HOW should I finish high school???

[Callque]

As you can guess from the question, I haven't graduated from high school yet.

To make a long story short, I lived in many different states and was raised by different people so I have been homeschooled through half of my education, gone to public schools the other half, and have random years of charter schools and online schools thrown in. I only have two classes left to complete at my last school. I took a year off to work after I got married to decide what I really want to do with my education.

A few months ago I passed an article that brought up this forum and for the first time I felt like a college education was accessible to me. I currently am interested in getting a BSBA in finance from TESC, through a mixture of CBE's and classes. Of course, I need a high school diploma first.

I am debating at this point whether I should finish my high school education at my current online school or if I should finish at the local college in my city. Here are my options:

Current school:
- All online
- Accredited
- $1200 to re-enroll
- I have a 3.84 GPA there.
- I'd estimate it'd take about 4 months to complete my last classes.

Local College:
- I have to go to classes
- Offers a diploma and is accredited
- It's free
- I have no idea if I'll keep a GPA there
- I am not entirely sure but I believe it'll take about 2 months to complete.

I'm worried that it will reflect badly on me if I get my high school diploma from an 'adult' program at a college. With my current school, all it will say is "Graduated from Whitmore School with a 3.84 GPA in 2014." There'd be no inclination that it was online and it's not an 'adult' program, but is $1200 and 4 more months for a high school diploma worth that? I don't know where my future education will take me, and I don't want anything to hold me back.

I'm embarrassed it has taken me so long to finish high school and I just want to make sure I make the right next step. Any advice on what step to take next is very appreciated.

[publius2k4]

As you can guess from the question, I haven't graduated from high school yet.

To make a long story short, I lived in many different states and was raised by different people so I have been homeschooled through half of my education, gone to public schools the other half, and have random years of charter schools and online schools thrown in. I only have two classes left to complete at my last school. I took a year off to work after I got married to decide what I really want to do with my education.

A few months ago I passed an article that brought up this forum and for the first time I felt like a college education was accessible to me. I currently am interested in getting a BSBA in finance from TESC, through a mixture of CBE's and classes. Of course, I need a high school diploma first.

I am debating at this point whether I should finish my high school education at my current online school or if I should finish at the local college in my city. Here are my options:

Current school:
- All online
- Accredited
- $1200 to re-enroll
- I have a 3.84 GPA there.
- I'd estimate it'd take about 4 months to complete my last classes.

Local College:
- I have to go to classes
- Offers a diploma and is accredited
- It's free
- I have no idea if I'll keep a GPA there
- I am not entirely sure but I believe it'll take about 2 months to complete.

I'm worried that it will reflect badly on me if I get my high school diploma from an 'adult' program at a college. With my current school, all it will say is "Graduated from Whitmore School with a 3.84 GPA in 2014." There'd be no inclination that it was online and it's not an 'adult' program, but is $1200 and 4 more months for a high school diploma worth that? I don't know where my future education will take me, and I don't want anything to hold me back.

I'm embarrassed it has taken me so long to finish high school and I just want to make sure I make the right next step. Any advice on what step to take next is very appreciated.

I don't think anyone would look down at you for finishing an "adult" program. Don't let the fear of how people will view you when you finish stop you from finishing.

I was raised by my grandmother. I was 18 and in the 11th grade when she passed away. Since I had nobody to support me, I had to drop out of school and begin working. However, I took the GED exams and passed them all on the first go. Fast forward 10 years, I am now a 28 year old law enforcement professional with a bachelors degree, and I'm in the process of enrolling in a Master's Degree program.

With your current school, see if they accept any CLEP exams to meet some of the requirements. If so, this would let you complete your high school diploma, and earn college credit at the same time!

[soliloquy]

As you can guess from the question, I haven't graduated from high school yet.

To make a long story short, I lived in many different states and was raised by different people so I have been homeschooled through half of my education, gone to public schools the other half, and have random years of charter schools and online schools thrown in. I only have two classes left to complete at my last school. I took a year off to work after I got married to decide what I really want to do with my education.

A few months ago I passed an article that brought up this forum and for the first time I felt like a college education was accessible to me. I currently am interested in getting a BSBA in finance from TESC, through a mixture of CBE's and classes. Of course, I need a high school diploma first.

