RanchGirl
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Posts posted by RanchGirl
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Thanks all for sharing your thoughts, you have motivated me to push through and get those course descriptions done!
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3 hours ago, EKS said:
It most certainly does. I was just filling it out for my younger son's application today.
Kai, where is it? When logged in as counselor, I see the school profile and 3 questions on a homeschool tab under the student section. Is that what you're referring to? I don't see anything labeled homeschool supplement.
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21 hours ago, EKS said:
Actually, the Common App itself only asks for course descriptions for *outside* courses. I kid you not--it's in the homeschool supplement.
When my older son applied to colleges, I made a course description document that I uploaded with the transcript that had the descriptions for the homeschool courses, and then I put descriptions for the outside courses in the space provided. No one questioned that.
With my rising senior, I've decided to have descriptions for all courses taken in the document I upload with the transcript, and I will simply refer the reader to that document where it asks for descriptions in the homeschool supplement.
FYI, it appears the homeschool supplement no longer exists. We now provide all our info through the school profile/transcripts and a couple questions in the school report section.
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37 minutes ago, RootAnn said:
My DD had one of her colleges that liked to see course descriptions from homeschoolers so I included them for everyone. If the colleges don't want them, I wouldn't send them. But I figured more information was better.
Did the colleges ask for this info on their website? My son's colleges don't list them under requirements for homeschooled applicants so maybe I am safe just putting "Course Descriptions Available Upon Request" on the transcript? 🙂
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Would anyone care to weigh in on whether you would include course descriptions in this situation? My son is technically a homeschooler but has taken dual enrollment courses on a University campus for 11th and 12th grade. For 9th and 10th he took classes with me (plus 2 online and 2 co-op classes). I think I would only write descriptions for the 9th and 10th grade classes but even that seems kind of ridiculous.
For example, he took Geometry and Algebra 2 for 9th/10th with me. Then pre-calc and calc are on his college transcript. He did 2 years of English with me, and 2 years of English are on his college transcript.
I guess I feel like my classes have the usual names and were followed and validated by the college courses. So why would descriptions be necessary? The common app doesn't ask for them, but from what I can tell, some homeschool parents include them with the school profile.
Or is this just my bad attitude toward the common app coming through?!? My son is applying to selective colleges so maybe I should just buckle down and write them?
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thanks Mom26, that was super helpful. I used your post as a starting point and ideas started to flow. I am almost done with the profile now thanks to you!
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thanks Sebastian, that is helpful!
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Hope you don't mind if I piggyback on your question... This is my first time filling out the common app. There is a place to upload the school profile in pdf format. Then under the student ranking section there is a section called Homeschool School Report with room for essay style answers (but not uploading a pdf). Any idea how these differ or would they be basically the same information?
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On 7/11/2019 at 8:30 PM, Momto6inIN said:
I must have spent a hundred zillion quadrillion hours 2 years ago on researching how to do oldest DS's counselor portion of the Common App. School profile, philosophy and motivation, evaluation methods, outside coursework, transcript, course descriptions, counselor letter, etc
This year with 2nd DS I just have to tweak the stuff I used for 1st DS and write the counselor letter. Phew! Sooooo much less stress this time around!
Many thanks to all on this board who gave advice and answered questions patiently! And to all of you in the thick of it for the first time this year, be assured that it won't always be this time consuming! 🙂
I'm in the thick of it!! I'm on my second student applying to college but he is the first to use the common app. Do you have any advice for the profile and counselor letter? Are there any examples of these for homeschools? My son did 2 years of traditional homeschool and 2 years of dual enrollment at a nearby University. Naturally, his U profs are no help as counselors (or even LORs).
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fyi, there is a question that asks for either the SSN or the student ID #. Your student may leave it blank, but it doesn't actually say that is an option on the form. The test administrator may be confused, so make sure your student knows he/she can leave that blank. good luck tomorrow to your test-taker!
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My 10th grader is going to take the PSAT tomorrow for the first time. We planned it to be practice for the real event in 11th grade. But he took a practice exam yesterday and scored high enough to be a semifinalist in our state (using the cutoff from the last few years). This was a surprise to both of us.
Maybe this was a fluke, but IF he scores high, will I have the option of changing his grade to 11 and graduating him early? He would love to take a gap year and focus on his non-academic interests (singing/acting/dancing).
