PAGE 1 Welcome to the "motherlode" of linked threads on college topics (with a few non-college bound topics thrown in). Enjoy exploring the amazing collected wisdom of The Hive! (In case links break, I have listed threads by their original subject heading, and have also provided the original post date and poster for search in various ways.) Warmest regards, Lori D. CREATED: Sept. 2018 page 1 topics: College Search Process College Visits Online College / College at Home / Distance Degree page 2 topics: College Applications Common App page 3 topics: Money Matters Financial Aid Scholarships FAFSA / EFC CSS Profile page 4 topics: Honors Programs / Phi Theta Kappa Internships / REUs NCAA page 5 topics Heading to College At College Study Abroad page 6 topics Alternatives to 4-Year College Gap Year Military Career Exploration ======================== High School Motherload #1 -- pinned thread at top of high school board page 1 - high school timetable - getting started with homeschooling high school - planning / scheduling / time management - teen attitudes / expectations - accreditation / cover schools / state regulations page 2 - info/experiences with high school tests (PSAT, AP, ACT/SAT, SAT Subject, CLEP, GED, etc.) High School Motherlode #2 -- pinned thread at top of high school board page 1 - transcripts / credits / grading & GPA - honors designation - record keeping / course description / letter of recommendation - graduation / diploma page 5 - homeschool subjects (English, Math, Science, Foreign Language, Electives) - making your own courses - extracurricular activities - outsourcing / online classes / dual enrollment ======================== COLLEGE SEARCH Resources Resources for researching colleges — Aug 10 2018, Joyful What resources did you use to narrow down your lists of colleges to visit? -- Jan 23 2016, Daria Colleges That Change Lives [book]: reviews, experiences — Feb 6 2017, Miss Mousie What are your favorite websites for researching colleges (pinned thread; links to search engines, lists of “schools good for", links to past threads about specific colleges)— April 8 2016, Penguin How to search / what to look for Can someone walk me through the college search process? -- Aug 10 2016, Daria How to search for colleges — Jan 25 2018, Roadrunner Where to begin with the college search? — Mar 29 2017, OnMyOwn Finding colleges/programs (how did you get started?) -- Nov 23 2015 -- Hilltopmom Where do I start in the college search for DD? — Jan 10 2018, Kassia Knowing how to choose college options (help!) — June 5 2017, Rebecca Tuition, college campuses, admission, etc (what factors do you look for? do you also look at “fancy trimmings”?) -- The Accidental Coach For those that chose out-of-state schools, how did you decide? -- Dec 17 2016, mirabilis Considerations if DC goes out of state/far away — Jan 10 2018, teachermom2834 Choosing a college (what do you look for?) — Feb 28 2017, bibiche College search considerations beyond the obvious — Jan 28 2017, wapiti I think I need help with guidance counseling, i.e., I am clueless (topics touched on include: JanetC's link to her giant Evernote college guidance resource; CC vs. state university vs small private college; financial aid overview; NCAA overview; career exploration; etc.) -- April 24 2018, Evanthe Comparing schools How do you "check out a college"? -- May 20 2013, Hot Lava Mama How important are [college] rankings? — April 4 2017, Attolia How much consideration do you give the Forbes financial grades for colleges? — Nov 27 2017, bctnin1059 College spreadsheets (for comparing/choosing college) — Aug 22 2018, breton NM [discussion on how to weigh scholarship/financial factors in deciding on schools] — Mar 30 2017, Attolia Pros & cons of a small polytechnic U vs. big state U — May 25 2017, Hilltopmom How to decide when the fancy private school is worth it vs. the good enough public? — Oct 6 2017, Hilltopmom Can we talk big fish/small pond again? (discussion on options of 3 colleges and how to choose between them) — May 27 2017, plansrme Small liberal arts school vs big university — May 15 2017, Janeway How hard is it really to get into and pay for a selective school? — Jan 8 2017, whitestavern s/o: CA admissions [thread]: article on “does where you attend college matter?” — Mar 22 2018, 8FillTheHeart Narrowing the list / finding a "fit" / choosing "the one" Possible college list: when is enough, enough? — Mar 17 2018, RootAnn How do you cull the list? — June 29 2017, prim*rose How do you decide whether to bother applying to Ivies (includes (URochester discussion) — Feb 14 2018, kokotg Approach for finding best fit for college — Nov 19 2017, OnMyOwn Choosing a college -- prestige vs program -- July 16 2013, Hoggirl Wearing the counselor hat: how to help your students find the right fit -- April 30 2013, Jane in NC Finding a “fit” — April 9 2017, Hilltopmom How to choose “the” college — Feb 11 2018, whitestavern Paid college consultant / guidance counselor Homeschool