Seems to me the student could have gone to a community college to get the extra credit. The mother made the decision, now has to rationalize her rebelliousness.
If you've ever known an AP-student, three-letter athlete, chorus member who also plays trumpet in the band, you'll know that they are busy people, likely too busy dawn-to-dusk to shoehorn in a daily trip to the local CC. That was the whole issue, after all...not enough time in the schedule to fit in all the requirements.
Ironically, this student is a far better prospect for college and employment than many of her peers at the high school who will actually graduate. That speaks volumes about what the diploma is really worth.