yorkieinoz

Hi Guys

Hope some one can help. My family have been living back in the Uk for 10 months now, previously lived in Oz for 9yrs. My Husband has been offered a position in California but I am wondering how my Daughter will go on for schooling. She is currently doing her As levels at College. Has anyone else been in this situation and can shed some light on this for me.

Many thanks

petitefrancaise

Depends what your University plan is. UK? USA? How old is she exactly?

I moved my daughter into 11th grade to study a 2 year IB programme. There was a huge amount of work for her to do - she had to pass compulsory exams in order to graduate high school, some of her work from France was counted but most of it wasn't. GPA credit (accrued by all the other students for the previous 2 years) wasn't given to her previous studies... not easy but doable and she got into an excellent course at US University inspite of it all.

much of the info you need depends on her future plans.

Pulaski

A levels are entirely different animals from US high school studies. I would sooner saw off my right hand, without using an anesthetic, than transfer my daughter between the UK and the UK during her final years of high school.

If the job is that good for your husband he should go ahead, and you (and your daughter, if she wants to) join him after she has completed her A levels.

petitefrancaise

oh come on Pulaski! At least it's all the same language......
I wouldn't have transferred my daughter had we not all decided that she would go to college here. With hindsight, I might have chosen a different school district but that's all.

Sally Redux

I agree that much depends on her long-term plans. It is kind of an awkward age to move both academically and socially. Whereabouts in California? There have been a couple of people on here recently with kids of that age so they may be able to chime in.

Springy6

We are currently preparing to move over this summer after our son has finished his GCSEs. We've looked at various options, including the IB and distance A levels, but have opted for him to attend a local high school and as part of his 2 years there, also attend a technology center to undertake a video production course. I've been very lucky to make contact with a family who moved to the same area last year with a daughter at the same stage. I've used their template to put together the information for my son and the school's currently working through it. We're anticipating that the only gap will be US history.
We've also identified possible universities in the UK that he might want to attend if we don't stay in the US and worked out what the requirements will be in terms of AP classes and SATs scores. The school have agreed to work out a schedule that covers all possibilities.

Havnfun

We moved our son to California when he was 16 and going into the 11th grade. We brought all of his grades and class outlines from his school in Canada and the high school in California converted all of his credits to their system. He did attend a Catholic school in Canada so they would not give him credit for his religion classes, everything else was fine.

It took a while for our son to meet other kids as he is rather shy but he was happy with the move (had wanted to come to California since he was 8). He is now attending our local Community College.

Where in California will you be headed?

yorkieinoz

Thanks everyone for your replies. We are looking at living in Palos Verses region. So looking at schools around there. For those of you who did move your Children over, how did you go about getting their results from the UK, changed into the U.S. equivalent. Did you have to wait until you were in the U.S., or is there a way to do it from the UK. Thanks guys.

Pulaski

Generally speaking in the US, and certainly in all the popular areas (FL, CA, NY, TX, etc.) school places are assigned rigidly based on address, so until you have an actual address within a school's catchment area not only is there no point in trying to sign up for a place, it is likely that the school will pretty much ignore any attempt you make to contact them.

yorkieinoz

Thanks for that, just trying to figure out if there is a way to get exam results converted before we get out to California, as we did when we were returning to the UK.

petitefrancaise

It will vary from school district to school district - they will all have their own way of dealing with this. So, as Pulaski says, you might as well wait until you have a rental lease for your house wherever you are going to live, so that the school will be in a position to help you.

What they are probably going to want to see...(I wrote PROBABLY!) is:
a full curriculum of the subjects studied and a list of test results taken for those subjects showing marks;

a list of external exams taken with marks - have certificates;

school reports you get from the UK are only partly useful as they don't have the detail that the US high school wants.

Let the school in the UK know that you are probably going to need more info from them.

ammurphy

Just in the middle of doing the same, moving to NJ my son just finishing his AS levels. I have created an equivalent transcript and had it printed and signed by the six form college with his GCSE grades and expected AS grades (I used a form style I found online about applying to USA universities) and its with the school to consider - I've been advised by a US friend who works in education to go in and see the school again and be very US like and demanding.

He could always finish his A-levels with remote schooling, but I wanted him to have that US Senior year experience.

Happy to let you know as it progresses - However, I been told the school systems between different states can be completely different.

yorkieinoz

Thanks guys.
ammurphy, glad we are not the only ones, have you got a place to live in the US yet. If possible can you post the link for the transcript, as I have had no luck searching. Many thanks.

ammurphy

Yes I've rented a place and I'm back and forth every 2-3 weeks until the family join me in August.

Here is the link I used. I made it into two as the high school and 6th form for my son were different institutions.

http://www.harvard-ukadmissions.co.uk/uploads/files/School%20transcript%20Profile.pdf

yorkieinoz

Thanks so much for this. When you went to the schools, did they mention that they expected him to do 2yr of senior, or can he do just the remaining graduation year, that is what I am worried about, just in case she does not have enough points. Do you know if they can finish their A levels in the U.S.?. Any info you have would ease my mind. Thanks.