When should we move to the US school system?

[Homeymum2]

Option A:

DD1 finish her year 9- start American 4 year high school on the normal US timetable (1 school change)
DD2 does year 7 here - 2 years of American middle school followed by 4 years of American high school?

Disadvantage falls to DD2 with 3 school changes as she is currently y6.

Option B:
DD1 continues at her current high school thru year 11 and joins American HS instead of 6th form

Disadvantages mostly to DD1 socially kids have been together 2 years she's a late joiner
She will have completed GCSEs for no reason? (Or will these still be excellent points for uni applications? Likely a US university but we would support her application to UK universities if she wanted to come back here)

DD2 joins American HS at start of 4 year program only has to change school 2 times instead of 3.

I'm half remembering a thread on here about having GCSE's and issues with HS. Might be worth a search.

I'd move sooner rather than later.
FWIW, DS1 did 2 year of English primary then moved to an international primary, then came back for Y6 and moved for secondary.
DS2 did 2 primary schools and has just started secondary. It's been fine.

Maybe post the same question in the ‘Living Overseas’ section. There is often talk about US schooling there.

Where in America are you going?

Michigan,

Thank you

I would go earlier. US high school for the last two years would be a disadvantage because there will be missing knowledge that will be hard to make up (US History etc). GCSE straight into high school and potentially AP classes could be hard.

PS I grew up in the states

Also American Uni requires a lot more extracurricular and broad prep which doesn't jive with the UK system, so the more time you give her to bed that in, the better.