Guidance Counselor — Mar 14 2018, Joyful Do any of you have experience with college consultants? — Dec 6 2017, Jazzy College Reach / Match / Safety Schools How many universities should you apply to? And how do you choose backups [safety schools] — Feb 25 2017, lewelma Is this combo of safeties/matches/reaches sufficient? — Feb 13 2018, Jazzy Reach schools (how far to “reach”?) — Sept 5 2017, DawnM PSA: make sure you have a true safety school — April 9 2018, Attolia Perspective: the highly accomplished student rejections (discusses importance of having a true safety school that you like in case of rejection) — April 26 2017, 8FillTheHeart College acceptances/rebuffs: would you do anything differently? — May 29 2017, mirabililis Anybody apply to just one college? — Jan 18 2017, TwoEdgedSword Is “one and done” a mistake? — Nov 5 2017, Chanley Community Colleges How do you rate a local community college? -- 20 May, 2014, teeterbunch ======================== COLLEGE VISITS College Fairs College fairs? — Oct 5, 2016, Hilltopmom Should we visit a college fair? — April 18 2014, shanvan What are college visits / visit or not Touring universities: how does this work and what is the purpose? — Feb 25 2017, lewelma What exactly does a college visit entail? — Jan 22 2013, Unicorn How do college visits work? -- Dec 31 2015, swimmermom3 Advice for making college visits — April 29 2016, Grantmom To visit colleges or not? — Aug 10 2018, Joyful College visit by self or with mom? — Jan 11 2018, Jean in Newcastle Would you even bother with college tours? — Jan 3 2017, DawnM To visit or not to visit, that is the question; article on skipping college visits (which led to discussion) — April 27 2017, Hoggirl When “meh” about a college visit — Mar 26 2017, TwoEdgedSword When to visit When to visit colleges? — April 7 2018, Joyful What do you look for in a college visit, esp. early in high school — June 24 2013, Sebastian (a lady) Is fall of sophomore year too early to make a college visit? — Mar 27 2013, MorningGlory Individual college visit, or admissions “event”? — Oct 10 2015, bctnin1059 Visiting campuses after acceptance: “Accepted Student Days” or not? — Jan 31 2018, g1234 Accepted Students Day — Dec 19 2017, Hilltopmom What to ask or look for Questions to ask when touring universities — July 12 2017, lewelma What to ask at a college visit — Mar 24 2015, Jane Elliot Department visit questions Department visit: what would YOU want to know? — Jan 20 2018, regentrude How to arrange a department visit at college? — Jan 2 2018, bctnin1059 Meeting department faculty [during college tour]: What to ask? — Oct 19 2017, PinkyandtheBrains College interviews Preparing very shy kid for college interviews — Apr 10 2018, kokotg Interview thank you notes — Nov 10 2017, OnMyOwn ======================== ONLINE COLLEGE / COLLEGE AT HOME / DISTANCE DEGREE Online College Online college? -- Sept 30 2018, HollyDay Online degree completion program suggestions? -- Nov 15 2018, mamakelly Online college degrees? -- Jan 27 2018, Night Elf Online universities - can we make a list -- Jan 20 2019, Æthylthryth the Texan Lumerit (formerly College Plus) Dual enroll at home through College Plus? Has anyone here real experience with College Plus? -- May 25 2015, Vida Winter

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PAGE #1 Welcome to High School Motherlode #2 -- the second "motherlode" of linked threads on high school topics. There is also a college motherlode of linked threads on preparing for/applying to/attending college AND a few post-high school topics that are NOT college related. Enjoy exploring the amazing collected wisdom of The Hive! (In case links break, I have listed threads by their original subject heading, and have also provided the original post date and poster for search in various ways.) Warmest regards, Lori D. topics & links in page #1 AND page #5 (with 3 response posts in between) CREATED: June. 2013 UPDATED & REORGANIZED: Sept. 2018 ======================== CONTENTS: HIGH SCHOOL MOTHERLODE #2: page #1 topics: Transcripts / Record Keeping Credits Grading / GPA Honors Courses Record Keeping / Course Descriptions / Letter of Recommendation / Volunteering Graduation topics / Diplomas NOTE: there are 3 posts of responses between post #1 and post #5 topics page #5 topics: General Threads on High School Subjects (Writing, Math, Science, Electives) Home-Grown Courses / MOOC Courses Extracurricular Activities Outsourcing Online Classes Tutors Dual Enrollment ======================== High School Motherload #1 -- pinned thread at top of HIGH SCHOOL BOARD page 1 - high school timetable - getting started with homeschooling high school - planning / scheduling / time management - teen attitudes / expectations - accreditation / cover schools / state regulations page 2 - info/experiences with high school tests (PSAT, AP, ACT/SAT, SAT Subject, CLEP, GED, etc.) College Motherlode -- pinned thread at top of COLLEGE BOARD page 1 = college search / college