<p>Have they finished calculus and the sciences on the level of the AP’s? If they are premed they will probably find themselves in premed classes competing with other students who have this background.</p>
<p>Apollo6, would you mind pm’ing me? The girls are very interested in the programs you mentioned (I think they’ll be doing the NSLIY app this weekend!) and I would appreciate any info you could give me. I am not able to pm you as I am a newbie here. Many thanks.</p>
<p>Thanks all for the suggestions. I’m having fun looking into all these ideas and becoming rather envious of the options my girls have!
To respond to some of the points made, the situation is a bit unusual in that the girls have done all their schooling either in the Netherlands or via a Dutch internet school, and we like in the UK. Their primary school in NL skipped them two grades, which is how they got ahead. When we moved we wanted to keep them in the Dutch system because it was working really well, but the only way to do that was to homeschool via an internet school. It’s one of those things where you are in the system but not in the system, so they’ll finish their diploma on time by taking national exams (like A levels except they have to take about 12). With the grades they have now, if they get the same marks on the rest of the exams, they’re guaranteed entry to any Dutch uni program, including medicine, so that’s our backup plan.
The girls are very motivated and focussed on their work, so they could do university next year and would probably do well. I think they have a better shot at a highly selective school if they take a gap year though, and would be better prepared to handle it socially and emotionally. It’s also a good time to do something different that they might not want or be able to do after college.
Thanks for the ideas, would love to hear more!</p>
<p>I sent you a PM. I’m not clear about whether your children are US citizens or permanent residents. The US State Dept exchange programs do require this. AFS, YFU and Rotary Youth Exchange are reputable programs that offer gap year programs around the world. These may be options for you if the US programs are not.</p>
<p>I am not sure if they have community colleges where you live but if they do they could go to one for one to two years while living at home. Then they could go to a traditional college afterwards.</p>
<p>If the girls have lived in Europe most of their lives and been enrolled in Dutch schools, now is the year for them to attend high school in the US with relatives of yours. They could take whatever classes strike their fancy - home ec, musical theater, yearbook, 3D Design, current issues…, all these classes that don’t exist in European schools, join tons of clubs, and enjoy their year “abroad” while reconnecting to your culture. If you’re concerned about academic rigor and challenges, you could ask that they take AP US History and AP English literature, since the curriculum for those is unlikely to be covered in Dutch schools.
If they’re not US citizens, programs are organized by a variety of organizations to send European kids spend a year abroad in the US but also in a variety of countries (Australia, South Africa, China…). They live with host families and go to school there. If the local language isn’t English, they learn very quickly and get integrated into every day life.</p>
<p>Another vote for doing a year as an exchange student. My D did it when she was 16 through Rotary which is a great program and rather low cost. It was the most amazing experience for her and when she came home, she was even more prepared for college. Doing a high school program where she lives with a family has so many benefits to it vs. studying abroad in college. They truly become immersed in the culture.</p>
<p>I also like the idea of allowing them to attend a year of high school in another country if that idea appeals to them. There is a girl on my cross country team who is currently doing this. She graduated high school in Belgium at 16, and decided to come to my school in the US as a foreign exchange student for a year, and will go back to Belgium for college next year!</p>
<p>There are so many suggestions. Having done both homeschool & public school with various of my kids (one is now a freshman in university) I understand your dilemma. My eldest could have finished high school by 14 or 15 had she been motivated, but she is young for her age. Bright, motivated teens can thrive in college early, but even some bright, motivated teens can undergo quite an adjustment to education in a brick and mortar school. If they can do AP or IB classes in something like that, or if there is something equivalent to a CC in the UK, that might be a great gap year. I should mention, though, that AP classes may be called college level, but they don’t necessarily go as deep. Mine did AP Calculus BC last year but noticed that they were doing more at the university of her choice when she sat in on a class. Not all colleges give credit for AP scores even of 5 and some will not give enough credit to skip a class, although many will. However, it can be a great experience.</p>
<p>Doing an exchange student program can be wonderful; my brother’s 4 kids have all either done this or are planning to do so, but they are in full French immersion schools in English Canada & do this during their grade 10 (aka sophomore) years. This isn’t a full year program by any means, but they take German, and so did this with German students. I’m not sure what else there is as so far my teens have shown no interested in doing this.</p>