[Online drivers ed experiences]

We used the online program offered by AAA. It was easy to use and a good experience. DS got his license at age 16 1/2. I didn't have to push him like some kids I hear about - he wanted to do it. The AAA program is called "Take the Wheel" and is one of several approved for use in our state. We could tell the videos were older but definitely still relevant and appropriate (and lead to some great sidebar conversations), and nothing scary or gruesome. I think it cost $99 when we used it.

[Class of 2020 College Acceptances]

My DS ended up applying to more schools than were originally on his target list. It evolved over time, due to a recent decision on his part to change his intended major, and also due to a decision on the part of all of us to take our lives in a different direction after DH retires (moving to a different state). DS has heard back from all the schools he applied to except one. Admitted to: Univ of Oklahoma, Univ of Tulsa, Pittsburg State, Truman State, Colorado State, Univ of Northern Colorado, and Regis Univ. Awaiting a decision from Univ of Colorado-Boulder. 

DS was named a NMSF so we are anxious to hear about NMF in February and then will start making decisions. Chasing merit money and a particular major/area of study but also doesn't want to go TOO far away. He isn't set on any particular school at this point. He has a favorite but is being very practical about it all. We started HSing when he was in 4th grade. Can't believe this part of our journey is nearly over.

ETA: DS has been admitted to all 8 of the schools to which he applied and all 8 offered him merit scholarships. We've also been notified that he has advanced to NMF status. Woot! Now he has decisions to make . . . 

[Hits & Misses? 2019-2020 Edition]

Roy Speed's Essay Writing and Appreciation course (HSCollegebound.com) and Derek Owens' AP Calculus AB continue to be big hits for us. This is DS's second year with Mr. Speed and DS has now taken all of Mr. Owens' math classes. Both are "best finds" out of our homeschool journey - which is saying a lot because we outsourced quite a bit, for several reasons. 

Our only miss so far this year was a fall semester DE government class at the local 4-year univ. The instructor is obviously already looking ahead to retirement and just phoning it in. DS attended every class that was held but had to basically self-teach from the textbook. The class met for only half of its scheduled times. (Supposed to meet Mon and Wed, but instructor cancelled every single Wed class in advance, just told the kids not to come because he wouldn't be there). DH and I can't believe this was how the class was run and DS will be sharing the experience with the department head. Good thing DS knows how to learn independently. (We did check ratemyprofessor before signing up, but this issue was never mentioned. Apparently most students like this type of setup and don't complain?)

Wasko Lit and Jetta Seboly's Clover Creek Science (Physics) were also standout hits for us in previous years. DS read many wonderful books with Mr. Wasko that I would not have gotten him to read otherwise, and he was guided through them in an enthusiastic, religiously-neutral and balanced way. And the awesome Mrs. Seboly gave DS a love of physics that was never there before (previously only a bio-sciences guy). Wish we had the opportunity to use them both again.

[Regis University, Denver, CO]

On 12/15/2019 at 10:55 AM, MysteryJen said:

I know Regis grads and a few kids who went there for nursing. All I know is that people seem to be happy with their education and experience there.

Actually, my dad went there in the late 50s!

I wouldn't say it was super urban- Denver is pretty big, but spread out and Regis is not downtown Denver.

Let me know if you are heading into town to check things out! I am north of Denver.

LOL, I guess everything really is relative. We just moved to CO. Denver feels extremely crowded and dense to me, not spread out at all. The surroundings at Regis, in Denver, felt very different (urban) to us compared to Univ of CO (Boulder), CSU (Ft. Collins), and Univ of Northern CO (Greeley). The "big city" nearest to us in our former state has a population density of around 930 people per square mile; in Denver the population density is 4,520 people per square mile! I was mentally prepared by the stats, but driving in Denver is definitely a huge adjustment for me!

 

[Regis University, Denver, CO]

4 hours ago, wintermom said:

Thanks for your post, Taryn. Congratulations to your ds at being accepted! What is an "impacted" major?

I've been to Denver, and know that it's a big city. I was wondering more of the student and staff culture, and the courses the university would expect their undergraduates to complete. I don't think she'd be thrilled to do a ton of courses not directly related to her major, which seems to be the expectation at US colleges. 

Thanks for the tip about Greeley. I'll look at that.

An impacted major is one where admission to that specific major/department is competitive. More applicants than openings. So admission to the overall university is the first hurdle, then admission to certain majors is the next hurdle. The state we moved from didn't have this, that I'm aware of, but apparently some states/schools do. At CSU, this applies to biological sciences, for kids who want to go into medical or health careers. I've heard of certain engineering disciplines and computer science/information technology majors being this way at some schools too.

