Less than a month until our daughter leaves for college. She has a job and is busy working. We had a grad party this month. We've gotten most dorm items. She is reading the common reading book that was sent to her in June. Her schedule is set except for one general education class that first-years schedule in August.

Maybe I am missing something, but I'm not sure outside scholarships are mostly only helpful at need-met schools if full-pay. My daughter's NM corporate scholarship would have went toward loans or the student contribution at Smith, which is a 100% need-met school. I don't think Smith is unique in this. Harvard reduces students work and summer earnings expectation with outside awards before reducing Harvard grants. Same with U of Chicago. At Middlebury, the website says outside scholarships replace self-help first--work and loan requirements--before they will reduce grant aid. Also, it probably is easiest to get merit aid at lower-ranked schools that actively recruit top students, but there are top colleges that offer merit aid. Gwen in Va recently posted that her children went to Washington & Lee for very little--I think she said $15,000 for both total.

These courses should be on the homeschool transcript as transfer credits. I would think the homeschool parent would be counting these courses completed at the high school toward the homeschool's graduation requirements, right? Otherwise, how will the parent issue a diploma? This will be the student's final transcript, and it needs to be a complete record for all of high school. HTH.

FAFSA is for determining federal aid. If you get into a need-met school, most look at the CSS to determine what your need is, and they look at all assets. People who have a high EFC that's unaffordable would not necessarily get more money from colleges if they had a low EFC. People with a low EFC are often gapped. One group I do see this impacting is low-income families who have some small savings or assets. They will be able to shield less of those savings or assets. EFC will increase and possibly push them outside of the range to qualify for a Pell or reduce the amount of the Pell they receive.

I looked at Oberlin's CDS for 2013, which had the 2013-2014 estimated numbers in it, and those numbers exactly matched College Data. I was ONLY looking at gift aid, not total aid as I said. I was just trying to point out that College Data seems to be pulling their numbers from the colleges own data sets--whether they be estimated or actual or whatever. ETA: As you will see on the 2013-2014 CDS for Oberlin that you linked, the difference in the estimated gift aid column is about $2,000 when comparing all undergrads to Freshman and exactly matches the info on College Data. But obviously, the place to get the most up to date info is the common data set.

I agree the best place to look is the common data set. However, I compared College Data with the common data set for a few colleges for 2013-2014 and it matched exactly--CD's site seems to have the 2013-2014 info on it still. I thought those numbers on College Data were pulled from the common data set but maybe not. Teachin'Mine, Could you share the link to the U of Rochester's Common Data Set? I'd be curious to see those numbers. Thanks! ETA: I think we were posting at the same time. Are you looking at the CDS for 2014-2105 or 2013-2014? As well, I was looking at gift aid only. Okay, looking at the Oberlin CDS for 2013-2014, $33, 248 was the average need-based gift for Freshmen and for all undergrads it was $31,071. As I said, it was about $2,000 difference. You are looking at the total aid package I believe. That's not what I was looking at, and the numbers do seem to match College Data exactly. And also, on the University of Rochester's financial aid page, it states that the university is committed to meeting full demonstrated need of all students: "The University of Rochester is committed to meeting the full demonstrated need of all admitted students. We achieve this through the use of scholarships, grants, loans, and work opportunities. While every student’s financial aid package is different, the following are some of the most common financial aid programs. Amounts will vary based on each individual student’s demonstrated need." http://enrollment.rochester.edu/financial-aid/undergrads/#tab4

