<p>Okay, I'm going crazy here because just two weeks ago my dad accepted a job offer in Vermont. I'm currently a rising junior, I've taken 11 honors classes, I'm ranked 6 out of ~350 and I'm heavily involved in 4 school organizations.</p>
<p>Putting my devastated personal life aside, I'm terrified of the effect this move would cause on my college apps; I'm looking towards the more ambitious schools. No doubt everyone I come across is trying to assure me that admission officers are lovely and understanding, but that doesn't at all calm my neuroses. The new school I've been researching doesn't weight grades or rank students [decile system], rendering my past efforts rather useless. I'd also be giving up my office positions in clubs for the next school year. And if that weren't enough, they load their AP classes with so many prerequisites that I'm finding scheduling to be rather difficult and they now expect me to adhere to their graduation requirements.</p>
<p>At my current school, I made sure I got all of the necessities out of the way during my freshman year so I could pursue the classes I genuinely wanted. Now apparently I have to take 3 more semesters of Phys Ed, a computer lit class and a basic government class. Private schools are too late to apply for, so I'm seriously considering homeschooling myself. Do I really need a computer class when I'm touch-typing at almost 100 net words a minute? Or basic government class when I plan on taking AP US and AP Comparative? Really what would happen if I point-blank refused to fulfill the diploma requirements? Or should I suck it up because I'm just being *****y and arrogant?</p>
<p>I really want to put myself in the best position come college application time, and I don't want to be dreading every day of the next two years, but I'm just at a complete loss of what to do. So- help!</p>
<p>that's a tough spot you're in there. if your new school is anything like mine, you're going to have to take the required classes for graduation. We had someone similar to your situation last year, a brilliant new junior arrived but had to take washington state history (required) with all the freshman. Good news is, he took his concerns about AP restrictions (specific pre requisites at our school) to the counselar who let him take placement tests (essentially the finals from the honors classes) to get into the AP. so if I were you, first day of school orientation/class sign-up, go find your counselar and ask him/her what your options are. good luck!</p>
<p>Home schooling would work only if you're unusually self-motivated. You'd have to take community college classes and/or online APs. But at least you'd get out of those silly requirements.
If you wind up going to public school, don't take no for an answer. Insist on getting into the AP classes you are qualified for even if you don't have their exact prerequisites. Get your parents to go to bat for you, up the chain of command if necessary. They owe it to you.</p>
<p>That really is a dilemma. Of course, I empathize with your dad - keeping food on the table, a roof overhead, and paying for college has to be the priority in a family. Kudos to you for presenting the situation in a mature manner and not complaining!</p>
<p>For many teens, I would say go to the new school or homeschool (K12 or apex learning will give you all the classes you need), plus assume leadership positions in the new community. The new high school will probably be legally obligated to let you participate in only a few classes and in all activities if you chosses to homeschool (laws vary by state, but usually you can put up a successful fight even in states which are unfriendly to homeschooling). </p>
<p>If you are in the unusually mature minority (and only you and your parents know if you are in this group) you could consider staying behind to finish. This woud require adequate finances on the part of your parents to fund the set-up. If you stayed with close friends or extended family, it would be cheaper. You'd also need to continue with the same type of high-achieving lifestyle, which might become difficult with the changed home situation. If you are unusually mature, self-disciplined, and focused, this could be done. It is, I believe, possible in some states to become emancipated at 16. This might give you the ability to live alone in an apartment (it probably requires parental approval, but of course with a good family you would never want to do anything without that approval and blessing).</p>
<p>If you do go to the public school, I second the above post to NOT take no for an answer. There are some fantastic administrators out there, and then there are those who like to act like little Napolean bureaucrats and to be gatekeepers for others' futures. You are guarenteed by the Constitution to have a "fair and appropriate" education. With that in hand it will be (if you are unrelentless) impossible to deny you the challenging classes you deserve based on your previous academic performance.</p>