I am debating at this point whether I should finish my high school education at my current online school or if I should finish at the local college in my city. Here are my options:

Current school:
- All online
- Accredited
- $1200 to re-enroll
- I have a 3.84 GPA there.
- I'd estimate it'd take about 4 months to complete my last classes.

Local College:
- I have to go to classes
- Offers a diploma and is accredited
- It's free
- I have no idea if I'll keep a GPA there
- I am not entirely sure but I believe it'll take about 2 months to complete.

I'm worried that it will reflect badly on me if I get my high school diploma from an 'adult' program at a college. With my current school, all it will say is "Graduated from Whitmore School with a 3.84 GPA in 2014." There'd be no inclination that it was online and it's not an 'adult' program, but is $1200 and 4 more months for a high school diploma worth that? I don't know where my future education will take me, and I don't want anything to hold me back.

I'm embarrassed it has taken me so long to finish high school and I just want to make sure I make the right next step. Any advice on what step to take next is very appreciated.

I agree with Publius2k4

If you intend to attend TESC, COSC, or Excelsior, it won't matter where you earned your HS Diploma from. Once you obtain your BA/BS degree, no employer is asking for a high school diploma/transcript at that point. I've never seen a resume with a High School listed. I think either decision you make will be fine. Having said that, if you think your insecurities regarding the online degree will haunt you, I'd go the traditional route (especially if it's only 2 more months) just for your own piece of mind. Besides, while you are working on your HS Diploma, there's nothing preventing you from taking CLEP and DSST tests in the interim.

[cookderosa]

You may have a third option, do you mind telling me what state you're in?

[publius2k4]

You may have a third option, do you mind telling me what state you're in?

Callque, you're now in great hands! (Jennifer) Cook DeRosa wrote the book on homeschooling! (and I mean that quite literally.....she ACTUALLY WROTE A BOOK on the subject). Answer her questions and I have no doubt that she will be able to help you out!

[cookderosa]

Callque, you're now in great hands! (Jennifer) Cook DeRosa wrote the book on homeschooling! (and I mean that quite literally.....she ACTUALLY WROTE A BOOK on the subject). Answer her questions and I have no doubt that she will be able to help you out!

Well, so obviously my idea is obvious.
In some states, you may be eligible to officially graduate with a homeschool diploma, but that depends on the laws of your state. For instance, if you were my son in NC, you would be allowed to graduate at age 17 after having met "my" academic requirements. The requirements, as set by me, would be exactly what you completed for the online program you were enrolled in up until your last 2 courses. Is that cheating? No. In fact, your online school may have had requirements that exceeded the requirements of my homeschool. It was your online school that said you needed 2 courses, but in your homeschool, the parent decides, and it is reasonable that you transferred back into a homeschool program as having fulfilled your requirements. Again, this all depends on the state. It also depends on your ability to create a transcript and or obtain records. So, what state were you in/are you in?

[Callque]

Hello Cookderosa, I am in Texas. Am I eligible to do what you're speaking about?

[andrewtn]

Finish High School diploma in whatever means necessary, complete 1 community college class in anything, and you will forever have "some college" on job applications. Once you have "some college" nobody is asking or thinking about high school. Plus, follow directions on this site and in no time you can have an associates or bachelor's degree.

My ex wife was a HS dropout but then got her "high school diploma" in a somewhat questionable manner through the mail. This was about 10 years ago. However, it was enough for her to get into our local community college where she got "some college." I'm not recommending this approach, just trying to show that once you get some college on your applications/resume the specific high school wont mean much in terms of getting a job.

[cookderosa]

Hello Cookderosa, I am in Texas. Am I eligible to do what you're speaking about?

Read both of these first:

Homeschooling in Texas

GED Replaced in Some States

You won't be able to access the specific legal info for Texas, but I am a member so I did. In Texas, homeschools are private schools. This means they are 100% completely unassociated with the public school system in any way, shape or form.

The short answer is yes. I have some specific questions and suggestions that might be too personal for the forum, but message me by clicking on my name and I can get you pointed in the right direction.

[cookderosa]

I don't want to share someone's personal information, and I'm not sure if this poster will update this thread, but I wanted to say that this story had an EXCEPTIONALLY happy ending!!