP to have to deal with this, especially just months from graduation, it definitely isn’t “bureaucratic overreach”.
Sure it is, regardless of the school. The consequences are way beyond what is reasonable under the circumstances. You don’t jeopardize a kids college future over a stupid vape pen. Gesh, when I was in school we had a smoking area outside.
Please go back and read the OP; the student is not being required to withdraw. He has the option to withdraw or take his chances before a disciplinary committee. Regardless, this process is, without knowing the kid’s school, almost certainly outlined in the handbook. If the parent wanted to question overreach, the time to have done that was before writing the tuition check, not after the kid was caught for the second time.
Now it is possible that a disciplinary committee will simply impose additional restrictions/sanctions, but its decision would be in-line with past decisions in this type of case. If past cases resulted in dismissal,one should not expect a different outcome here. Conversely, if a third chance were typically given, it would not be applied solely to the OP’s kid. None of use know the specifics of this institution’s policies/history.
And your point is? As the Harvey Weinstein situation shows, what was accepted a generation ago is not OK today. The OP’s school also probably had a smoking area back then, but it does not now. Times change.
In post 6, OP indicated it is a private day school, not a boarding school. nevertheless, @skieurope is right; the matter would have been set forth in the school’s handbook of conduct for students, and the headmaster is not going to be sympathetic to the case. It will be a warning to other second semester seniors to stay in line.
The kid had a first chance to abide by the school rules and chose not to. It’s not like it was a surprise. He just hoped he wouldn’t get caught…and he did get caught…second offense.
Times have changed…there isn’t smoking of any kind permitted on most school grounds any longer…public schools included. But public schools won’t expel a kid for this. Suspend…sure…expel…no.
If this is a private DAY school…then the kid lives at home…and there has to be a public school that will be required to accept him.
My mistake on missing it is a day school. Still, it is against school rules, clearly laid out, and second offense. The student in question took a known risk. At 18, one can’t claim it is overreach when he is old enough to be responsible for his actions. It’s not the end of the world. Many colleges would be happy to still have him. It just may or may not be the one that accepted him early. A lot will depend on how the student chooses to address the infraction with the current school and the college in question. Again, the expertise of a consultant would likely be worth the costs.
There are many public and private high schools that have a “first strike rule,” like it or not, even when what happens was unintended. It’s not worth arguing, as OP is dealing with her own particulars.
Caught with a vape may not concern the college as much as the hs. Presumably, with an early admit, everything else lined up well, LoRs presented a fine young man. But there’s too much we don’t know- including what level of college and how prepared he really is (will be) for college.
If he went to the local school could he sign up for online version of the AP classes he is taking?
My first step would be to contact the small LAC he was planning to attend and talk to them. As a senior with only a semester left in school, there are many variables. First, he may have enough credits to be admitted. Second, he may be able to take the GED. And, while it may not be easy as suggested above, I would think a student who has been attending a private school and is one semester from graduation could manage to pass. Third, he might be able to transfer to the local brick-and-mortar school, but I would check to see if there are any requirements that he attend for two semesters before graduating. Finally, he might be able to home school/virtual school, but I know in my state that parents have to submit a declaration of homeschool and a syllabus, and there might not be time for that. Also, some colleges have testing requirements for homeschoolers that he likely hasn’t taken. Also, definitely have him study independently for the AP tests and take the exams if he does not transfer to a brick-and-mortar school.
My second step would be to go ahead and apply to both your state university and a local community college. They generally have longer deadlines (our state flagship accepts applications for fall until some time during the summer). Same scenarios could apply.
While being caught with a vape may not, in itself, concern the college(s) much, the fact that your son broke his school’s honor code might. But, the implications for a state university would be less severe than a private one.
I have no doubt he can enroll in public school. I have more doubt that if he does he’ll be able to graduate in May or June. Public schools often have requirements like sex/health ed/speech/PE, etc. that private schools may not have. Some may not give credit for courses at the private school for which the public school doesn’t have an equivalent. And it may not be that easy to be plunked down in ongoing classes and pass them.
Again, I think the MOST important thing is to see that he graduates from high school this year. If his admission is rescinded, he can take a gap year and then reapply. While many colleges accept GEDs, not all do. Not all employers do either. It’s MUCH better to have a high school diploma than a GED.
Is anyone else thinking this is a privileged kid who needs to learn a lesson - and hopefully not that mommy can bail him out of rule breaking? I don’t want to sound harsh, but perhaps a private tutor is an option? Of course, it is possible that the college admitted OP’s kid early in part because they knew he’d be full pay - which might mean that the school would appreciate knowing what has happened, and be more willing to work with the family to not rescind his acceptance if a plan is developed for graduation, and no more troubling incidents occur.
We have family friends who had one son (a friend of my son in preschool) who attended a private school, and he was caught with alcohol at a school dance (strike one), and later was caught selling weed out of his backpack at school before class one morning. Two weeks before his 18th birthday. Instead of getting kicked out of school entirely, his parents arranged him to get a private tutor who got the lessons from his teachers, who were told that the student had developed “anxiety” issues and would be unable to attend classes for the rest of the final semester. I think the fact that the kid was 5th gen at this private school, and had 4 younger siblings, two in that school already, helped spark the leniency. But to those of us who know what happened, it appears at least to have been a case of money talks. He graduated with his class, but was not allowed to enjoy any other school activities.
I run into his mom from time to time, and at the time this was going on, she confided that she was relieved that he “dodged a bullet”. He is a bright kid who ended up at a very good school, and last I heard was that he is now in law school, with a fiancé that his mom is thrilled with. His mom, and the rest of the family, are wonderful people - she has often sent her younger two to volunteer with me. I will never hold it against anyone who does what they have to in order to help their kids out.
In other words, young kids do stupid things.
Exactly. And parents go grey because of it.
Rape and sexual assault has been illegal since the beginning of time. Vaping is a legal activity for an 18 year old in most states. It’s a stupid rule with stupid consequences. At best, it should be a slap on the wrist. You don’t ruin his HS career and college future over something so trivial. I don’t care how many times he is “caught.”
Doesn’t mean times have changed for the better. My kid was “busted” for smoking smarties. Yeah it sounds bad until you google it and see what it is. Luckily our Principal had a brain, laughed at it, and eventually dismissed the clown who “busted” the kids. Schools are getting way overboard with some of the stuff they do these day.
Granted, Vaping is sweeping the high schools right now. Our parent group just found out about it a few weeks ago. All the kids got the talk and hopefully they aren’t doing it. And I am fine with some punishment. But kicking a second semester senior out of school is beyond an acceptable punishment.
It doesn’t matter what happens in other hs. Nor what various parents think. OP has an issue, regardless, for her child, at his high school.
I don’t think she’s going to get far by insisting it’s not fair. In fact, she didn’t. She wants help getting her bearings and weighing options.
The tutor idea is interesting. With that, would they let him grad with a degree from that high school, assuming he ran through the right hoops? We had two do that at our prep, but one had medical reasons, the other was a different mess.