<p>I have a friend who had the same suitcase experience at Colby-Sawyer (one of the NE private schools that is receptive to weaker students). “Everybody” went home on the weekend. He was five hours from home. He transferred out for that reason. Suitcase life is an issue at directionals, and seems also to be an issue at the private schools that are at the lower end of the academic competitiveness scale.</p>
<p>It seems like the priority for this student is to decide whether a specialized BFA art program is better for her than a humanities-based BA. By the fall of 12th grade, she should have enough of her studio art portfolio together to reveal whether she really has options in that field. If she has artistic talent, and is not a strong academic, it’s a very important decision. Just jumping on the bandwagon with everybody who seems to be going away the fall after 12th grade, might not produce the best long-term outcome here.</p>
<p>Again, time at community college would permit her to advance her portfolio, make a more mature decision between the BFA and BA, render the SAT/ACT irrelevant, potentially make her a candidate for more prestigious schools as a transferee, and conserve funds for more expensive transfer destinations. Her diploma and the gpa on her resume would be from the place she transfers to.</p>