SalopianFunk

I moved at 16. It was a terrible experience. Wasted 2 years not being challenged at all at a californian high school, and was trapped in suburgatory for 6 years.

It has gotten a helluva lot better with university, however. As in I no longer feel like I'm wasting my time, and enjoy what I'm doing. Living in an actual city helps a ton, too.

Redwing

+1. Mine were 15, 9, 7, and 3 when we moved here. The 3 eldest fit right in without any problems. They were a year ahead of their age group, and graduated early.

Sally Redux

I do recognize a lot of it.

lizzyq

That is good to hear as we are anticipating ours being 13 & 16 when we move. 13yo to come over with us straight away, 15/16yo to remain in UK with Grandma in order complete to his GCSEs then move over.

MarylandNed

It's not impossible for older kids to settle OK. It is generally accepted though that there is a higher PROBABILITY of having issues the older the kids are when they make the move.

Homeiswheretheheartis

I think its impossible to tell if a child is going to settle. My DS aged 10 when we arrived settled fine, but my DD 8 did not and has not settled at all.

They both went the to same school when we arrived and have experienced the same changes.

I can't tell you how much it hurts when my DD now 10 keeps asking me why we came and how unhappy it has made her. The experience has dented her confidence and my carefree child is a shadow of her former self.

I don't know why my DD hasn't settled. I also don't know why my DS has. If your children are looking forward to the move that will help.

I just want you to be aware that sometimes kids don't settle and the impact it can have on them. Everyone tells you that kids adapt and make friends easily, but that is not always the case. Only you know your children that well.

lizzyq

Both boys are looking forward to the move - we all are. In the area we will be moving to the younger one will have a part year of middle school and then do all of high school. The elder one will do the last two years of high school. We are moving to a a university town and at high school age public school is the only option (home schooling is not going to work!).

Still need to get there from here though, and we are still getting all our ducks in a line for the O1 visa.....

MarylandNed

Be aware that the most important year of US high school is actually junior year (year 3 of the 4). That's the year that most kids visit colleges, take the standardized tests (SAT and/or ACT) and then apply for colleges at the end of that year or beginning of senior year (year 4). So colleges are typically making admissions decisions based on academic records up to and including junior year. Usually they will also check grades during year 4 (senior year) of high school to make sure they don't drop off too much ("senioritis").

So your eldest will basically be starting off with the most important year of high school.

Redwing

Hope everything works out OK for you all, particularly the boys.

lizzyq

Thank you for the good wishes & thanks to MarylandNed for informing me of the importance of those last two years of HS - that means elder son will have to hit the ground running! If he continues as he is at the moment he will be arriving with a clutch of A*s & As at GCSE - all we have to do is work out how to "translate" them into the US GPA system.

civilservant

Dont bother - an A* at GCSE is well off the top of the GPA system

steveq

Seriously ? For godssake don't tell him.

Steve

Homeiswheretheheartis

Oh yes the GCSEs are more than equal or I would say better. But no school you go to will understand this, because even some of the educated people here don't acknowledge a world beyond the US.

My friend is returning to the UK and her DD has just graduated (as they do) and she is still having to go to 6th form back home to do A levels before she can move to University. Where here she could have gone straight onto University.

I sure thats not the case for everyone, it may have something to do with the fact she wants to be a Doctor.

Just wanted you to be aware that its not an easy match for match on qualifications.

I asked my friend who said get as much info as you can about the courses exams that your child has taken, known here as transcripts. The school her DD went to allowed her work from the UK to count towards graduating here and she was allowed to graduate a year early.

Sorry I can't help more as my kids are younger and I don't want you to give you incorrect info. But I would definitely look into something like a transcript so that your DS doesn't spend two years doing work he doesn't need to.

lizzyq

Thank you, I shall make sure I have full syllabus details for all his exam courses so that they can see what he has already studied.

bromleygirl

Do you work? If so, how much vacation, time off do you get? Are you in a position where you are having to choose between taking care of your child or going to work? The OP is describing a very real situation that many working mothers here in the U.S. face every day. I have been in my current role since January and to date have managed to accrue the grand sum of 1 week PTO and this is with not taking any time off at all..I have literally had to juggle my work hours and build up comp time to be able to take my kids to hospital, ortho and dental appointments. So from the kids and time point of view, yes the quality of life in the UK is better.

I also want my children to be critical thinkers which is not really promoted here, people are far to worried about rocking the boat at work to speak out of turn, loose their jobs and then loose their healthcare...