Sorry I can't be of more help re: Regis. 

[Regis University, Denver, CO]

I don't have any direct experience with Regis Univ, but we just moved to Colorado. DS (current 12th grader) did a campus visit at Regis, applied, and was accepted for 2020-21. He's also been admitted to CO State to an "impacted" major and he's waiting to hear from CU-Boulder. Has your DD ever been to Denver? Regis is pretty urban, as you might expect. Sorry I don't have much to offer, but hoping you get some helpful responses from others with experience at Regis.

So is your DD interested specifically in smaller schools? Have you looked at Univ of Northern Colorado at Greeley? I hear they have strong programs for kids interested in health careers . . . maybe their prep for vet school would be strong too? IDK.

[Dr Hive....what could this be?]

Look up “tonsil stones” and see if that seems likely. 

[Writing courses]

1 hour ago, Mom2mthj said:

What grade would you recommend the logical communication class?

Just my opinion, but I'd say 9th grade and up. I'm not sure if Mr. Speed has firm requirements, but you could ask him. There's a lot of discussion and critical thinking going on that my son wouldn't have been able to fully appreciate and participate in younger than 9th grade. And he's a strong student - it's just a maturity thing.

DS took Logical Communication in 11th grade and I was worried at first that he'd be too old, but it worked out great. Mr. Speed has been able to meet DS where he is and give him new challenges. DS had enough outside writing instruction by 11th grade that he had the basics down (a year of Writing With Skill, a short course with Bravewriter (not a good fit), Lost Tools of Writing, and Write At Home), but he needed a focused, dedicated instructor like Mr. Speed who could take him to the next level.

 

[Nursing BSN as undergrad vs Accelerated Second Degree BSN]

1 hour ago, Mom0012 said:

After I posted, I realized the higher NCLEX pass rate (it was 100% last year) is likely due to it being a highly sought after selective program with mature students.

I’m really not seeing double majoring as a possibility at the schools I’m looking at even though my dd will have a lot of AP/DE credit as well. At some schools, she’d be coming in with 60 credits. At UAH, where the NCLEX rate is fairly low at 84% and also has a pretty big attrition rate, they specifically state you may be able to minor in another subject. It just seems odd to me, but maybe regular undergrad programs include a lot more clinical hours than accelerated second degree programs?

 

You've probably already done this, but just in case (or for others reading) you might want to double-check that the schools on her list will accept her science AP/DE credits (if she has any) if she does go in as a BSN major. At two of my son's potential schools, the nursing programs will not accept transfer credits in any of the natural sciences - biology, chemistry, anatomy, etc. They want students to take those natural science classes at their campus with their instructors, so the students learn those subjects with the depth with which they want them taught.

[Writing courses]

2 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

 

Mine last question. Do you add reading literature to this course for a full English credit or does it already contain enough reading? 

Last year DS did take a light literature course (NOT writing intensive, but good live discussions - with Wasko Lit) alongside Logical Communications. Looking back, I think that was overkill, but he enjoyed the Wasko class anyway. This year, with him in Essay Writing and Appreciation, we are not adding a separate lit component. The works they read as part of the class are excellent. If you want to ask Roy Speed about the reading list, I bet he'd be happy to talk to you about it. He posts here sometimes, so maybe you could tag him and ask. (I would be happy to tell you about the reading list, but I'm not at home and don't have it accessible right now.)

[Writing courses]

37 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

 

May I ask what is a workload? 

DS says it is roughly 45 minutes to an hour a day (5 days per week) outside of class, sometimes less, sometimes more on weeks when a first draft of an essay is due. A typical workload, not too demanding. He says they write an essay from scratch about once per month and then spend the other weeks incorporating feedback and revising, which is time well spent. The live classes meet twice per week - for 90 minutes one day per week and 60 minutes on another day per week. Other work, besides the writing and revising, includes reading example essays written by famous/professional writers and doing exercises that analyze those essays (which is heavy enough IMO to "count" for literature), reading and critiquing other students' essays, and keeping a notebook of thoughts and observations. The worktext used in each course was created by Mr. Speed. DS says there is no busywork, every exercise is worthwhile.

DS says he has unlearned a lot of bad writing habits that he learned in other courses. He says those previous courses (not Mr. Speed's) taught him how to use writing "training wheels", basic structure, grammar, etc., that are necessary for beginning writers to learn, but that are important to remove eventually for writing in the real world. Mr. Speed has moved him well past the "training wheels".

