Hello! Thanks in advance for any input you can give me!
Currently, I am in the IB Diploma Program at my public high school with a 4.0 unweighted GPA; however, my family may move to a different city which would result in me having to change schools. If I have to change schools, I will be attending a private high school, Berkeley Prepatory School for my mid junior year-senior year. My question is, will college admissions look down on my college application for “dropping out” of the IB Program in my public high school even though I am transferring to a prestigious private school, where my classes will be equally rigorous?
No. Families move all the time. This is not an uncommon occurrence. There are plenty of things to worry about with the admissions process; this is not one of them.
Transferring can be difficult if the graduation requirements or course prerequisites vary greatly. (My D ran into both issues.) I highly recommend meeting with your new guidance counselor sooner rather than later. If you move mid-year, explore taking some of the one semester AP courses such as macroeconomics and government.
In and of itself, it probably wouldn’t matter if you were making this change because your family moved, but the bigger question is why you want to do this at this point. You’d be transferring for senior year! Can you she’d some light on your thought process?
Families move and students transfer schools all the time. It should be fine. It sounds like you will move from one academically rigorous program to another so that is good. What you may lose out on is getting some leadership positions in your new school, but just do the best you can in terms of finding ECS in your new school. Your can ask your new guidance counselor to address your transfer into the school mid-junior year in his/her letter of recommendation.