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PAGE THREE | |
(Basic subject: getting high schoolers ready for college)
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MY RESPONSE
Dear Jackie,
Finally getting back to you as promised....I'll try to intersperse my answers with your questions which I italicized...so see below!
Linda
"Hi, We've homeschooled for 9 years. We are about to enter high school. In your message I just received, you said your daughter was graduating from college. May I ask please, what kind of diploma did she receive for her high school work? What college did she attend?"
Amy was homeschooled from grade 7 through 12 but in grade 12 I allowed her to finish up a few credits through the American School (a correspondence school in Chicago)...it was a bit of a hassle transferring her homeschool credits to them...in some cases she had to take tests to prove her knowledge in an area before they agreed to transfer the credit from my homeschool high school. So...having done that...they gave her a high school diploma.
However, my second child, Tim, homeschooled from grade 4 through 12 and he received a diploma from our homeschool. I purchased the actual diploma from HOMESCHOOL LEGAL DEFENSE...a real beautiful one... and I filled in our school name and his name. He used it to get into college as well as the transcript I had kept of his grades (this transcript form I had purchased from ALPHA OMEGA PUBLICATIONS when I started homeschooling...it is inexpensive and I believe still available from them.) To be sure he wouldn't have trouble since he decided to go to a secular community college, (part of the University of GA system) he also decided to take the GED and did very well scoring above average.
Both of my kids took the ACT test and Tim had to take the SAT II tests to get into the secular university system. Presently the Homeschool Association in Georgia is negotiating with the University of Georgia about this practice...they feel that it is a discriminatory one. Time will tell how all this is resolved but Tim was accepted and entered their system nonetheless.
Amy, on the other hand, who did not want to go to the secular state university, only needed her results from her ACT. This is all that was required by the college that accepted her (Southeastern Bible College, Birmingham, AL). She had also been accepted by Bob Jones University but decided on SBC. Her transcript from homeschool and her diploma from American School were also part of their consideration for her acceptance.
Since SBC is not accredited yet in Amy's major, (they are working on it but it wouldn't have been done in time for her needs), she decided to transfer for her junior and senior years to a Christian liberal arts college (Toccoa Falls College) to finish up and get her B.S. Degree in Early Childhood Education. By the time of her transfer, she had had a college record and her homeschooling record didn't matter. She received her BS Degree in Early Childhood Education in May 1999. She actually took 5 years to get through college because she lost some credits when she transferred from Southeastern Bible College. Since SBC requires a double major...one of your choice PLUS Bible...this added time for her. In the end this was good because the extra Bible courses she took at SBC qualified her to receive the Evangelical Teacher's Diploma when she graduated at Toccoa Falls. She has now been offered (and has accepted) a 2nd grade teacher's position in a private school.
Was it difficult to get into college?
No, not for either one of them! Tim's road was the hardest since we had to deal with the mindset of liberal public educators. And it was a bit confusing for awhile as to exactly WHAT they wanted him to have to get in! In the end, I believe that his GED may have swayed them to admit him...so I highly recommend a student taking that test if they want to go on to a secular university which may or may not be homeschool friendly. Things are changing slowly but even at that it wasn't that difficult for him to get in...just took a little persistence on his part which he took care of all by himself, I might add, working with the Admissions Counselor.
Do you have any suggestions for me...just getting into the
high school years?
Basically I think you should have some idea as to what college(s) your kids MAY want to go to. Some parents want their kids staying close to home...some don't mind if they go to another state. I wanted both of mine to go to a Christian college and so I started there. I got several colleges' bulletins which listed the course requirements that incoming freshmen must have. Then, I made sure my kids took those courses in homeschool.
Also to consider---what does your child want to be? If they want to be an engineer... things may have to be pursued in a different manner in high school than if they want to be a teacher as one of mine did. Then you may need more math/science courses (and high school lab work as opposed to non-lab courses as mine had had). Then you will have to figure out how to accomplish that. I've heard of homeschool high schoolers being allowed to take some of these courses through a local community college. Some Christian Schools (there is one in our area)will let homeschoolers come to their campus to take a few of Bob Jones University's High School courses via a satellite program in such areas as Biology, Chemistry, Algebra I, II, Spanish, etc. which include lab work. This wonderful BJU satellite program is taught by expert math and science teachers...in my brief interlude at that Christian school I was the facilitator for one of these excellent courses. Those types of things....if your child doesn't know what he or she wants to be then look at several college bulletins of liberal arts colleges ...find out what they require and make sure your child takes those necessary high school courses.
I am not an unschooler...I believe from grades 9-12 (the grades that count with colleges) that I want to be sure my child has the courses necessary to get in a college's door....I know unschoolers go through all kinds of other documentation of their children's learning activities during high school which some have successfully used to get their child in a college but frankly, I know nothing about that approach. There are books out there by homeschoolers who used this non-traditional approach for high school or the apprentice approach. I would suggest reading these books if that is your mindset. All homeschool parents are different--I personally believed in making my kids take the "traditional" courses in high school and I kept grades (actual percentages) that were easily entered onto the transcript form from year to year. Never was I asked to produce the actual "work" or "texts" used. The transcript I had submitted was taken at face value. So, naturally, I suggest going that route since it was a successful route for us.