visits / online college page 2 = college applications / Common App (including more on transcripts, course descriptions, etc.) page 3 = financial aid / scholarships / FAFSA and CSS Profile page 4 = Honors Programs / Internships / NCAA page 5 = heading to college / at college / overseas studies page 6 = alternatives to college / gap year / military / career exploration ======================== TRANSCRIPTS High school transcript topics (+ one section on middle school transcripts; for specific questions about transcripts and college applications or the Common App, see page 2 of the Going to College Motherlode pinned thread. middle school transcript Middle school transcript (examples?) -- June 20 2018, JennyD Does anyone have a formal middle school transcript put together? (and can I see it?) -- Apr 25 2018, madteaparty Creating a transcript for high school applications (entering high school, need middle school transcript) -- Jan 15 2018, kagmypts overview topics Specific questions about my DS's transcript (how much credit to award, course descriptions, etc.) -- July 11 2017, lewelma More transcript questions (include test scores? wording for "operated according to state law"? graduation date? weighted/unweighted GPA?) -- Sept 10 2017, TCB How to get a transcript that colleges will accept? -- Jan 17 2018, krhoads Comprehensive transcript service? — Jan 27 2018, nancy_wa Transcript backup (for student's future, in case of fire, loss, or death) -- May 22 2017, MerryAtHope samples and templates Sample transcripts (posters linked to examples) -- July 2 2015, swimmermom3 Sample high school transcript? (can someone share an example?) -- Nov 28 2016, Daria Transcript template (responder links to a website) -- Apr 18 2018, JessReplanted Transcript template recommendation -- July 5 2017, Shellydon Transcript form? (posters included links to templates) -- Sept 3 2016, lucky mom formatting questions Adding a 2nd page to transcript? Should I? (for achievements and extracurriculars?) -- Jan 17 2017, journey00 Subject-Based transcript (any templates or examples?) -- Mar 20 2017, historymatters If you do your transcript by subject, how do you indicate planned or in-progress senior year classes? -- July 2 2015, katilac Transcripts: by subject or by year? — Mar 1 2017, lewelma Transcript question please (list by subject or grade/year? and other questions) -- Mar 1 2017, Homeschoolmom3 "Official" Transcript? (organize by subject or grade/year? graduation date? bring up credits from middle school?) -- Jan 24 2018, ski momma Another transcript issue for us: # of credits (what to include/leave off; will it look like padding) — Aug 31 2018, Evanthe How to transcript this “5th” year due to illness? — July 23 2018, Kendall Can I just show all 5 years of high school on his transcript? — May 22 2018, Attolia Question about how to do a transcript for an early graduate (3 years rather than 4) — May 30 2018, rachserra Transcript format question (how to include summer classes) — May 14 2018, Kim C Transcript ?: summer college class (how to include summer classes on transcript) -- Apl 11, 2018, RootAnn what to include Quick transcript question (what goes on an UNofficial transcript?) — Apr 17 2018, Garga Graduation requirements on transcript? — Feb 4 2018, daijobu Another transcript question (sign/signature or not, and how to do it?) -- July 13 2017, Momto5inIN Transcript signature question (how to do it?) -- Aug 22 2016, quark credits on transcript Quick transcript question: total credits include planned? (i.e., include courses not done yet?) — Oct 27 2017, kand Another transcript issue for us: # of credits (what to include/leave off; will it look like padding) — Aug 31 2018, Evanthe Transcript questions (how to count dual enrollment credit? include test score details?) — July 7 2018, kwhdman Transcript question about computer course (how to count it? should we include it, or is it a "life skill"?) -- July 5 2018, ByeBye Martha How to: Driver's Ed program on the transcript -- Mar 7 2017, historymatters How to give credit for shop/welding on transcript? -- Apr 29 2015, Kile529 semester grades / in-process courses How do I do this transcript (semester or "in progress" for grades of courses still being worked on) -- Mar 19 2018, Jean in Newcastle Do you put senior year on the transcript before credits are earned? -- Aug 29 2016, HollyBee Semester grades on transcript — Jan 20 2018, daijobu Semester grades on transcript (how to do this?) — Jan 25 2018, Nancy.suzanne70 Transcript question: how do you calibrate grades across multiple providers (who are using different grading scales) -- Aug 7 2017, yvonne Do I put one minus grade on the transcript (because the dual enrollment/college transcript does? -- Aug 29 2017, Daria test scores on transcript High school transcript: test scores question (list on transcript or not?) — Mar 30 2017, Connections How to show [test] scores on transcript? — Feb 13 2018, Erica in OR Transcript questions: self-studied for AP exams — Feb 23 2018, omd21 SAT/ACT scores / super scoring on transcript -- June 15 2017, Mamalovesthem Do you put CLEP on transcripts? -- May 6 2013, MommyThrice combining transcripts (co-op / public school) Outside classes in transcript? Esp. co-op? — Oct 6 2017, kand Transcript question: combining public and homeschool — June 11 2018, Kassia Transcript question regarding homeschooling after B&M school — May 25 2018, kellebelle dual enrollment & transcripts Selectively choose DE classes to list on transcript? — May 5 2018, my2boysteacher Okay to leave Community College (CC) courses off of the high school transcript (since we are sending a CC transcript too?) -- Oct 5 2-17, daijobu Quick question: transcript for dual enrollment application for 9th grader (what to include?) -- July 31 2019, Arcadia Transcript question for dual credit but [done in] 8th grade (how to list it on the transcript) -- Dec 11 2017, MeghanL List an Associate's degree on the transcript? (an AA degree earned via dual enrollment) -- Apr 25 2017, Melissa B transcripts & college admission Transcript question and GPA with Honors, AP, Dual Enrollment, CLEP, etc (how do you count it/show it) -- July 17 2010, distancia How do they know? (If you “fudge” on transcripts) — Mar 10 2017, kfeusse How to meet this transcript requirement (official seal or watermark) -- Sept 5 2018, cjzimmer1 ======================== CREDITS specific questions How many courses in an academic year? 2 maths? — May 24 2018, sbgrace Question about counting hours (for self-made courses/credits) — May 23 2018, GeoKittty Rigorous high school transcript for Liberal Arts kid (how many APs, STEM courses, etc.?) -- Apr 25 2017, madteaparty High school courses/transcript/load questions (is it okay to spread out/double up on credits in a subject area? can I "bring up" courses from middle school? take college classes early?) -- Jan 1 2016, Homeschoolmom3 What makes a course transcript-worthy? (see Sue in St Pete's response for a massive list of "output" ideas!) -- Dec 29 2014, Daria how to count credits Understanding credit hours -- Apr 29 2017, deer forest Do you count reading/homework time as hours (toward the credit) -- July 7 2017, deerforest Can the same credit hours count toward two classes? -- Apr 28 2016, Garga Double dipping credits on the transcript (splitting hours vs. counting 2x an hours-heavy activity) -- June 14 2016, shinyhappypeople "bringing up" high school credits done in middle school Middle school classes on the transcript (what courses can you "bring up"? award credit and grade or no grade?) -- Sept 13 2017, omg21 Transcript classes taken before high school (include Latin from grades 6-7?) -- Feb 15 2016, ski momma Awarding high school credits for 8th grade work and high school planning questions — May 30 2018, stacyh270 How do you count middle school coursework (high school courses done in middle school) — Jan 6 2017, wenti Algebra and Geometry on transcript (do you include high school courses done in 7th/8th grade?) — Aug 30 2018, daijobu Xpost: early college/Dual Enrollment transcript question (include credits done in middle school? what about CTY intensive study classes?) -- Mar 10 2018, imbue integrated Great Books courses - how to award credit The English credit/Great Books/integrating history & lit (how to credit integrated courses?) — Dec 9 2015, Chrysalis Academy Handling a Great Books or integrated Humanities sequence on the transcript (how to do it so it matches what credits colleges want?) -- Apr 9 2015, yvonne How to list a Coursera course on the transcript? (or describe in the Course Description document?) -- Oct 27 2017, Nemom awarding credit for college courses Transcript questions (award 0.5 or 1.0 credit for college courses?) -- July 7 2018, kwhadman Awarding credits for college classes [taken] in high school — Feb 2 2018, RootAnn Awarding dual enrollment / high school credits on transcript -- Jan 4 2018, cassia Transcript help: assigning credits for community college classes (lengthy discussion on whether to award 0.5 or 1.0, and why) -- Feb 6 2016, Hiking'Mama Transcript credits for concurrent student questions (how much credit to give for dual enrollment lab science?) -- July 1 2016, Excelsior! Academy what to call this course / what subject does this course go under? Transcript questions (what subject heading for Econ and Psych) — Jan 22 2017, Julie of KY Transcript question (what subject area for a business course?) -- Sept 5 2017, regentrude Where to put Logic on the transcript? -- Sept 13 2017, TCB Would you put 3 credits of Bible on a transcript? (and if so, what subject to list it as?) -- Sept 21 2017, susanah4 How to add "work/study" to transcript (list/not list, and how to list Vo-Tech/apprenticeship hours?) -- May 28 2016, busymama7 What would you call this course on the transcript? -- Apr 3 2017, twinkletoesmamma credit or extracurricular? Hours for a club on transcript (how many hours needed to list as an extracurricular?) -- Nov 18 2016, Deb in