I AM REALLY FRUSTRATED

My fifteen year old came home from school today with her junior/senior and freshman year of college planned out in a way we never discussed and all because of a meeting she got invited to at school today. Not that that would be a bad thing except for the huge pressure this new plan would put on her.

First of all the program offered to her in the meeting would cause her to have to transfer to one of two schools about twenty minutes away from our home for her junior and senior year. We would have to drive her to and from school every day. She would only know one other person at the school--leaving all her other friends. Second, she would have to take all AP classes (accelerated placement)and pass with an A to get credit. The expectation for this whole transfer and the taking of AP courses is so these students graduate from high school having finished a year of college credits. I think this is fine for students who want to do something like this of their own volition. I know their are some parents who really push their kids to do this kind of thing also. We aren't among them. I mean, we expect good grades from our kids--but at the same time, I want my daughter to have fun in school. I want her to enjoy her time there and her friends. I want her to be in a play like she has always wanted to be. I want her to have the chance to sing in the choir and take a dance class and hang out with her friends--all the things she has wanted. I want her to remember her class and have the desire to come back for her class reunion someday.

This program that was offered to her today not only gave her the idea that she would end up with a year of college behind her but promised a 2 year 3/4 college scholarship to a large number of universities. She didn't catch the "ifs" involved like, if you get an "A" in every class. She came home so convinced that she had to do this for her future success that she couldn't hear us in the beginning of the discussion when we talked to her about her not needing to feel that kind of pressure and us wanting her to have fun with her friends. She would do nothing but class and homework for two solid years if she did that program and I don't want that to be her memory of high school. I don't like other people putting pressure like that on my kids. It's not necessary and it frustrates me! I think they should have had a meeting with the parents! Grrrrr.