<p>I think what a number of people have tried to express is that, putting aside the family dynamics, that whether such a change will help her in the long run very much depends on the school. At diocesan high schools, there may be less “hands on” and counseling than at an “order” non-diocesan school or at an independent school. While it varies tremendously by school, our experience at diocesan high school was a very conformist, hierarchical environment, where the football players and cheerleaders were at the top of the social group, and students scraped for their moves up the social ladder. There was lots of sex, and drugs, and alcohol, but the parents did not believe their kids were doing it. The point is – Catholic school as a category is not a simple solution, it depends on a deeper understanding of each school. </p>
<p>Yes, if your niece were to change schools into a more demanding program, and is accustomed to doing little work, her gpa will drop. A decline in a gpa in 11th grade has to be explained – if it rebounded strong by second semester 11th grade, and continued strong through fall of 12th, she could be ok. Colleges only see fall of 12th grade, so you are looking at 3 more semesters, if I am remembering correctly that she finished 10th. However, if she switched into more rigorous courses and her grades dropped and stayed low, that is not going to help her.<br>
Now, if she would consider repeating 10th grade as part of the move, that gives her some wiggle room to adjust. Most kids do not want to do that, though it is common in making the move to boarding schools. </p>
<p>Another consideration is just how she is going to get into the higher level courses at the Catholic school. They will look at her current class rigor and place her accordingly. Again, your mileage may vary, but regular courses in our diocesan school, as opposed to Honors, are not academic and are filled with the same kids who are in those types of classes at public school. </p>
<p>I think what a number of parents have tried to say is that, changing schools may not be the panacea you hope for. It may be more productive to talk about how to use her current strong grades in regular curriculum to move her into higher level courses at the same school. A teacher teaching regular US history and AP US History is teaching two entirely different courses and the expectations are different. The simple fact that the teacher is the same does not mean the course expectations are the same. Moving into more rigorous courses, at least in her areas of strength, could help her shift her peer group and expose her to other choices. </p>
<p>Alternatively, perhaps look at some summer enrichment activities that might help spark her interest and expose her to more interesting kids. Any day programs at local museums, college etc? Although many of the extended programs are likely to be full at this point in the summer, there could be some August programs she could do, depending on your school calendar. </p>
<p>Or are there any private college consultants in your area that you could schedule a meeting with – a 3rd party who is not emotionally involved could give good feedback about what college options may be available if your niece remains on this track, vs what they could be if she adjusts going forward. Teenagers do not look further ahead than today, so they just don’t believe that they can’t fix their future at some vague point later. Hearing from a 3rd party could help motivate her. </p>
<p>As a parent who moved transferred a student because the academics were going off a cliff, it is scary to watch a talented young person flounder. There is no easy fix, and some doors will be closed. But that is not the end of the world, and can be an opportunity for a student to learn more about themselves, their choices and goals. </p>
<p>You obviously care deeply about this child, and teenagers need lots of different adults rooting for them. Good luck to you and your niece. </p>
</p>