However, I have changed somewhat! For earlier grades up through grade 8, I find now with my last child who is in grade 7 that I take a more relaxed approach to homeschooling then I did with my first two children. I take more time to delve into some topics rather than doing "school at home." You know...more "unit studies"! However, I still expect things will "tighten" up as we hit 9th grade! :-)
Also it doesn't hurt to find out if the college YOU are interested in accepting your child IS homeschool friendly. A call to the Admission Office and a talk with an Admissions Counselor is helpful...you should sense almost immediately as to what the school's attitude is toward accepting homeschoolers...more and more colleges today are not only accepting homeschoolers but looking for homeschoolers to come to their schools! I hope this helps.....it is just one way to do it! It is the way that I used for two of my three so far so I can see no reason to do it differently with my third child! The only thing I did learn after my second child was that I should not really push higher math on my child too early. Why? Because Tim forgot some of his higher math by the time he needed to "perform" well on that SAT II test! I wanted him to get all of his higher math over with quickly in high school so that he could coast a little in his senior year. I do not think now that that was a really good idea because you do forget some of that higher math quickly if it is not used...then you have to re-study a little too much before the college test as we found out! I think that added extra stress on him.
Thanks so much for your encouraging words...it is nice to know that work I put in at my computer is appreciated and helpful! :-)
In Him,
Linda Coyle
(Basic subject: homeschooling a high schooler who has |
MY RESPONSE
Dear Brenda,
I would recommend he finish through a local GED program available through many adult education courses at local community colleges or high schools. Call your local high school guidance couselor for more information.
Since he finished through Grade 11, it may be all he wants or needs to go on with his life. If you would rather have a high school diploma, may I suggest American School (American School, 2200 E 170th St., Lansing, Illinois, 60438-9909)? Their phone number is 1-708-418-2800. Or try International Correspondence Schools ICS --you know the one Sally Struthers all the time is pushing on TV Ads! I let one of my kids finish their twelfth grade year through American School....I transferred credits already received from my homeschool high school...had a little problem transferring them from a homeschool but you shouldn't have very much problem since it appears he either attended public or Christian traditional school from your e-mail. A web search could probably get you the information you need if you want to go the American School or ICS route....but a GED may be the answer at this time in his life.
Both a high school diploma OR a GED are accepted at most colleges...sometimes there may be remedial courses he would have to take if he just got a GED...depends on the college. A suggestion would be to get the GED, go to a 2 yr. community college and get remedial help he needs there and eventually transfer to another 4 yr. college after completing the 2 year community college--he would then have a college record and would have "proved" himself by then to to be more attractive to a regular 4-yr. college. Keep in mind when transferring credits though, some credits may not transfer...ask the "receiving" college what they will accept from the previous community college--even do this before any work is done! Ask questions about the transfer of credits as you need to know beforehand. This will save time and money in the long-run if you know ahead of time what will transfer and what will not. Just some thoughts...hope it helps.
In Him,
Linda Coyle
(Basic subject: transition to homeschool high school |
MY RESPONSE
Dear Kirsten,
No, it does not take that long to get ready for homeschooling in high school. Start first by finding out the forms you need to fill out in your state to homeschool and get the homeschool law for your state. This will determine if you have enough time for this year. You probably do if you get started now. Click on this link and select Virginia.
My son took some courses from ICS. Click on high school under their alphabetical listings of courses.
My daughter graduated from American School which offers both a college prep diploma and a regular diploma. They do not have a web site but they can be contacted at: American School, 2200 E 170th St., Lansing, Illinois, 60438-9909. Their phone number is 1-708-418-2800. They advertise in tons of magazines..those small ads in the back. They have a wonderful inexpensive monthly payment plan and their coursework is not too difficult. The teachers are helpful. They would ask that your 9th grade transcript be sent to them for their evaluation.
I had friends who used CLASS (Christian Liberty) and one of their kids graduated from high school with them and was satisfied.
ABEKA has a video school program...real live teachers teaching difficult high school subjects....they are expensive but good. Ask them about video school info. and they will send a brochure.
School of Tomorrow (ACE ) has high school course work available too. A Christian School I taught at recently uses lots of their curriculum. This is easy on parents too if you buy the answer keys. E-mail them and ask if they could recommend correspondence schools that use their curriculum but will give homeschoolers other services like transcript records. They should know. I know there are several out there because I've seen them advertised in homeschool magazines.
Here is another page with tons more high school programs available to homeschoolers. Some I have already mentioned.
If I were you, I'd start sending for brochures and free information. Then, pick the one that is right for you and your parents. Good luck to you. I think you do have time if you follow my advice and get busy...happy hunting....I don't blame you for wanting to do high school on your own!
In Him,
Linda Coyle
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