Hey,
I attended a prestigious catholic college prep for my freshman year. During the middle of 1st semester sophomore year, I chose to take the rest of the semester at a public school, with the intent to come back this upcoming semester. Reason being was due to a suicidal episode and my anxiety and depression overflowing. Due to unfortunate events (family issues), I cannot return this semester but instead as a junior. I am devastated, but am considering online school for this semester due to parental issues (they are going through a divorce, started last weekend). Reason being I am miserable at this public school and can feel my depression creeping up.
Will colleges look poorly upon transferring high schools multiple times? Technically this is within my control but going to online school wouldn’t really be my choice (mom is pushing for it).
Any advice is welcome.
-G
Forgot to mention: COVID-19 protocol at this public school is not sufficiently teaching me material needed to keep up with private school. I was recommended to online school initially, but my dad (who is probably going to be out of my life soon due to divorce) flipped out even when my private school principal recommended it strongly.
I’m very sorry about your depression and anxiety, as well as your difficult family situation.
Just to clarify - for your 4 years of high school all will be at the same private Catholic school, with the exception of this semester (Spring Sophomore year) and a portion of last semester? I think that will be ok as far as colleges are concerned. You will have all of freshman year, junior year and senior year at the same school. Your guidance counselor will help come up with the best plan to explain to colleges why you spent a semester+ in public school. It may even end up becoming a great essay for you. So, I wouldn’t worry too much about how it will look.
There is a lot going on for you right now with your family, mental health issues and remote/hybrid learning so best to focus on what will work best for you now and worry about colleges later.
I am sorry but I am not really sure from your post exactly what your current options are for school and what your preference is. Perhaps you can clarify?
I do wish you the best.
Because of COVID, I don’t think any colleges will think less of you for doing classes online right now. Here is an excellent organization for online high school classes, but there are many others too: VHS Learning | VHS Learning You could also see if your local community college has some dual enrollment classes.
When COVID is over (I don’t want to say if!), and your family situation has settled down more, you could return to either the Catholic or the public school and finish, and that school will still form the majority of your high school years.
It is hard to enter a school as the “new kid” and you weren’t at the public school for very long. We don’t know whether the parochial school contributed to your stress and depression, since you left for those reasons. It could have been external factors. But if there was something stressful about the Catholic school, I would consider giving the public school a try for a longer period.
As someone else wrote, the important thing is your well-being now. How colleges look at things is secondary and they are more flexible than you think, anyway.
Thank you both for your warm words. I can honestly say that it pains me to leave Catholic school behind. I dealt with a lot of stress from one teacher, but other than that, freshman year was amazing. I just couldn’t see it in my blindness of pain from one class (beginning sophomore year it was due to my stupid decision to take 5 concurrent AP courses in a college prep setting).
I will definitely fight to go back to Catholic school (I was supposed to go back this semester but due to family issues and a mistake I cannot return) 
Hope you can return. Take some online classes, but not too many 
Good luck!
Generally speaking we put way too much stress on high school students in the US. This is a significant problem for many students.
You can do well in terms of university admissions having gone through high school at either your public high school or your “prestigious catholic school”. However, you definitely do not need to attend a prestigious high school to do well in life.
I think that you should attend whichever high school you will feel most comfortable attending. Take things at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
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