<p>Another idea is to seek admission to a nearby high school which might have a set up which better suits you needs. This is sometimes possible depending on district policies and whether or not there is room in the school you wish to attend. For example, we left a disctrict which employs major gatekeeping becasue we didn't want administrators shutting our extremely bright but inconsistently performing children out of the most advanced classes. They would cut someone out of an AP class if they had a B the previos year in the same subject. We are thrilled with the new school which is out of district, and our children get better grades the more they are challenged. This new hs is in a place with a lot of students on lunch assistance, and I think it gets discriminated against by many families because they assume it isn't as good of a school. Their loss and our gain! Actually, the word is getting out and more and more families are doing what we did in order to access a fantastic environment and a huge array of advanced classes.</p>
<p>Be wary of homeschooling yourself. It is pretty hard to do science, for example (you could go to a university or the local hs for those subjects, however). If you go this route, check out homeschool co-ops or homeschool centers within the school district (homeschool friendly states often have them). You can take some classes in person with other students and real teachers. Yahoo groups has lots of homeschool groups so look for ones in your future state and go online to ask questions.</p>
<p>You said it was too late to apply to private schools. Untrue. Check out this link:</p>
<p>It is the scca list on the ssat website and is for schools still accepting applicants. You could possibly get around specific testing requirements - you can't know until you call the schools. Also, call schools which may not have notified the ssat that they are still open for business admissions-wise. There is often movement in admissions in August as families make last minute decisions for whatever reason (like yours). Schools which have waiting lists will always bump a newcomer up to first place if he or she is your kind of candidate. I experienced this myself - it happens.</p>
<p>One last thought...many districts will wave graduation requirements for those transferring in. It isn't easy to get them to do this, but it is sometimes possible.</p>
<p>If your family can afford it, I would seriously consider being a last minute student at a good private school.</p>
<p>wow vermont sucks, but like spideygirl said, homeschooling makes things more complicated (apps, additional forms, etc.) just hang in there i feel for u.</p>
<p>Colleges know where you rank even when the school doesn't rank. You could easily move to this school and be at the very top. And Vermont's a great state to apply to college from. If you're moving from someplace like NY or NJ, this is a major plus for you.</p>
<p>I agree it's never too late to throw in private school applications. There are tons of boarding schools near VT.</p>
<p>Many private schools keep a few spaces for people who move into the community.<br>
Also, you can make the best of it and explain how well you adjusted in your college essays!
My son had 5 different high schools on his transcript (don't ask.....) and got into some highly selective colleges.</p>
<p>lol @ the thought of homeschooling yourself.</p>
<p>I'm in the EXACT same situation as you. I just moved between my Sophmore and Junior years from San Diego to Honolulu. I went from a pro school with one of the best marching bands in the country (which I would've been president of) to a completely ghetto ass school in Honolulu. The bright side is that now I'm going to be valedictorian of this school because most kids don't take APs while I'm taking 4. Just make the best of it, moving sucks (I should know since I'm a military kid and I've gone to over 10 schools) but if you hold your head up high you'll do just fine.</p>
<p>My D went back and forth from public school to private school twice during HS, then finally graduated from private with 3.7. We were concerned the chaos would be held against her, NOT so, we had to send both sets of HS transcripts anyway, You will too. She made the best of the private - took off a morning a week senior year and arranged her own HS internship at Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. A little less social life at new school - turned into great community service time. She got great acceptances and scholarhips. Whats going to count is what you are showing already - a determined attitude. Yes Stats & AP opportunities count...but so do a lot of the other extra curriculars.</p>
<p>Love what IIpitch said above...Also, we found there are privates find or make a place for the right kid.</p>
<p>P.S. She left public twice because of the same thing spideygirl talked about - she has dyslexia, and they wanted her in lower classes & wouldn't let her take honors/advanced courses. She was scared of the lower classes because of apathy and not being prepared for college. She was TOTALLY CORRECT. She just finished freshman year on the Dean's List.</p>