I’m a junior in high school and I’m so miserable at my current school. I’ve been dealing with social anxiety and depression throughout my entire high school career but this year it’s gotten so much worse. My classes aren’t of a very good quality; they’re so unorganized and the teachers are either putting us down or trying to force their political ideas on us instead of teaching. I’ve been a straight A student my whole life, my current GPA is over 5.1, and I love to learn, but this environment is taking away all my enthusiasm for learning. I’m not as motivated and my grades aren’t as stable as they have been in previous years. I don’t fit in among the students. I’m a very quiet person and don’t really have much to contribute to my group of friends or my activities. I feel like such an outsider, and I’m not really capable of trying to get more involved at this point; I’m too nervous and never have anything to say. I’m at the lowest I’ve ever been. Sometimes I get into states where I can’t even do homework or study because it’s associated with school, and thinking of school in any way really hurts. I even began self-harming this year. I want to change schools so badly and I’ve been begging my parents to let me leave all year. Ideally, I would like to do online school, since I lean best independently and am taking AP Environmental Science online already and it’s working out very well, but my parents and therapist don’t want me isolated from people, which I understand. Recently, when I brought up the subject of leaving again, they said we would look at my options at the end of the school year, but I don’t think I can wait that long. I know there are only 3 or 4 more months left in the school year, but those months are going to be excruciatingly painful. My parents say that colleges would not look favorably on changing schools mid-year for a reason other than moving. They would want to know why I did that, and I could explain that I did what was best for my academic and personal needs, but my parents don’t think that’s a good enough reason. What do colleges really think about changing schools in the middle of the year? Would it hurt my chances of getting into a really good school, especially since some of my top schools are very selective? Would my grades and test scores matter more to them?
Me daughter changed schools in the middle of her junior year. And then she went back to her local school for senior year. She explained the reasons on commonap, there are no problems with acceptances (Tulane, etc.). If you are truly miserable, articulate the need to switch to your parents and therapist better. Colleges will not hold it against you.