As to the bolded, I actually wasn't comparing the percentage of students who applied for or qualified for aid initially from one school to another. I was only looking at drops in the percentage of upperclassman who qualified vs Freshmen and noticed double digit drops at most schools I looked at on College Data. You had mentioned in post 17 that the drop in % of first-years vs all undergrads qualifying for aid was what put Rochester on the list in the linked article, but I don't understand why that would be the determining factor as it seems even schools with great financial aid have big drops. Another factor that could come into play with fewer upperclassmen qualifying for need-based aid is that college students often earn more money than they did in high school. This could impact qualifying for aid. I agree some schools will attract more full-pay. However, many schools are not need-blind even though they are need-met, so there may be more full-pay due to the fact that the college is accepting fewer students who have financial need. At Grinnell, which is need-blind and need-met, 83.7% applied for aid and 88.4% were found to have need. For all undergrads, 76.9% applied and 71.5% had need. The need-based gift aid at Grinnell went down by about $1,000 for all undergrads compared to Freshmen. At Oberlin, which is not need-blind but does meet need, 63.7% of Freshmen applied for need-based aid. Of those, 82.9% had need. 59.7% of all undergrads applied for aid, and 49.3% were found to have need. The difference in need-based gift aid was a little over $2,000. The numbers to look at are what the article suggests: need-met for Freshmen vs all undergrads because the other numbers don't seem to reveal much with regard to front-loading IMO. But it seems even this number can be impacted by things other than front-loading. The point is to be aware front-loading can occur and look into it before making a final college decision. I also noticed on College Data that the U of Rochester meets 100% of demonstrated need for first-years and 98% for all undergrads. I'm not sure why the data listed in the linked article is different?

But when I go to College Data and look at Harvard, for example, I see that 86.4% of first-year students were found to have financial need but with all undergrads 58.1% were found to have financial need. For Rochester, on College Data, I see that 75.6 percent of first-year applicants were found to have financial need and that 51.4% of all undergrads had financial need. About 24% fewer qualify at Rochester and about 27% fewer at Harvard.

I checked out two schools dd got into on College Data. Smith's difference in gift aid was listed at about $1,000 and CWRU's under $2,500. Then, I decided to look up Harvard because of their great need-based aid. The difference between all undergrads vs first-year students for gift aid was about $2,500--with all undergrads getting less. At each of these schools, the % of students who qualified for need-based aid when looking at all undergrads vs Freshmen was about 20% less for all undergrads. In addition to transfer students, all undergrads could include students who take more than four years to graduate, and isn't merit/grant aid usually limited to eight semesters? We asked colleges my daughter was considering this year how any need-based grants would change after the first year or with income changes. The colleges we asked were upfront about what we could expect. I do think most colleges will increase loans after Freshman year because students are eligible for higher amounts of federal loans. We also considered GPA requirements for merit aid. At most colleges, tuition goes up but merit awards usually don't. Grants may increase, but I think oftentimes the increased loan amounts partially cover those tuition hikes. Yet another thing to consider.

I thought I would mention this particular school is listed as a not-for-profit. They also offer a Bachelor's. According to their website, they have some merit scholarships and grant aid available. I haven't looked into what their graduation rate is, average indebtedness, or job placement after graduation. I have been on the Hyde Park campus--the school has restaurants and a bakery that are open to the public. Whether it's worth the cost of tuition, no idea. I don't know much about culinary arts education.

:grouphug: Take heart. This is not the end of the world. AT ALL. It sounds like you have had a busy year with a baby and a move. She probably feels terrible. It can be really hard to keep homeschool teens on track with their academics. Many need oversight. Online classes are not the same as live classes that meet everyday or a few times a week. JMO. I'd consider modifying how I handle homeschooling with her (whether that means adopting a more informal schooling approach, being more involved, adding some college classes at some point, or…) because I would not count on this not happening again. IMO this is a team effort between you and your daughter, and I think it will work out more than fine in the end. I would remedy the situation about credits this summer just as you've outlined doing. I don't think it makes sense to make her redo 9th next year, especially when she already appears to be doing very very well academically and has all these credits. Congrats on the 30 ACT English, that's fantastic. I am sure that if her plan was to try for NM, she will be just fine if she continues to work at it. :) For English, if you are wanting a writing credit, I agree, you can do that separately. Have you ever looked at Write at Home? That is one online program I think most kids will willingly do even without much oversight--and it sounds great for a kid who loves to write. It is painless, efficient, and produces results. They give info on credits on the website if I recall correctly. You can also add in a PE .5 credit if she has done any physical activity. Don't beat yourself up. Enjoy the summer. Realize mistakes happen, but remember homeschooling is still wonderful and so is your daughter and so are you. Also remember homeschooling does not have to look like regular school and credits can accumulate by keeping track of the informal things kids do--like the leisure reading she did. Focus on having a positive relationship with her. Hope this helps. :grouphug:

My daughter took AP Lit with Lili Serbicki last year. Loved it and got a 5. It's a great course and class involvement can be kept to a minimum if that's your preference.