FWIW, DS took a DE history course this past summer at our state flagship univ. that was taught by an ambitious young instructor with high expectations (i.e., NOT an easy summer course with reduced workload). That class required a full-blown analytical essay every week. DS got excellent essay feedback from the instructor and he even used one of DS's essays as an example to the other students. I have no doubt that DS was able to write those essays with that level of skill and efficiency thanks to his experience with Mr. Speed.

[Writing courses]

19 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

Does anybody have a suggestion for a writing course that will prepare a student for AP English class (not exam) but won’t take more than 5-6 hours weekly? I was intrigued by WTMA rhetoric courses, but  my understanding is they are too time consuming. I have also looked at Roy Speed Essay Writing and Appreciation, but can’t fine parent reviews.  What else is out there? 

My son took Roy Speed's Logical Communication course last year (11th grade) and is continuing with his Essay Writing and Appreciation course this year (12th grade). I wholeheartedly recommend both of his writing courses. Logical Communication is a solid course that gives the foundation, so that's where you want to start, and then follow it up with Essay Writing and Appreciation.

I'm going to share here what I've posted in other threads about our experience . . . 

Logical Communication with Roy Speed has been a big hit. It focuses on clear thinking, organizing ideas and arguments, backing up your ideas with evidence, logical flow, and rhetorical devices, all in conjunction with analyzing high-quality essays. The instructor has appropriately high standards and is enthusiastic, the live classroom is well-managed and has interactive discussions, the workload is just right (emphasis on quality, not quantity), and the feedback is individualized (appropriate for a range of abilities), prompt and constructive. DS has taken several composition courses before this, and this one is the best he's had by far. It has been the best money we've spent out of 9 years of homeschooling and many online classes. Mr. Speed is known here on the forum for his Shakespeare courses. He has also taught at a co-op for years and teaches writing to professionals, so he's experienced with writers at a variety of levels. DS will be taking his Essay Writing and Appreciation course next year. DS decided to do this instead of taking English Comp through dual enrollment or AP because he thoroughly enjoys the live class sessions and we know he will benefit significantly more from Mr. Speed's class. Mr. Speed has spoken with us personally by phone about our son's strengths and areas he can improve on next, and I was impressed by his reaching out to us to do that. 

 

Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer.

[One semester US Government....again]

Have you checked with FundaFunda to see if they will offer it in spring? We have found all the instructors we've had there to be very accommodating. It seems perfect for your needs otherwise.

[Counselor Common App - Homeschool supplement]

1 hour ago, klmama said:

This is what I've understood from others' posts.  Hopefully, someone with experience will chime in!

I have a related question.  The last question on the screen shot is "Are you a member of a homeschooler's association?"  Why would they care about that?  What does it tell them?  

 

I found this person's articles/blog posts really helpful, especially this one that covers many Common App topics and how-to's: https://fearlesshomeschoolers.com/blog/homeschool-transcript

She says the following about the homeschool association question: 

 

Quote

 

Member of homeschool association?

This is asking if your homeschooler will be receiving a diploma from a homeschool association or diploma program.

 

 

 

[Physics vs Engineering]

5 hours ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Hi Taryn.  I see you deleted your post, but I did read it last night.  I respect that that is your experience.  We all share based on what we know from our own real life and what my dh and ds have experienced in their careers at the 4 chemical companies they have experience with is contrary to what you have seen at the companies you have worked for.

Thanks. I deleted the content of my posts because I decided that publishing certain hiring and compensation practices here might be frowned on by some parties. 😊  I just wanted to help by offering a perspective from the other side of the hiring table, and I think of this board as a tight-knit group, but I forget sometimes that this is an open public forum.

[Physics vs Engineering]

NM

[Master List of Testing Sites (& advice!)]

2 hours ago, daijobu said:

Thanks for catching that.  It was posted on a CA FB group I'm on.  I didn't look at it closely (obviously) before linking to it.  Apparently, someone had contacted the College Board asking for the sites in the state.  I'll relabel my post to make it clear.  

Well, darn, I was hoping there was something like that for all states, and I was just having a hard time finding it. Thanks for posting yours though! I'm sure there are many here who will use it!

[Master List of Testing Sites (& advice!)]

6 hours ago, daijobu said:

Here is a list provided by the College Board.

This list appears to be limited to California. Or maybe there's a filter limiting it to CA that I can't figure out how to remove.

Did you find this somewhere on the College Board's site? Maybe the original web source has links/lists for testing centers other states?

[Physics vs Engineering]

On 8/8/2019 at 5:30 AM, 8FillTheHeart said:

I know absolutely nothing about civil engineering. It seems like a different beast than many other engineering fields. But, $50,000 for a brand new engineering grad seems low, not good. My ds made close to that as a co-op student and as a new grad made significantly more and this was almost a decade ago. More importantly, all new hires were paid the same amt regardless of where they went to school. (My ds went to a non-ranked school and was hired in alongside grads from Michigan, Purdue, Berkeley, etc.) Getting offers was not limited to on-campus recruiting. But getting offers was directly related to strength of resume beyond grades.

