How to Choose a High School

School choice is growing in the United States. Now more than ever, families have educational freedom thanks to an increase in charters, online public education, and voucher programs. Homeschooling has also grown in popularity since the pandemic, with an estimated 30% increase since the beginning of the 2019-20 academic year. 

If you’re considering transferring or are about to start high school, know that you have a choice in not only where but also how you obtain your secondary education. We’ll go over factors you need to consider when selecting a learning center as well as some tips for making your decision as seamless as possible. 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a High School

Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list of things to consider, but it is a good place to start. You may have additional things you want to check out such as athletics or arts programs.

• Accreditation — One of the most important things to consider when looking for a good fit is accreditation. Accreditation is a third-party evaluation that ensures a school is meeting standards and maintaining a certain level of quality. Most colleges require a diploma from an accredited institution for admission, so it’s very important to attend an accredited institution for your secondary education.
   
  
• Price — Public education and charters are free, but private and parochial institutions often charge tuition, which can range widely. Some offer scholarships for students based on household income, academic achievement, or athletics. Unfortunately, tuition is often one of the biggest barriers to choice, so check and see if your state offers a voucher program to help offset tuition costs. 
  
  
• Modality — Modality is simply how learning is delivered or experienced. Today, there are a variety of options for education, including traditional in-person instruction, blended learning schedules that incorporate some in-person and some online learning, and completely online courses.
   
• Location — If it does offer an in-person experience, where is the campus located? While most public school students live near campus, charter, private, and parochial students don’t necessarily live near their campus. How far are you willing to drive each day? Location is an important consideration. 
  
  
• Class Size — The fewer students in class, the more one-on-one time students have with their teachers. Ask about average class size, which may vary by subject or type (e.g., college prep courses may have more students in them than honors and AP subjects). 
  
  
• Course Offerings — Check out course offerings to see if the institution offers classes that align with your goals. For example, students who want a head-start for college may want an alma mater that offers a lot of AP classes, while those who are interested in jumping into the workforce after graduation may consider academies that offer job training opportunities. 
  
  
• Support — See what kind of support is available for academic and life challenges. Does the institute have a guidance counselor who can help with post-graduation planning? Are their tutoring services available? 
  
  
• Schedules — There are lots of different types of schedules nowadays. Some academies have six or more class periods per day, while others work on a block schedule that offers fewer classes that last longer. Online schools also offer asynchronous schedules, which means students can complete their work anytime and anywhere. Consider what other obligations you have outside of the classroom and ensure the schedule can be balanced with the other things you have going on in your life. 
  
  
• Extracurriculars — Sports, band, choir, theater, art, clubs, and more count as extracurricular activities. If you are interested in participating in school-sponsored activities, make sure to see what they offer. This is just one place to participate in extracurricular activities, though. There are many organizations that put on afternoon programming such as parks and recreation departments, the YMCA, community centers, and more. 
  
  

How to Choose a High School

Now that you know what things to look for, let’s talk a little bit about structuring your search so it's as hassle-free as possible.

• Research schools you may be interested in and compile a list. Search for learning centers in your area as well as online to see what options are available for you. Websites like Niche.com are a great resource for seeing what’s nearby and doing research. Once you have a solid list, move on to step two.
  
  
• For each school on your list, consider the factors listed in the previous section. An easy way to keep track of these factors is to create a spreadsheet with the list of schools in column A and the factors listed in the previous section spread across Row 1. Then, fill in each cell for each factor for each institution with the information you find.
  
  
• Determine which factors are most important to you and see which options have those things. It’s unlikely that you’ll find an academy that checks every single one of your boxes, which is why it’s wise to determine what’s most important to you. And don’t limit yourself to the suggestions listed in the previous section. If there are other things that are on your must-have list, consider those too! By the end of this process, you should have a good list of prospects that meet your most-important criteria.
  
  
• Explore testimonials and reviews. Once you have narrowed down your list to institutions that meet your most important criteria, start looking for testimonials and reviews. A good place to start is on Google, as you’ll find reviews from parents and students about their experiences. You can also check to see if the school you’re interested in has a YouTube channel or social media account where they publish testimonials from graduates.
  
  
• Take some tours and talk with administrators to determine what would be a good fit. The next step is to do some tours and talk to administrators or the enrollment team. Visiting the campus or talking to a representative can give you a feel for what to expect as a student and help you picture yourself there. For institutions without a physical campus, talking with an enrollment representative is especially important. They should be able to answer any questions you have and help you visualize a day in your life as a student of their institution.
  
  
• Submit applications. Depending on what institutions are on your list, you may need to submit applications, especially if they are private or parochial academies. Submitting applications is your next step in narrowing down your list. If there are any that you are not accepted to or are not enrolling now students, you can take them off your list.
  
  
• Make your final decision. Once you have your final list, it’s time to make a decision! If you follow the steps above, you should have a few strong candidates and feel confident that you’ll make an informed decision about where to earn your diploma. 

Why Choose The American Academy?

The American Academy is an accredited, private online high school with affordable, flat-rate tuition.

Our academy allows students ages 13+ to earn a high school diploma online. 

We just went through important considerations, so here are those considerations broken down for the The American Academy, which should help as you consider how to choose an online high school:

• Accreditation — The American Academy is accredited by Cognia, the largest accreditor of schools in the U.S. TAA diplomas are accepted by colleges and universities, employers, and the U.S. military. 
  
  
• Price — Our diploma program is available for a flat rate of $999, and we often offer cost saving options, depending on the time of year. 
  
  
• Modality — We offer 100% online courses that can be completed anytime and anywhere. All you need is a computer and internet access. 
  
  
• Location — The comfort of your home! We don’t have a physical campus. 
  
  
• Class Size — Classes are asynchronous, which means you are the only student working on it at a given time. You’ll have access to teachers for every class, and they have office hours so you can meet with them one-on-one if you need help. 
  
  
• Course Offerings — We offer 100+ classes in core and elective subjects, including art, social media marketing, and Latin I, II and III. 
  
  
• Support — Support is one of the biggest advantages to The American Academy. Every student has wraparound support from teachers, an Academic Coach, and 24/7 virtual tutoring services so you can get help any time of day or night. 
  
  
• Schedules — Students typically take two three-week courses at a time when enrolled at The American Academy. Coursework is due on Mondays, but learners can do their work when and where it is convenient for them. You can build your own schedule. 
  
  
• Extracurriculars — As a fully online high school, The American Academy doesn’t offer any extracurricular activities outside of our course offerings. However, our fully customizable schedule allows flexibility for activities such as sports, dance, art, and theater through a local parks and recreation department. 

We also offer individual courses for students who need to make up credits, want to supplement homeschool curriculum, want to get ahead, or want access to courses not available through your local high school.