JCAM

Hello,

I transferred to Los Angeles this year and now it is approaching time for my wife and son to join me out here.

I have a dilemma as my son is just starting his GCSEs back in England but will be moving here after in July/August.

I am not sure whether it is better to send him to a High School for his final two years pre College / University or to a Community College. The reason I am uncertain is that a friend warned me that because our education is superior to theirs, he will find it too easy and switch off as it won't be challenging for him. I don't know if GCSEs are sufficient to go to College here or even Junior College but he is only sixteen and maybe too young for Junior College.

Have any expats out there moved their kids after GCSE to the US, California or any state?

Many thanks for any advice,

JC

Sally Redux

The high school curriculum tends to be focussed on fewer subjects here. Kids wanting to get into college follow higher-level courses. Therefore GCSEs will not be sufficient for entry to a 4-year college. However, anyone can go to a community college. I don't know if they have lower age limits - you'd have to check that.

JCAM

Thanks, yes I am hearing that. Someone suggested I get him to do AP classes in subjects that he is strong in, Maths, Physics so he keeps busy and maintains his focus. It will be a challenge for him to adjust from an all boys Grammar School in England to a Co Ed High School in sunny California !!!

I think that two years in High School here will also allow him to build up his residency status which should get him discounts in student fees to California Colleges.

Michael

I believe someone either needs a high school diploma (or it's equivalent from another country) or a GED to attend college and I don't think someone is allowed to acquire a GED until they turn 18.

Sally Redux

I think high school is the way to go. You will have to get credits for the work he has already covered so that the school can produce a transcript.

Whereabouts are you, JCAM?

PS you need residency for college discounts, but also LPR status (green card), I think.

JCAM

You may be right, the 1-2 years of High School will give him time to adjust to living and studying in the US and California. I am in Pasadena but am looking at schools in South Pasadena or La Canada. Where are you?

Sally Redux

I am in Calabasas.

Good luck with it all, a massive change for him.

JCAM

I know Calabasas, nice area, good school and community ... thanks

Sally Redux

Pasadena seems really nice too.

lizzyq

Hi JCAM,

We are in the same position with our elder son - he is now in GCSE season and we will be moving over after he has completed his exams.

In the school district we are moving to, Pennsylvania not California though, there is a flexible program for kids that want more of a challenge and a different environment from the big high school.

http://www.scasd.org/Domain/1444

Many of the courses are elective (though a student must still cover all curriculum areas) and we hope this will allow our elder son to avoid re-doing subject areas he has already covered and to be able opt for areas that interest him in the subjects he would have dropped after GCSE. We have spoken with the principal and he is looking forward to our boys joining his program next academic year. The boys also spent a day "shadowing" in the school earlier in the year and were very impressed with what they experienced, though shocked to do energy in physics in calories & Fahrenheit not joules and Celsius!

Good luck to your family with the move.

sir_eccles

I never really thought what an annoyance that must be for kids who come over here having to learn all those silly inches pounds and what not after only really being exposed to metric.

Another consideration int he whole thing might be what you long term plans are. Is it for him to study at a US college and get a job in the US and stay here forever? Or are you planning to go home?

lizzyq

This is intended to be a long term (forever?) move so long as the GC is sorted before eldest reaches 21.

Havnfun

We moved from Canada to California when our son was 16. He did 2 years of high school in California before going to Community College.

The high school in California looked at his transcripts from his school in Canada and gave him credit for all of this classes. When he started 11th grade in California he actually had enough credits to graduate but what he didn't have was the required American classes - American History, Government, geography, etc. so he did those classes along with a bunch of classes that he really enjoyed such as computer programming, 3D model making, automotive, etc.

In order to enroll in College in California you either have to be a high school graduate or have an equivalency certificate or be 18 years old.

petitefrancaise

2 year IB diploma. V demanding advanced course which will get him college credits. My daughter is doing this course and is just taking AP exams in the subjects which have a good overlap with IB = 5 subjects.

LJSassy

From personal recent experience, I think that the belief that the schools in the US offer an inferior level of education is incorrect - although of course this does depend entirely on individual school districts. We have been very impressed with the schools here in Katy, Texas.

My younger son has found 7th grade in Junior High quite easy (he is 13), but he has had to take classes in Texas History, and will be doing US History next year - both of which he did obviously not take in the UK, and is finding to be very interesting. He is doing mostly Pre-Ap classes which do work at a faster pace then the academic classes. The benefit of this meaning his GPA has the potential to be higher then others, increasing the choices he will have in the future when applying to colleges.

My older son in 15 and in 9th Grade - he is having to do 1 more year of schooling here compared to the UK systems. He has found school a bit more challenging (in the UK was always top 5%) than his brother, but still doing well. I admit he is in a lot of Pre-Ap classes also, but this is not due to the UK system being better, as he, fortunately is just good at school in general. He is having to learn US taught geography (yes it is taught differently here), US History, etc take speech and health classes which are all required to graduate.

One bit of advice - make sure you get as many High School credits as you can for the school work done in the UK. We have friends who have children having to redo Algebra aged 16 (my 13 year old is doing this after the summer), as the information sent from their UK school was not sufficient to automatically pass this class - again a requirement of graduating.

I think going to school in the US has been a bit challenging for my boys, new country, new school etc, but at the same time a lot of fun. They have made lots of friends really quickly, the girls love their Scottish accents, they get to play soccer/football every day (and have made the top teams), and have taken to their new lives better than we could ever have hoped. I would def say do school over college. In Texas, a Green Card is required to qualify for the same in state college fees as american kids.

Good luck with your move.