Prepping for a High school Homeschooler?

[OhMeOhMy]

We have been HS'ing for years now, but we are about to enter uncharted territory; high school.
We have used a variety of curriculum over the years and never did any "online" programs. But with the level he is doing and the impending need to apply to colleges, I am leaning towards some sort of online accredited program. I know about OM and R&S, but I am wondering what else is out there. I would also love some feedback on any programs others have tried.

[OhMeOhMy]

Another idea my DH has brought up is college courses at the local community college. I feel like I have heard of other HS'ers taking courses like that and wonder if anyone knows how it works.

Any yet another idea....do we just prep him for GED and then start him in community college at completion?

Ugh, so confusing!

[moominmamma]

I think you should explore this with your ds. Our local high school has a course called "Career and Personal Development" which is required. These are important questions, even more important for homeschoolers -- but the questions are really the teens', not yours. Your job is to support, inform and be a sounding board.

What is he interested in? How interested is he in keeping as many post-secondary options open as possible? How does he learn best? Is he interested in structured coursework? Does he have any long-term aspirations in terms of education and work? Are there any interests or challenges that are calling to him now? How involved would he like his parents to be in this next phase of his learning and growing? Would he like the structure and accountability of an umbrella school program (eg. Clonlara)? Would goal-setting be helpful?

My second child will be crossing the threshold to high school aged next fall. These are all things I am discussing with him. His older sister has chosen to accumulate occasional official high school credits through various means, and to pour her primary energy into advanced music performance study, volunteer and work experience, and international travel. She intends to have a robust portfolio/resumé, a strong audition and excellent SAT scores when it comes time to apply for post-secondary music studies. I'm not sure what direction my son will move. I think there's a certain wisdom in hedging your bets early on, but there's always wiggle room and a way to backtrack and fill in a transcript down the road.

Miranda

[SagMom]

Originally Posted by OhMeOhMy

Another idea my DH has brought up is college courses at the local community college. I feel like I have heard of other HS'ers taking courses like that and wonder if anyone knows how it works.

Any yet another idea....do we just prep him for GED and then start him in community college at completion?

Ugh, so confusing!

The summer before my oldest was to be "high school aged" I had this feeling that we suddenly needed to be doing things differently, get more serious or official or something. But, that passed. We just continued as we had been doing, talking about what their goals were, what their interests were--and helping them along the path as needed.

I'd recommend The Teenage Liberation Handbook as a resource for exploring the options during the teen years. So many opportunities open up to the kids when they get to be this age.

As for community college, it depends on the college--our own county won't hear of enrollment before a student is 16, otoh, a neighboring county allows kids as young as 14 to enroll, no GED required. (There is a placement test involved.) I know some of our state universities allow high school aged kids to attend -- I know no GED is required, but the SAT might be.

Also, some community colleges have agreements with 4 year schools that allow easy transfers. Some consider younger students to be "dual enrollment" students where they are accumulating high school credits AND college credits simultaneously. You'd have to contact the schools you're considering and see what their specific requirements are and what programs they offer.

[ocelotmom]

One warning about community college... starting community college is the start of your true "permanent record", something I didn't personally realize until applying to nursing school, when they requested transcripts from every single college/university I'd ever attended.

It is a good opportunity for a lot of kids, and can end up saving a whole lot of money and time. It's just probably better to wait on it if you have any questions about your child's maturity or ability to handle the work.

[mom2ponygirl]

You can do an accredited program if it appeals to you and your son, but you shouldn't feel it is necessary. I also would not consider a GED, as it still retains some stigma as being for dropouts. Most community colleges have dual enrollment options for high school students, so he won't need to have graduated from your homeschool. They will have some sort of entrance exam or you can submit ACT or SAT scores. I agree with the pp that you want to be sure they are academically ready and mature enough to handle the coursework first as the record will follow them.

Many homeschooled kids go to college without classes or courses from an external source or an online high school program. Many others use some online courses or college classes or co-op classes as a part of their homeschooling and those outside references and grades can be helpful to 'validate' their homeschool experience to colleges. I would highly recommend hanging out on some yahoo groups that specialize in homeschooling high school, homeschool2college and hs2coll are two I know of. You will see all different paths to college and that can be helpful and reassuring. Of the two groups, I see hs2coll having a higher percentage of kids aiming for highly selective, often Ivy league colleges. This can be intimidating - some of these kids are so amazing! It is also inspiring though.