NJ Transcript newbie: can I give credit for Robotics Club? -- Sept 14 2017, summer reading Foreign exchange on transcript or academic resume or both? -- Oct 16 2017, ValRN Transcript extracurriculars question (put extracurriculars on the transcript? or if not, where in the college application?) -- Apr 2 2017, lewber How to categorize activities for a future transcript (should personal interest/free time activities in included in some way?) -- Sept 1 2016, zaichiti Volunteer/community service hours (where to put this on the transcript? or not include it?) -- Aug 4 2016, learners4life credits - graduation requirements Do you base high school graduation requirements on local public school standards? — May 15 2018, Innisfree Any NC homeschoolers here? Graduation requirements question — Mar 14 2018, whiteisle ======================== GRADING / GPA grading - overview How to determine grade percentages -- Oct 16 2019, shbucks Tell me how to grade — July 18 2018, 2ndGenHomeschooler Grading software — July 4 2018, FairProspects grading - failed course / credit recovery If a student busts in an outside course (award the low grade on the transcript? do credit recovery?) — Jan 23 2018, Attolia Failed Dual Enrollment course/high school transcript (and retook with an "A" -- credit recovery? list both? other?) -- July 6 2016, blue darling grading scale Transcript grading scale question -- June 7 2018, Garga Grading scale on transcript? Plus and minus grades? -- Sept 20 2016, learners4life Should transcript include grading scale? -- July 13 2015, Juliegmom grading - with +/- Calculating GPA with plus and minus designations — June 11 2018, Reefgazer grading - pass/fail Would it be weird to have on “pass” grade on a transcript? — May 16 2018, RootAnn Transcript with *only* pass/fail marks? -- May 17 2018, Kinsa GPA - weighted / unweighted GPA scale (weighted and unweighted discussion) — Aug 26 2018, daijobu Transcript: weighted or unweighted? -- Nov 17 2017, yvonne Weighted GPA for Honors class? — Feb 2, athena1277 If you weight GPA, what is the weighted scale? — Sept 8 2015, Sebastian (a lady) Weighted transcript (explanation; how to calculate it) -- Oct 120 2015, Reefgazer validation of home-awarded grades Outside validation -- AP, CLEP, Dual Enrollment, etc. -- Mar 18 2019, Caraway ======================== HONORS COURSES What makes a class "Honors"? -- Mar 28 2019, ByGrace3 Honors courses: what is required for the label? — May 3 2018, klmama Did you know that Honors courses have more ‘weight’ on a transcript? — Dec 10 2012, Samia Honors Algebra vs regular Algebra (how to decide/is it worth the time & money) — Feb 15 2018, Kari C in SC Do non-UC [Univ. of CA] schools weight grades in 9th? (I.e., Honors courses on the transcript) — Mar 19 2018, domesticidyll ======================== RECORD KEEPING record keeping One more transcript question (what school work to keep after graduation?) -- Feb 20 2017, TammyinTN Record keeping for high school work done in middle school -- Feb 26, 2016, lovelearnandlive Record keeping, lesson planning, transcripts -- Homeschool Tracker or Homeschool Pro? -- July 19 2016, butterfly113 High school record keeping book -- Aug 2 2017, nurse_kris If I would have started this in 9th grade (manilla envelope record keeping idea and what school work & records to keep) -- Oct 25 2010, Joan in GE course descriptions Course descriptions (many topics discussed) -- Sept 7 2016, Learners4life What goes in a course description -- Oct 8 2016, Reefgazer Some questions about writing course descriptions -- Sept 17 2018, Joyful Length of course descriptions? -- Sept 14 2017, mirabillis Course descriptions: specific order? -- Sept 12 2016, Teresa in GA Course Description template? -- Mar 3 2019, Roadrunner Course description: please share online provider/class — June 7 2017, RootAnn Critique my course descriptions -- Sept 30 2017, daijobu Are these course descriptions okay? -- May 19 2016, Momto5inIN Course descriptions (looking for feedback) -- July 11 2016, Murrayshire Course Description question about grading -- Sept 24 2018, hollyhock2 Course descriptions (ISBN for books or not?) — Sept 16 2017, yvonne Another transcript/application question (put instructor bio on the course description?) -- Sept 14 2017, yvonne letter of recommendation / counselor letter Letter of Recommendation etiquette & ? — Mar 28, 2017, Hilltopmom Letters of recommendation in high school question (collect in early grades of high school for later college applications?) — Feb 4 2018, housemouse Guidance Counselor Recommendation for high school program? — May 6 2018, madteaparty volunteering / community service Volunteer hours (track/not track, and how?) — Apr 15 2018, MASHomeschooler ======================== GRADUATION / DIPLOMA graduation topics Graduation announcements — Apr 25 2017, Attolia High school graduation party questions — May 22 2017, amyx4 X-post: caps and gowns — Jan 28 2017, Brenda in FL x-post [high school board]: Where did you buy