Hi,
i don’t really know where to put this post, so please forgive me if this is in the wrong spot. I am currently a senior in high school in WA. I just found out that my parent got a job in Chicago, and they would like it if I can move to IL with them before second semester starts.
I looked up the graduation requirements for Chicago area schools and it was a bit confusing, it said it required two english writing courses and four language arts courses. Do you think it would be best to contact my GC immediately?
I applied to UW, and I’ll get accepted most likely. I plan to apply to WWU and WSU later, too.
I am wondering what are the next steps I should take? Just being on the safe side supposing I don’t get accepted to any Questbridge schools, how will applying to instate schools work? If I were to move to IL in the next few months, would I not be considered for in-state IL tuition until next winter? If I were to move to IL, would I still be considered for in-state WA tuition?
If graduation requirements aren’t that big of a problem, then I will most likely move. Thank you
I would make an appointment with your guidance counselor as soon as possible. Then I would have your parents figure out which school you’d be attending in Chicago and reach out to a guidance counselor there too. Do you have options of where to live if you finish out HS where you are?
You most likely will not be a resident of IL for a least a year. You definitely risk losing WA instate status. Look that up now. A few allow you to retain residency as long as you graduated from a state high school and continue to attend school (no breaks).
Could you stay and finish in Washington? Could you graduate in December?
Even if you stay in Washington to graduate, it might be tough to get residency in WA if your parents are both in IL. Is one parent staying in WA? Or do you have some other way to actually “reside” in WA?
The idea that you might meet residency requirements if you graduate from a WA high school is important to check.
If you have other options through Questbridge where finances are not dependent on residency, then go for it.
You would need to graduate from a WA school to retain instate status. is there any way you can stay till graduation? Then meet your parent right afterwards and stay with them over the summer?
Moving in the middle of the year would likely mean not having instate residency in either state. Another issue is that Illinois is near bankruptcy, meaning that there are all kinds of problems with the universities, their funding, scholarships, etc (despite UIUC being a world class university in STEM, the Illinois public university system has serious problems.)
First check with your gc regarding residency rules for Washington public universities.
Second, if you qualify for Questbridge, it means you need a lot of financial aid. Therefore you should apply to all private Universities that meet full need or nearly full need in the Midwest (Carleton, Macalester, St Olaf, Grinnell, Beloit, Lawrence, UChicago, Northwestern…) unless you already applied to them through Questbridge.
Private means your residency won’t matter.
If at all possible find out if there is anyway that your parents will let you stay with friends or relatives until you can finish the first semester. The challenge in moving before the end of the semester is that you will most likely be a late entry for the end of the semester in Chicago and will not get credits at your new school . Because you left school in WA before the end of the term, you will not get credits for the term in WA, meaning that you will have 0 credits as a 7th semester senior jeopardizing any applications that you have for RD and most likely making you ineligible to graduate in the spring.
This all falls under English, If you have taken english every semester of high school you should be fine.
Meet with your current counselor. Get all of your recommendations done. IF you are staying until the end of the first semester, ask your GC to upload your 7th semester grades as soon as they become available
Your admissions will be determined by these grades and will be conditional on your successfully completing high school in Chicago. Make sure that you have your transcripts, report card and copy of your school profile to take to your new school.
For University of Illinois, it looks as if you may be eligible if your parents move the second semester, because your residency would kick in Fall 2018
Is there ANY way you can stay and complete HS in WA? I can’t think of any upside to moving the second half of your senior year in HS.
Perhaps your parents can make arrangements wothna froend or relative in your current school district so you can finish there.
Honestly…this isn’t about college…it’s about graduating with your current cohort of senior classmates and friends. I can’t imagine doing this to my kids…moving them for one semester of HS.
As a parent I would not move you now. Be careful of just looking at it as a great adventure rather than something akin to being shot in the leg. There is no real upside IMO to moving now.
Wow, thank you guys so much for your help and advice! My current school starts 2nd semester around the end of January, and the Chicago area high schools start January 3rd. This is already looking like a situation where I need to stay in Washington. First thing Monday, I’m going straight to my GC.
Socially, I don’t mind leaving my current class. I’m just worried about the whole public college tuition and graduation requirements thing.
My parents don’t make a lot (but would make a little more in Chicago) and would probably not want to pay for apartment rent in both states. If I have to stay in Washington, my parents would most likely want me to move to their friend’s place in Seattle, which is across the state from where I live in, since we do not have any relatives in the small town where I reside in.
Also a side note, my (int’l) cousin went to CC for his fresh/soph years then transferred to UIUC, and they’re struggling a lot trying to pay for his tuition. I think they had to pull out loans. So yeah, the little financial aid that the Illinois public colleges offer are kind of scaring me. I did apply to Northwestern and UChicago, but of course you can’t guarantee admission to any of the QB schools.’
Thank you @sybbie719 for clearing up those english requirements, I’ve been taking english every year of highschool. I’ll be sure to check out those links regarding residency/instate tuition requirements.
I’ll update you guys soon. Thanks so much for everything!
Note that Washington in-state financial aid is generally better than Illinois in-state financial aid (if you can even get in-state residency for Illinois).
For EFC = $0 situations, UW net price is $10,120, while UIUC net price is $13,277 for most majors (but higher for some, such as engineering majors), according to their net price calculators.
I was in a similar situation… and my parents arranged for me to stay with family friends after they moved. It made much more sense, especially since I wanted to stay in the state for college. Talk to your parents about such a possibility… for all you know, some of your friends’ parents may love to have a short-term “boarder” they know.
However, is the cost of that greater than the likely increase in cost that you would have for school if you lose Washington residency for tuition purposes (if you do not get into the Questbridge schools)?
We’re talking five months rent v. Literally one hundred thousand dollars (difference between instate and OOS tuition/fees + loss of state financial aid). I’m pretty sure someone your parents or GC know will be happy to give you a room you can study in with access to a bathroom + breakfast/dinner for $500 a month (total: $2,500, v.$100,000). If that amount is impossible for your parents, say so to your GC.
(Not only are Illinois public Universities the most expensive in the country, instate , but their financial aid is bad AND due to the bankruptcy issues scholarships are not always paid on time.)
In addition, you need to add some of the private schools previously listed. Some may have 12/15 scholarship deadlines so check them out now.
(This should supersede even HW - you can always catch on a lesson or two but missing a scholarship deadlines when you need financial aid means crossing that college out.)
Chicago public schools are a bit of a mess. Do you even know for sure which one you would attend? Where in Chicago are your parents moving? Make sure it’s not actually a suburb worth a totally different system. But in any event I agree. Do not move. The cost of staying is minuscule compred to the cost of being nowhere with in state tuition.
Would it be possible to remain in your current place for a few months, with various neighbors, church members, friends or the counselor checking on you often? You likely are either 17 or 18, and while it is a little earlier than you planned to be independent, you will be going away to college anyway and can probably manage now if you have a paid for apartment and reliable transport to school.
Please…see if there is some way for you to remain at your current high school for the remainder of your senior year. Moving across the state would be better than moving out of state for college residency purposes…but even that idea is not the better choice.
This is the time to reach out to friends, and their families. It’s only six month. If you can stay at your current HS, you won’t need to concern yourself with HS graduation requirements or WA residency for tuition purposes.
Any chance one parent could stay with you and the parent getting the job in Chicago could rent a room or something like that…until you graduate.
I have at least 2 friends who housed high school students for part of their senior years so that they would not need to move (or because of other home situations). It’s probably more common than you think. I agree that reaching out to friends and counselors may work for you.