College decisions

College decisions
Someone came up to me to discuss their problems. It was a girl in year 7, and she was so confused about the decision she had to make, even though the answer wasn’t needed for another year.
She had just found out that her family was to have a family reunion the following Christmas, and attached to the family union was her grandmother’s 80th birthday. The birthday was to take place in March, and since the event was overseas, the plan was to leave in December and return in late March.
This trip causes problems for school, since the school term starts in February. The girl that was talking to me is bright and should be accepted to Samoa College, the most well respected of schools, where only the top 200 (or is it 300) students from all islands are picked to attend. However, this school would not let a new year 9 student miss the first two months of school.
She went through all of her options with me. She could miss the family get together and return to Samoa for the start of the school year. (Which was something that really was not an option for her.) Or…
She could attend the entire gathering and therefore attend a different school. Or…
She could start the school year in February, then fly out right away and miss over a month of school. Or…
She could repeat year 8.
It seems crazy for me to hear these options because I would never have been given so many hard choices as a pre teen.
I am really curious as to what she will pick.