<p>We have wanted to move to the Carolinas for some time and put our home (located in the midwest) up for sale 6 months ago. At the same time, both my husband and I tried to find jobs down there (We are employed but cannot transfer with our current employers). We were hoping that our house would sell before the beginning of the school year, as we have a daughter who is a senior in high school. </p>
<p>The house has yet to sell and the listing agreement will expire on December 1. However, I was just offered a very good job in NC. I would have to move there by mid December. My husband thinks he should stay here with our daughter, putting the house back on the market in the spring and waiting until she graduates in June and then both will move to NC. (We’re fairly confident that if we lower the price enough, the house will definitely sell.) </p>
<p>The idea of me living alone for 6 months is not very appealing to me or my daughter. She wants to transfer to a NC school for 2nd semester. I am not sure if this is a wise decision–will this impact any college decisions? I’m fairly confident that she would be on track to fulfill all of the NC Graduation Requirements as our states requirements are similar. However, transferring her senior yearmid year would be difficult. Just getting used to the instructors way of teaching, his/her expectations would be one thing, but trying to make friends when she knows no one could be really challenging. </p>
<p>Shes resilient and independent but shes never experienced a change like this. Although selfishly I would like her and my husband to be with me, Im thinking it might be better for them to stay in our hometown. Would love to hear your opinions!</p>
<p>Any chance that she could graduate early at the semester, or complete her graduation requirements online so she can graduate from her current school?</p>
<p>Is she looking forward to the move? It might not be a bad idea to move now do she has some acquaintances in the new area.</p>
<p>She has looked at some state schools in NC that she liked, but fell in love with private schools (Goucher, Susquehanna, Guilford, Loyola). </p>
<p>I don’t know if she could complete her high school classes online. That’s a possibility I could look into. I don’t think she could graduate early–she needs to finish the 2nd semester in order to fulfill the state’s requirements.</p>
<p>I would presume that colleges will treat her application equanimically and not ‘penalize’ her should she move. I would probably try to allow her to make her own choice. Fwiw</p>
<p>Might look in to residency requirements in case state schools still a possibility. </p>
<p>It is probably better for her to finish her last semester at her current high school. There are all kinds of things that can go wrong changing schools at that time:</p>
<ul>
<li>Classes may be full at the new school, so she may not be able to get into the desired college-prep courses, or even the ones needed to graduate high school.</li>
<li>High school graduation requirements may differ enough to prevent her from graduating high school in the one semester.</li>
<li>Year long courses may not cover the topics in the same order, so switching schools mid year may leave her lost in the course at the new school.</li>
<li>May feel no social connection to the new school and students.</li>
</ul>
<p>If she is considering moving mid year, you may want to contact the new high school as soon as you can to find out answers to the above potential problems.</p>
<p>She most likely will not be able to claim residency for tuition in NC with less than 12 months there. If she moves before HS graduation she might also lose her current residency status whereas if she graduates from HS in your current state she likely will retain residency regardless of where you move. I assume both parents would move if she follows you to NC.</p>
<p>She should definitely finish off the school year where she is. The important question is if you should take the job and perhaps plan trips home during her final semester or if you should wait for another job next summer. Many parents need to be gone for several months, especially those in the military. With Skype she will be able to keep you in her life and show you things in real time. </p>
<p>The timing could be better but you have to think about your future as well as hers. Will you regret not taking this job? You should be able to get home for major events next spring. Also- what about your H’s income- he shouldn’t give up his job until he has another one lined up.</p>
<p>If she is willing to switch mid-year, I don’t see a problem. College admissions decisions will be based on her work to date through the end of first semester, and her current h.s. counselor will (or perhaps has) written her school recommendation. Ditto on teachers.</p>
<p>You might want to see if graduating from a school in your current state vs. a school in NC makes any difference on college determinations for in-state status – you mentioned all private schools, but if financial aid is needed you might want some in-state options, and how residency is determined is very much a state-by-state, and sometimes even school-by-school process.</p>
<p>Transferring high schools senior year is not too good of an idea. I regretted transferring schools junior year, and I ended up going back to my old school.</p>
<p>If agree with arabab, because moving your daughter could live her without being an instate resident in the old state or the new state and having no-instate public school that may be an academic/financial safety. </p>
<p>Since you will not be in NC a year before the first day of classes, your D will not be considered a resident for in-state tuition purposes. Would she be willing to sit out a year if she desire to attend UNC-CH or another NC university?</p>
<p>I would believe that her being in-state in your current state may depend on her graduating from HS in that state. If she moves, then that is a loss also. Check the requirements for in-state residency. IF you move before the first day of class in your current state, does she lose her residency. If she is accepted now as an in-state student, will she be able to keep her residency, or will she lose it as soon as your H moves out of state. You as a family need to sit down to discuss this along with the financial implications of each scenario that you come up with and make an informed decision.</p>
<p>Read the NC residency manual before making your final decision. I didn’t read the whole thing word for word but it looks as if 12 months is the magic time frame for getting in state tuition.</p>
<p>The LACs on her list won’t blink an eye at a mid-year move to a new state. If she’s good enough to be admitted, that second semester in NC will be just fine. Can your family afford those institutions, or does she need significant merit money? It would be OK for her to pick up the phone and have a chat with the admissions officers about her planned move, and find out what they expect her to take. They might not care if she even graduates or not.</p>
<p>I think a lot depends on her social connection to her current school. If she has many friends there, she is going to regret missing the last semester of senior year–perhaps she could come back for some milestone events if she does transfer.</p>
<p>It would probably be easier, cheaper and less disruptive for you to go down to NC alone for 6 months and visit home frequently than for your D to move with you at this point. I understand not wanting to be alone, but if the job is that good, it’s worth the temporary short-term sacrifice in order to ensure the future that you want for your family. At any rate, your D is an emerging adult, and you soon won’t be living with her on a daily basis anyway.</p>
<p>I think it would be very stressful for a HS senior to move to a new school and state for the last six months of HS, and then have to go away to a new college in Aug/Sept. I can’t see that the benefit would be worth it.</p>
<p>If she wants to do this, why not? Look into what it will take to do it. If your D didn not want to do this, I would vehemently be for her staying but I always let the horse pull the cart. Look into what it means has to be done and if you can do it, go on ahead.</p>
<p>Really, it’s more problematic when the transfer is right BEFORE senior year. All you DD’s recs and apps can be out by the time she makes her move. I know people, a brother and a neighbor’s kids who did this for the whole senior year, and it was really a pain because of the recommendations that had to be done from the old school. It’s really pretty much game over for most kids by second semester senior year. If she is an exception for some reason, that is the only consideration. It’s the social aspect that would make me leave the stay option on the table, but if she wants to go, then so be it!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice everyone! She REALLY wants to come with me. I’m at least going to see if it is possible. One thing that might be problematic–most of the schools in the NC area are on a block schedule. Her current school has traditional semesters. I’m not familiar enough with block scheduling to know how it will impact her ability to transfer and graduate on time. What’s the benefit of block schedules anyway?</p>
<p>Ask her current school if she could keep her texts until June, and then she could do the work independently to finish up the courses. This shouldn’t impact any of her college acceptances, but you can give the schools she’s applying to a call to see what documentation they’d need. If she’s looking at private schools instead of state schools, residency shouldn’t matter.</p>