ETA: In reading on the college board site it does seem we will have the option of having him graduate in 3 years and marking 10th grade would be ok in that situation. I guess we'll worry about how to accomplish that later if it becomes an issue! But if anyone else has been through this I would love to hear your story.
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I paid $125 last year for the Edhesive Intro class for my DS11. I liked that it was Python and didn't require any other software since all the coding is done online inside of apps. DS loved it, but honestly there was a lot less to it than I was hoping, and a bunch of things I'd consider kind of "silly", like creating music with programming or something like that. Anyway, DS loved it and did learn some things.
However...
We have now switched to a couple of *really excellent* Udemy classes. I used to be a programmer, but it has been a lonnnnnnng time. But I knew I didn't trust just "anyone" to teach my son (and me, since I've been learning along with him). I searched and read and researched and decided on a couple of courses that we have been quite happy with, AND we got them for only $10 or $15 each during a sale! Their sales happen often, and even if they aren't having a sale sometimes you can google around and find good coupons. Seriously, do not pay more than $20 for them, but know that they are worth thousands (I have learned SO MUCH MORE from them than the classes I took in the 90's that really did cost me thousands!).
Here are the classes we have tried out so far, with some notes:
1) Web Developer Bootcamp with Colt Steele.
This instructor is unbelievably good (he teaches development bootcamps irl and clearly knows that he is doing), and this is hands-down what I would recommend for a newbie programmer. He is extremely incremental, but keeps it fun and really teaches well, with just the right about of explanation and challenges for a newbie. It does not cover Python, but what it does cover is pretty impressive. Also, it has an active Q & A section with a TA who seems to promptly answer questions, which is SO helpful.
2) The Complete Python 3 Course, Beginner to Advanced with Joseph Delgadillo and Nick Gervais.
We started this course right after Edhesive ended. Edhesive was a decent intro for it (Edhesive's Intro class, IIRC, probably teaches what is in the first 4 or 5 sections of this Python course), but then this class moves pretty fast. We loved the instructor (Nick) and found the projects fun (the second project was an RPG script, which my son thought was the best thing ever), but his style is quite different than Colt's. We had to pause the video a LOT and make sure we were typing in everything he was typing in exactly right and following what he said to do. He doesn't explain as much, and his style is more about *modeling* how to program something. I actually really liked it a lot, and we did learn a ton, but once we got to Section 10: Web Development, we simply didn't have enough background knowledge and found that it was too fast for us. At that point, I switched us over to Colt's Web Dev class. Once we make some good headway with Colt (maybe even finish his class completely), we will jump back to Nick and finish out the course. We just needed something a bit slower for now.
3) Complete Python Masterclass with Tim Buchalka
Another **excellent** instructor who teaches this stuff professionally. I have watched about 10% of his class, and he is fabulous. However, he is kind of the opposite of Nick, giving a bit *too* much detail and explanation. We really do need that, just not yet. So I plan that we will take his course after finishing Colt's and Nick's. There is some duplication of this course with Nick's course, obviously, but I think his more extended explanations will be helpful, and review is always a good thing in my book.
4) The Complete Web Developer Course, 2.0 with Rob Percival
And another *excellent* web dev class. I actually started this one (watched 25% of it) between halting Nick's Python class and starting Colt's Web Dev class. I really like that towards the end of his class he teaches about using Python on the backend of Web dev, which combines the two technologies we started learning with Nick before getting a bit lost. That said, I switched us to Colt first, since I thought his explanations were a bit clearer and my son would do a better job with him for now.
Anyway, I hope that helps. I have been so pleasantly surprised with these courses and still can't believe how dirt cheap they were!
Thank you for sharing! I have one son who is very interested in programming. He is planning to take Edhesive's AP Computer Science A. Where would that fit in with these? Before/after/doesn't matter?
Thanks!
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What laptop did you buy?
An HP Notebook from Sams Club. It's middle of the road. Assuming he takes good care of it, we are planning to buy him a more top of the line one when he actually goes away to school next fall and this will become younger brother's for his last 2 years of high school. This is a big step for us, they have always shared an older desktop (purchased used) that was in our homeschool space.
Are you shopping for one for your student?