I think AEC was saying that the difference in starting salary between a grad from a top-tier school vs a middle-tier school can be 50k/year, not that one would be starting out making 50k/year. (She said the "delta" between them.)

(Removed other commentary that was too revealing.)

[Do making ADDENDUM look bad?]

3 hours ago, Miguelsmom said:

He is applying as a freshman because he's a FTIC student. When his AS degree transfers (which he's getting DE.) he's going to switch majors to a "capstone" degree as a junior. There was no spot to put that he is switching majors and we've been told not to worry about that just to get accepted and then they will deal with that. However now with the dropped courses I'm worried that if we don't do an addendum it'll look bad but WITH the addendum he looks wishy-washy at least it will make his application truthful though.

What does the bolded mean? Never heard of that.

Edit: Answered my own question, but will post here for others who are also unfamiliar. Looks like a commonly referenced term in Florida and maybe a few other places. FTIC = first time in college = first-time, first year (freshman) student.

[If you take CC classes in high school, do you then apply to college as a transfer student or a freshman?]

6 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

DS20 graduated with an AS from an early college high school. Every university he applied to (some public, some private) treated him as a freshman applicant. He was eligible for all freshman scholarships. However, he did receive some perks at the university he decided to attend. Because of the number of credit hours he was able to transfer he got to pick his classes as if he were a junior (ahead of sophomores and freshmen). He was also able to chose an on campus parking spot along with the juniors (again, ahead of sophomores and freshmen). In short, he was treated to the best of both worlds.

I don't know how common it is, but at schools in my region, these same perks plus better dorms are also available to students in the honors college and at no extra cost. No previous college credits necessary.

[If you take CC classes in high school, do you then apply to college as a transfer student or a freshman?]

Just a heads up: My son is a rising 12th grader and plans on a science-heavy major that requires a separate admission to the major at the end of soph year in college. I was surprised to learn that at the univ my son is likely to attend next year, for the major he wants, he'll have to take 4 out of 5, and preferably ALL (to be a favored applicant) of his pre-major STEM courses on-campus at that specific univ in order to be admitted to his desired major. So AP/CLEP/DE credit would do him no good (other than pre-exposure to the topic) for those courses. Apparently this is not uncommon for this major in our region of the country. I'm so glad we researched this in advance so we didn't waste a lot of time and money on AP/DE. So it helps immensely to research ahead of time whether having certain AP/DE credits will even help shave off time; in my DS's case, it wouldn't.

Another thing to consider: DE credits often (usually? depends on the school) don't get factored in to the college GPA at the receiving school. DS is "saving" some easier credits (instead of doing them via AP/DE) to complete at the univ during his freshman year, to help balance out the harder courses, in order to buffer a hit to his GPA from potentially lower than desired grades in the more difficult courses. A high college GPA is also required for admission to his (competitive) intended major. This exclusion from the receiving college's GPA can also apply to regular college transfer credits, not just DE.

I'm not anti-DE or anti-AP; DS will start college with a few under his belt. But we've looked around and found alternatives which we believe have better instruction, more depth, more challenge, and are more appealing to DS. (Not DE fluff nor AP teach-to-the test.)

I'm also not convinced that accumulating a bunch of credits prior to starting college is all that beneficial if you look at the end result. I do favor more breathing room for exploring classes of interest that may be outside the reqs for a particular major, but I'm not so sure I want to significantly decrease the overall time in college. Because I'm not so sure I would want DS to be graduating from college and entering the professional working world at age 20, KWIM? Just some things to think about.

[any reason I must or should include PE or similar?]

56 minutes ago, Janeway said:

PE is usually included but just give the credit as P or call it external PE. It is not included in the GPA.

I'd either leave PE off the transcript or put it on there with an A (if he earned an A), not a P. I've learned here some universities don't know what to do with a grade of Pass, so if they recalculate the GPA using their own rules, they default to treating a Pass as a C.

[Actually did not like school, or is it summer?]

Just to comment about the smoking part and the parking situation: IME, unfortunately, campus policies about smoking and parking are somewhat not enforced during times when classes are not in session. But I'd be turned off by your experience, too.

[Fine Arts Credit - Photography???]

My son took the 1 semester photography class at FundaFunda Academy. What you described, OP, is exactly what I recall him doing for the course requirements, and the instructor at FundaFunda is professional photographer. So I think what you've planned covers everything and sounds perfect.