Expert: Tom Kovic - 6/26/2008

Question
I am a freshmen going into my sophomore year. In am currently in the International baccalaureate program. The program has been difficult for me because the only school that offers it in my city is more than an hour away from my home. This enables me to not be able to stay for after school tutoring or any extra curricular activities that are done after school. My grades the past year were pretty bad, and though I do think I could do better if I continued in the program, I am not entirely sure that when it comes to receiving scholarships and being accepted into colleges that the diploma or I.B. certificate will have as much value as my grades. I love the program because of how much I have learned in the past year, and would love to continue in it and get as good of grades as I would if I lived close to the school as my other classmates do. Because this is not bound to happen I have considered going to a school that is closer to my home where I can stay after school to do sports and extra curricular activities as well as the most important thing; tutoring. If I drop out of the program I will get better grades but would be in Advanced Placement classes as opposed to I.B. classes. I am not sure which decision would be best, and I would love some advice on my decision.
                  My sincerest thanks,
                                 Isabel

Answer
Hi Isabel,

This is a tough one. The bottom line when it comes to the college quest is finding the school that is the "right match." There are several factors that college admissions takes into consideration when determining the likelihood of admissions. GPA, standardized testing and "quality of classes" are at the top of the list. If you are really struggling with your current school (IB classes) and it seems as if it is becoming an inconvenience and developing some frustration, you should consider attending a school that is closer to home that offers a quality education. It seems you need tutoring, especially in the IB classes at your current school, but you cannot find the time to take advantage of it. I would investigate the possibility of getting tutoring in these subject areas closer to home or on the weekend before you decide to commit to switching schools.

Good luck!