diploma, cap & gown, etc? -- June 18 2015, katilac x-post [college board]: Where did you buy diploma, cap & gown, etc? -- June 18 2015, katilac diplomas Do I need to make a diploma? -- July 16 2016, Jean in Newcastle Diplomas (print your own? where to buy?) — Apr 26 2017, Melabella Do colleges ask for high school diploma? — Feb 2 2017, Job121 Mom diploma good enough for non-college bound student? -- Mar 17 2017, bluebonnet girl Homeschool diploma need to meet state standards? -- Apr 6 2015, teeterbunch Does anyone receive a diploma from the state? -- Dec 4 2014, Farrar Homeschool diploma for mostly public school educated student? -- Oct 13 2017, Merry If you issued a diploma, can you tell me what you put for the school name? -- Apr 4 2016, shavan Name of your homeschool on high school diploma (make a name? use your last name?) -- Apr 6 2017, CaliforniaDreamin' Name [of student] on the diploma (student middle name question) -- July 14 2017, Daria Date on high school diploma -- May 21 2015, Nancy in NH What did you use as a diploma certificate (what kind of paper to print it on?) -- Mar 22 2016, Prairie~Phlox ======================== topics & links continue below on page #5 (after 3 response posts)

Thought I would share my experience with the NCAA Eligibility Center to quell any fears people might have. It was a straight forward process. My DD did a combination of classes. Some were completed at home, some with an online provider, and some dual enrollment at the local university. Summer before junior year: DD created an account and paid the $80 fee. I completed and submitted the Home School Administrator and Accordance Statement. I downloaded the core course worksheets and completed one for each class she took at home or with an online provider. I then signed and dated one sheet, scanned it, and pasted it into all the completed core worksheets. I emailed the core course worksheets according to the year the course was completed. So, all 9th grade classes were emailed together. The subject line stated my DD’s NCAA # and the grade level of the core course worksheets. In the body of the email I supplied a numbered list of all the items that were attached to the email. DD had taken the SAT before opening the account so we requested College Board to send a score report. After DD completed her junior year I sent a homemade transcript. I made sure that I included everything they listed on the Home School Checklist. Beginning of Senior year an evaluation was requested by the school that DD has verbally committed to play for. The evaluation took about 10 days. The NCAA Eligibility Center first listed only the college courses that she has completed. The account sat like that for a day or two and I was beginning to worry that they were not going to review the core course worksheets that I spent so much time on. Then all courses were removed. It sat like that for a few days. Then all of a sudden she was cleared to play. Both the dual enrolled college courses and the courses from the submitted worksheets were listed. YAY!! Things to note: 1. For online providers I listed myself as the teacher of record and the instructor’s name for other teacher. For assessments designed/developed by I listed the instructor’s name with approval from me. I also listed the instructor’s name with approval from me for assessments graded by. 2. I filled out the core course worksheets with the title and ISBN # of all books used. I also listed chapter names, topics covered, and the names of the labs completed. 3. My daughter has a hold on her account (long frustrating story) at the local university where she is taking her dual enrolled classes. A transcript has not been sent from this university to verify the coursework that I listed on her transcript. NCAA still approved her to play. 4. I gave one credit for each university course DD took. 5. DD does not officially graduate until spring but has been given Final Qualifier status. All that is left to do is request final amateurism certification sometime after April 1, 2019. 6. We will send official transcripts from the local university and from our home school after graduation. The process really wasn’t bad. It was a little time consuming to fill out the core course worksheets. I really think I put way too much effort into filling them out than what was really needed. I would echo what some people have said and not open an account until you know for sure that your child will be playing a sport that needs NCAA certification. But, I would recommend staying on top of the paperwork. I would be happy to answer any questions anyone might have.

I've read through several of the NCAA threads, but have a question I did not see addressed. My daughter is taking Spanish I, but the instructor has created the text. How does that work with the clearinghouse worksheets? Has anyone used Derek Owens classes and successfully had his classes approved? I would imagine that would be similar to our Spanish classes. Thanks for any help.

