The EDUFAX Educational FAQ

Question #20:

I just found out that the private Christian high school my daughter is attending is not accredited. She has aspirations of (and the grades and talent to accomplish) a degree in microbiology/genetics but we need scholarships, grants, etc., to pay for such an education. I found out today that if she transfers to the local public school she may only qualify for a special (partial?) diploma because our local high school does not recognize some of her classes as transfer credit. (It seems that even to be considered for the partial diploma, she would have to score over 1300 on her SAT's.) I am in such a quandary. I do not want to limit her college choices. What do I do? It was suggested that I apply for my homeschool affidavit and have her apply to colleges as a homeschooler. Is this feasible? She is getting a great education and is taking what would be equal to AP classes. She's a 4.0 student and is also a student glider pilot. What should I do?

Answer #20:

You have not given me enough information to answer all the details of your questions, but I can help you develop a plan to go about finding out the best solution. The first thing you have to do is call your state Department of Education and find out whether or not your daughter's school is allowed to grant a valid high school diploma. Many schools which are not fully accredited or which are undergoing the accreditation process are nevertheless allowed to grant fully accredited diplomas. If you learn that the school will not be able to grant a high school diploma to your daughter, you have to make other plans. You have several options: You could apply for a homeschool affidavit as you mentioned. Colleges welcome homeschoolers and generally expect them to be better educated and more highly socialized than traditionally schooled children. However, you would also have to include a description of this unusual situation with your daughter's college applications and submit validation of her homeschool coursework and grades. You could have your daughter take the GED as proof of high school completion instead of using the diploma from her high school. You could have your daughter apply nontraditionally - some colleges will waive the requirement for a high school diploma if they see SAT scores and other standardized test results above a certain range. You will need to speak to the colleges which she is considering to find out what is the best solution for them. You will be surprised to learn that many are not concerned about transcripts from unaccredited schools. They will be glad to advise you, especially where such a talented student is concerned. Make sure that you have information in writing, however, before you make any definite commitments. You would not want your daughter to fall victim to a new ruling that came about due to a change in personnel or policy. I would also ask the school she is currently attending to prepare a course description and detailed curriculum for each class that she has completed so that the colleges can see the rigor of her curriculum and have an understanding of the nature of her classes. It is unfortunate that you have to spend so much time taking care of a matter which should have been taken care of by school officials. However, your most important concern is that your daughter find no obstacles in the search for the appropriate college. The only way to make sure that she has a clear path is to help her clear it yourself. EDUFAX provides Services for the Independent School Applicant.

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