Should I go back to HS for a year? (strange situation)

Applying to College
1

<p>I am currently spending the year abroad on a scholarship. Last year I was in 11th grade and before I left, after much debating, I decided to apply to college this year so that I wouldn't "waste time." I completed two regular courses over the summer before I left and have two more similarly non-AP courses that I must mail back soon if I want to graduate in the spring.</p>

<p>I applied to many places knowing that I didn't have exactly stellar grades, the AP background, the SAT Math or the class rank to back me up, but that I did have my exchange year. I missed my normal senior year courseload (AP Calc, Chem, World, Lit, etc) to graduate this year. </p>

<p>However, now I'm left with no good options. I got a full ride at my state school, but they absolutely don't have key classes I need for my planned major, and I don't see myself as very happy in the environment there. I got into Plan II Honors at Texas but they probably are not giving me much money. I was waitlisted or rejected at any private schools I applied to.</p>

<p>So now, conceivably I can go back to high school for a year if I don't send these correspondence courses back in. I would forfeit my acceptances this year and would re-apply next year, after being able to sit down and really work hard at my classes. I'd be 19 and a senior so that would be a little strange, but I'd probably get a job and save up money, so hopefully I'd be too busy to notice. I think I could get valedictorian, raise my bad SAT score, bad GPA, etc. I would maybe even apply ED to an Ivy, but I'm not sure about that. More than likely, I would apply to more middle tier schools that would hopefully give me big scholarships (something that didn't work this year -- I was just waitlisted).</p>

<p>Does this sound like a good idea? Being abroad, I am kind of in a bubble concerning colleges.</p>

<p>My mom is convinced it sounds like "cheating the system" and that even my state school won't offer me the same full-ride again. Many exchange students come back and do the year they missed, but she thinks I should take the state school offer while I still can. She thinks I will be in a worse position next year.</p>

<p>I am grateful for what I've been offered this year, but this year has changed me and I no longer feel like I need to rush to get to college. To get into somewhere where I am surrounded by people like me with the major that I want would be worth it to go back for a year. I would also like to spend the extra year with my family.</p>

<p>What do you guys think? I would really appreciate even just your first impressions on this matter, whether you think I would do better with colleges next year, or if they'd see me as a "cheater."</p>

2

<p>"I am grateful for what I've been offered this year, but this year has changed me and I no longer feel like I need to rush to get to college. To get into somewhere where I am surrounded by people like me with the major that I want would be worth it to go back for a year. I would also like to spend the extra year with my family."</p>

<p>Why don't you consider deferring admission to your state school? That would guarantee you a space for the next year/semester. Ask them how that will affect your financial aid. Then, spent that year/semester closer to your family. You could get a job, and maybe take a couple of classes part-time at your local community college or as a special student at a nearby college/university. If you really want to, you can try applying other colleges/universities during that time off.</p>

<p>Your international experience has changed you, and the cultural re-entry process you face on your return home will change you yet again. This is not an easy adaptation to go through and you are wise to think that you might rather do it at home than in yet another new place.</p>

<p>You also need to have a heart-to-heart with your mother about how much money there is for college. There may be something that she hasn't told you which is making her insist on you taking the scholarship now to your state school. </p>

<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>

3

<p>I've had a couple more thoughts since yesterday:</p>

<p>Back in my day the high school exchange students were encouraged to return to their home high school for a semester or a year so that the students at that school could benefit from a peer's international experience, and so that the next crop of students would be inspired to do an exchange. What is the history/pattern with the program that you are with?</p>

<p>If you decide to return to high school and to re-consider the kinds of colleges that you want to apply to, there is every chance that there won't be a significant overlap between this year's list and next year's list. If you re-apply anywhere, a thoughtful essay on what you learned from the full year of your exchange, including your decision to return to your home high school and finish out a full fourth year there, should take care of anyone's questions on the subject.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
and maybe take a couple of classes part-time at your local community college

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Be VERY careful about doing that. It may revoke your freshmen status at the school you defer at, and possibly a scholarship offer.</p>

5

<p>Look into deferring admission and reapplying to other schools during your gap year. </p>

<p>If this isn't allowed, then I think you should take your full ride offer and transfer. Just sticking it out your first year and doing well in your classes would improve your chances of getting into more desirable schools as a transfer. You're being offered a free college education here...</p>

6

<p>Happymom1, thank you for all your kind words. :) And you are very right about finances, because I keep getting different impressions from my parents on what they can and cannot afford. </p>

<p>Also, at my school there is absolutely no tradition of studying abroad. Teachers have informally said they'd like me back next year, and people have already told me that more students this year are applying to exchange programs from my school, but I haven't received anything official from my high school. That would be an advantage for sure if I stayed, though.</p>

<p>Myarmin, I am also considering transferring after my first year. However in its first form, this whole scheme was concocted to have the best chance of getting into my top choice college, an Ivy, and I figured that in the big picture, applying ED as valedictorian with my exchange year behind me would give me better chances than applying as a transfer from a so-so state school. Also, I wouldn't be as eligible for many big scholarships as a transfer.</p>

<p>I am still stuck as to what I should do. Thank you everyone for your advice so far though.</p>

7

<p>I don't have much to add, but I just wanted to say that I'll be 19 when I start my freshman year in college, because I "wasted" a year abroad. But it gave me a lot of time to prepare for college, so I decided to be the oldest in the class and didn't apply to colleges last year. What I'll do is I'll try to graduate from college in 3 years. I've heard that it's very possible. But even if I can't, I won't regret it =)</p>

8

<p>"Applying ED as valedictorian with my exchange year behind me would give me better chances than applying as a transfer from a so-so state school"</p>

<p>true</p>

<p>"Also, I wouldn't be as eligible for many big scholarships as a transfer."</p>

<p>true</p>

9

<p>nicha, good luck. You can probably do it in 3 years, yeah. I'd considered that as well but I'm not coming in with as many AP credits because of my abroad year. And you're right, if it doesn't work out it's okay too :)</p>

<p>Midwest Mom, thanks for the confirmation on that because I wasn't sure. Well, let's hope I don't want to transfer next year because I'm 93% sure I'm going to the state school.</p>

<p>The big decider was the money. My parents basically told me that they would not be able to afford an Ivy league school, even if I'd gotten in this year. So to go back to HS for that, just to have to take on a ton of the costs myself or decline the offer, is truly not worth it. They said they could probably help with grad school, however. The honors program I got into at the state school is actually pretty good about getting its students into prestigious grad and law schools.</p>

<p>In comparision to my friends in the same financial bracket as me that are just taking on the debt, I'll be able to look at grad school as an option, whereas they just laugh about it (since they can't imagine paying yet more money). Since I'm majoring in IR I figure I need further schooling to get a good job anyways. Also, the grad school route favors me not wasting any time and going to college next year.</p>

<p>Overall, I will have to make compromises, but I think it's going to work out for the best. Thanks for all for your advice, it really helped :)</p>