Adding an acceptance at Smith College for dd.

Poetry IV Gold Medal here for dd.

Thanks! :) And yes, I think that makes sense. The MD acceptance is conditional, based on GPA and MCAT score requirements, which seem very manageable.

Back again to add that dd was accepted at a six-year BS/MD program (Northeast Ohio Medical University w/Kent State for the undergrad part).

My daughter took AP Lit with Liliana Serbicki. Great course, manageable, and flexible. My daughter loved it. Liliana is wonderful. My daughter got a 5 on the AP exam.

Updating: Dd was admitted to Mount Holyoke.

Another update: My daughter was admitted to Denison University with a Founders Scholarship ($23,000 annually).

I agree with Lori regarding outsourcing--be careful of how much you take on when it comes to online classes. I won't go into a big discussion of my thoughts on this, but too much time online was very discouraging for my daughter. We learned it was best to try to stick with one class that had live meetings (foreign language) and then we would use courses that didn't have live meetings--like Derek Owens or a few PA Homeschooler classes. Curriculum specific comments: Your English for this year sounds fabulous. You could do exactly the same thing, using AO Year 7 lit (definitely high school level), Write at Home, and Easy Grammar. We have loved Write at Home. If Math is working, I don't see any harm in staying with the math you have been using. Search for reviews of TT on this board. I've read strong reviews of it on this board, though we have not used it for high school. Read reviews from people who have gone through the program. Another idea for math would be to find a live tutor to work with your son on Algebra next year, maybe even along with the TT. I would not choose to do an elective or history through TPS. I would stick with just the Spanish class to start. That and co-op chemistry is a good start to outsourcing IMO. There is nothing to worry about with high school. Talk to those who've BTDT. If your child reads challenging books and you discuss (covering history and lit), writes (such as with Write at Home), and does a math program, you are well on your way to providing a solid education IMO. Then, add in the credits for foreign language, science, and electives. Don't forget that you can also use community college when he is older if that's available to you. Best wishes. :)

Mrs. Serbicki is wonderful. My daughter took AP Lit last year, and she got a 5 on the exam. My daughter loved the class. There was no busy work, and they did test prep as part of the course. She learned a great deal in the class. There were also lots of opportunities for extra credit, and the class was not overwhelming.

It doesn't sound to me like you are failing your child. It's often easy to be overly harsh with ourselves when we homeschool. It's not like we can really be objective all that easily about what we are accomplishing. You stated twice (from what I recall) that on standardized tests your daughter tested "at level" in math. What is wrong with that? You said her PSAT math score was not good. What do you define as not good? Have you looked at average scores for teens? The PSAT is not necessarily the best test to gauge your daughter's performance. After all, it is often taken by high-performing students who have been prepping for the type of math questions on that test. Rod and Staff level 9? I certainly wouldn't think I were failing if I were struggling with that. Doesn't SWB recommend starting in level 5 if you have never done it before, even for high schoolers? My daughter used it in 4th grade and then did no grammar until she did a review with Winston Grammar, which I am guessing is viewed as a non-rigourous option. Her English score on the ACT was very high. As you move through high school, if you are homeschooling, I do think it would be beneficial to have a tutor for math because live help can go a long way. As well, you could choose another curriculum and see how that goes. What online Algebra class is she in, if you don't mind sharing? Furthermore, animal science and zoology--life sciences--will not require THAT much higher math, right? Stats, calc for life sciences? There's no guarantee that just because you are struggling at home with a subject that sending your daughter to school will be the solution. Someone who can work with your child one-on-one and help her in-person seems to me like a good option to try. I had many insecurities with homeschooling that were unfounded. I regret spending time worrying about not meeting my child's needs when I was doing just fine. Things don't always go perfectly, but they don't have to. Best wishes.

amblesideonline.org

Updating with a few more EA acceptances: College of Wooster ($24,000 per year), Ohio State (honors/scholars admission--ETA: Ohio State Scholars Program, no merit info yet--ETA: merit aid award), and John Carroll ($25,000 per year).

Hi, Jen! Yes, she did.