And the new system is a total freaking nightmare! The biggest issue is that you CANNOT call and talk to anyone about the process. When they had a Homeschool Department, you could ask questions, and even submit a few sample worksheets to see if those were OK before submitting the rest. Now they will not even talk to you or open your file until they get the coach's request, and even then they will not begin evaluating the courses until all documents are submitted. You will not know what's going on, or if there are any issues, until they make their final decision and the courses appear (or don't appear!) in the student's "Dashboard." If they make a mistake, good luck trying to get it fixed — or even finding someone who will tell you how to get it fixed. There is a new form for the CCWs, which is a fillable word doc, but it also requires a signature and no electronic signatures are allowed. Here is what you have to do to find the new worksheet: Go to ncaa.org; click Student-Athletes; click Future Student Athletes; scroll to the bottom of the page and on the left side, under Student Athlete Pages, click Home School Student; then click the link to Download the Home School Toolkit. On page 10 of this 21 page document is another link to download the actual Core Course Worksheet. The cover sheet that must accompany all submissions is on page 17. Carefully read the instructions for the transcripts (e.g. must include the date the student started 9th grade!). Everything gets emailed to a generic email address (ec-processing @ ncaa.org). Do not bother emailing questions, because no one will ever respond. Don't bother calling, because the low level phone-answerer you talk to will not have a clue and will refuse to transfer you to anyone who is actually working on the files. They screwed up DS's account so badly I felt like I was trapped in a Kafka story. They lost documents, they misfiled documents, they refused to answer any questions, fix any problems, or let me talk to anyone who knew anything about anything. The biggest problem was they listed his history and science courses twice for 12th grade, and left off his math and English courses, then ruled that he was an "academic nonqualifier" — because he was missing the English and math classes that they left off. :cursing: Despite multiple emails and phone calls, they refuse to fix it, because "the decision was final and his file is closed." The compromise was a "waiver" — they are saying that even though he didn't take enough math and English classes, they will give him a waiver anyway due to his very high GPA and test scores, so he can still accept his Div 1 scholarship and compete. They say it "counts" exactly the same as a qualifier. But to me that's like telling a high school student who graduated with honors and a 4.2 "hey we screwed up your paperwork so we're giving you an honorary GED instead of the diploma you earned." When I asked what would happen to a student whose documentation had been screwed up in the same way by NCAA, but who did not have a high enough GPA to get a waiver, they couldn't answer that — just kept saying that once a decision is final the file is closed. So I guess those kids are just totally screwed because some idiot at NCAA made a clerical error they refuse to fix? The only bright side in all this is that they do not seem to be scrutinizing the Core Course Worksheets at all — just rubber stamping whatever is sent in. I did provide very through reading lists with publishers info and ISBNs, and I listed any outside teachers as "other" with myself as "teacher of record." But my impression of the new system is that it is practically an automated, robotic, rubber-stamp process, and there is far less chance of them actually rejecting a course than simply losing it or screwing it up. And good luck if that happens, because you will find yourself trapped in a bad Kafka story!

I was finally able to get through to an actual human at the homeschool department today, to get a couple of questions answered. I thought I'd post the replies in case anyone else had the same questions. RE: Course Titles One issue that I know we've discussed here before has been the list of "approved" course titles that NCAA has on their website. I called to ask if those were truly the only acceptable course titles, since none of DS's courses fit their titles and I did not want to have to "disguise" his courses (e.g. listing Ancient Greek Literature as English 11) or use different course titles on the NCAA transcript and the one sent to colleges. NCAA Answer: There is no "approved" list of course titles for homeschoolers, so we can name the courses whatever we like. RE: Graduation Dates I wanted to know if there would be any problem with DS graduating in late July instead of June, since I'd like him to take advantage of a DE class that ends in July, and I didn't want it to affect his eligibility by counting as a college class taken after HS graduation. NCAA Answer: The rule is that the graduation date must be no more than 4 years (48 months) from the start of 9th grade, so homeschoolers can choose any graduation date that fits within those parameters.

I spoke with Kristin today in the homeschool department regarding whether online dual enrollment classes were scrutinized the same way as online high school classes (with restrictions as to "approved providers"), and she said that as long as a transcript is sent directly from the college, there would be no problem with getting approval regardless of whether they are online or in person. I also spoke with someone in the legal department (didn't get his name, sorry) to ask about restrictions on college classes during a gap year. He said that auditing classes would be no problem at all, and even taking classes P/T for credit would not cause problems, as long as the college he eventually enrolls in and competes for does not have a problem with it. In DS's case, I wouldn't want to jeopardize his ability to apply as a freshman, so he would only audit during his gap year, but it's good to know that he can do that with no effect on NCAA eligibility. I think it might also be possible to do something like the EdX/ASU courses, where you can take the MOOC and then later pay to convert it to college credit without actually being "enrolled" in ASU, but I would want to double-check that with whatever college he ends up signing with.