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Wish I had seen this sooner! My son is a senior in high school doing full time dual enrollment at a local university this year. Somehow him needing a laptop wasn't on my radar at all, despite the fact that one of his classes is in computer science. School started this week and sure enough on day 1, the prof asked them to bring their laptops to every class. :glare: I had to order one online, with rush shipping it is supposed to be here tomorrow but the website says it hasn't shipped yet.
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My son, a hs senior this year, has applied to one college, single choice early action. We have 2 backups but he has a good chance at this school, he loves it there, and the finances are not an issue. So if all goes well, he'll be one and done. Fingers crossed!
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We received some wonderful news form national merit yesterday! We are so happy and thankful! But the next steps are a little intimidating and I really don't want to mess this part up as there is a big scholarship at ds' target school riding on this. I started the homeschool parent section on the osa website and didn't get too far. For example, they want to know how we calculate GPA, weighted or unweighted, only one option. I have both on his transcript, which one more advantageous? And I think his SAT score is high enough, but how do I know for sure? Do these details matter that much or am I overthinking it?
We already did his first college app and that process was easy in comparison.
If someone who has been through this could talk me through it, or talk me down a bit, I would appreciate it!
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My 10th grade plan for next year for my son so far:
Algebra 2 (AoPS)
English - Research & Composition (local homeschool class)
World History (local homeschool class)
Honors Chemistry (online - Jay Wile's new class)
AP Computer Science (online)
Spanish - still not sure where. He's been taking online classes through Homeschool Spanish Academy and that is not going well.
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I haven't seen this mentioned on the boards yet - Dr Jay Wile (wrote the original Apologia science series), is now teaching an online Honors Chemistry course for the first time in the 2017-2018 school year. He is also offering biology and physics courses.
Dr Jay Wile online highschool science classes
The chemistry text is his newish chemistry book Discovering Design with Chemistry
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My oldest son took the PSAT in October of 10th grade at our local public high school without studying. He studied with Khan Academy's free SAT prep materials during September of his 11th grade year. Then he took the PSAT in mid-October and the SAT on Nov 5. My youngest son will follow the same plan.
Every public school seems to vary in how easy they make this process for homeschoolers (if they allow it at all.) Ours is not exactly easy to work with, but once you know the right people and timeframes and have a student id to sign up for stuff online, it's pretty easy. There isn't any hand holding or (even phone call returning), but online registration is smooth. They allow homeschooled students who are residents in this district to take PSAT and AP tests there, I think because the state (Minnesota) requires it. They do not allow private school or students outside the district to test with them.
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Your link is broken, but I'll assume that you mean the one for the high schoolers. We've not used this edition, but used the older one many, many time. Great guide. We spread it out over 12-15 months. Yeah, it's a dark period of history.
Thank you, I fixed the link. And thanks for your comments as well, that is helpful.
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Has anyone used this study guide / literature pack? http://bfbooks.com/Modern-US-and-World-History-Pack
I think it is relatively new, maybe that's why I'm not finding any reviews.
This is for my 11th grade son who likes to read but doesn't particularly care for history - much more of a STEM guy. His tender-hearted younger brother will be using it in 2 years. I'm a little worried about some of the darker subjects, but I guess it is reality and 11th grade is almost an adult who needs to know this stuff... ugh.
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Thanks everyone for your suggestions!
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FYI, the hslaunch.com website now appears to be riddled with malware and homeschoollaunch.com doesn't appear to be in use either. If anyone knows where to locate the notebooking2learn astronomy file I would love to find it for a friend. My boys used them back in 2008 and it was a big hit.
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My kids are out of the elementary/middle school age where we did a ton of notebooking. We have beautiful notebooks for a science, history, art history, unit studies, etc.. I'm not clearing out everything we don't need for high school in anticipation of moving. They never look at them. If I weren't a sentimental person, I would toss them. I probably should toss them. But oh the little pictures of them doing projects, their handwritten notes, drawings...
My boys will never want to look at them again. I haven't looked at them myself until I wanted to clear out. But still.
Italics look wrong in 'preview' on the common app essays
in The College Board
Posted
My son is having the exact same issue. However it appears to be just in the preview in the essay section (as another poster has stated). If he previews the entire application (as if he were about to submit to a college), the issue is not there. The paragraphs also have more space in the final preview.