<p>That does sound like a really difficult situation! But, you can do it! It can be really hard to disappoint people - do you have any family or friends who are supportive of your goal? Talk to them, and if not, I really really suggest finding someone to talk to in person about this, there are a lot of resources available. If you found College Confidential you will be able to find other assistance - you can usually even get counseling at walk-in teen clinics if that’s available where you are. I’m not sure how GEDs reflect on college admission, maybe someone else can comment on this (though, I do know that my brother got into a good school after dropping out and getting his GED at 16). I’m also not sure whether or not you can matriculate to college without an HS diploma or GED, it might depend on the college and the circumstances, and this would be another thing to research. But hey- you’ve overcome a lot of adversity by applying to college- so, no matter how you finish HS or whether you have teacher recs, you will have a really great, genuine story to tell in your applications. </p>
<p>It’s hard to disappoint people, especially your teachers and principal, but maybe you can try to avoid telling them what you’re doing (do they need to know about APs you are self-studying for?). Also, practice reminding yourself that the opinion of your teachers and principle is really a minority opinion (even if it doesn’t feel like it right now). There are many, many more people out there (including the VAST majority of Jewish people) who would be VERY supportive of your dreams. If you can seek someone to talk to in real life who isn’t going to shoot you down, preferably someone who is very open-minded or outside your insular community, I think that would be ideal.</p>