Does anyone know who offers online classes that are NCAA eligible for core classes? My google searches aren't helping me much!

My sons have always dreamed of playing sports in college, so I want to leave that door open for them with NCAA eligibility. I'm currently trying to plan for my older son who will be in 9th grade next year. I want to get busy preparing & planning for next year but I don't know where to find a list of approved or unapproved curriculum. I've searched & read a few threads here and some of the NCAA Eligibility site. When I look at the Homeschool section under Resources on the NCAA eligibility website, then click on what I think will give me a list of approved courses, it wants me to enter a specific school. I'm able to enter the names of local public schools and see generic course titles, but not which books or materials they use. How am I to determine if curriculum materials I am considering will be approved or not? When I'm looking at various private and free online courses, or comparing math texts and possibly DVD or online supplements, etc., how am I to know which are approved? In other threads, I read about homeschoolers listing the parent as the teacher with an online or other outside course as just a part of the parent-designed course. This sounds like a PITB, forcing a lot of supplemental work for the student & oversight by the parent. Would you need to retain the child's completed supplemental work as proof? I also read about submitting 2 separate transcripts: one for NCAA and one for college admissions. Can you tell me more about how to navigate this? Does either entity ever see the other transcript, and if so, would that cause problems? TIA. :)

I just thought the forum might be interested in this. http://m.ajc.com/weblogs/get-schooled/2014/apr/22/ncaa-rejects-courses-nations-largest-online-educat/

My son is keen to do collegiate gymnastics. I have been trying to contact the NCAA but have not got past voice mail for either the international or homeschool teams. I have received emails from the international team but they are very vague and mention "too many uncertainties at this time". The very last email I received referred to the upcoming changes in 2016 and the possibility of more in 2018 and how that made it almost impossible to provide answers with any certainty. :confused: I have read all the threads which refer to the NCAA but am wondering how much of the advice there will remain true after the upcoming changes and how do you plan high school when any changes are seemingly retroactive. Yesterday I came across the school code for PHAA and when I entered it in the NCAA Eligibility High School Portal it came up with that PHAA has withdrawn from the approval process and no approved courses were listed. I was thinking that my son could do as many of his core credits as APs as was feasible. I am dumbstruck by the NCAA's attitude towards AP exam results in that they do not take results as proof of learning. I really am at a loss as to what to do. Do I just carry on and plan a rigorous course and keep good documentation and hope for the best? It even seems that homeschoolers that want to compete at college might be forced to enroll in big virtual schools such as K12's Icademy and the new Calvert program as they will have the resources and financial interest in maintaining their eligibility. I am aware that some K12 public virtual schools recently lost their eligibility. I have even explored using NAHRS but they themselves are uncertain if they are NCAA approved and if the NCAA would accept a transcript from them. I wonder if HSLDA has a position on this and if there has been a test case. Of course there is the added complexity that I am an international homeschooler. I did get through to a person at the NCAA once (not with the homeschool or international department though) and when I asked him which team I should speak to he asked for my son's NCAA number and then in a very surprised voice said "Oh you're both, international and a homeschooler!" Not even he was sure what to do then. :rolleyes: I know of one other local homeschooler that has successfully received NCAA approval but he has just finished his 4-year degree and applied under previous eligibility regulations. We do not have a body that oversees homeschoolers and there is definitely no local organization that offers diplomas. In order to homeschool you need to apply for an exemption from attending school (which is quite a rigorous process) from the Ministry of Education and then sign a 6 monthly affidavit witnessed by a Justice of the Peace that you are continuing to homeschool. There is a national qualification NCEA which homeschoolers can sit the subject exams for but it is not a very well respected qualification and would require us to do school at home. Other homeschoolers are sitting Cambridge exams but they are not very homeschooler-friendly. I would really appreciate any advice from others that are just beginning to navigate high school and the NCAA eligibility process.

Is there a list of online/virtual schools that are NCAA approved?

So I got successfully through two of my four WITHOUT having to deal with college sports...then my younger ds starts talking shooting, then he STARTS shooting....then he drags his younger dd into it!!!! And yep, you guessed it...they are both talking college sports/NCAA rifle teams. Trying to wrap my head around the paperwork required is making my organic chem classes look easy. So, here is my first question: do anyone know if we just start sending in classes as we get the paperwork done or do we hold on and send them in as a group? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

In the past there were some hearty discussions about navigating NCAA eligibility that included some discussion of abuse by colleges. A few posters shared their experiences with trying to get transcripts approved by NCAA. That discussion included a sideline discussion about NCAA and players in high profile revenue sports who were only students in the barest sense of the word. A couple articles this week brought the topic to mind again. CNN has a report out after going through records form 21 colleges/universities. CNN: Some College Athletes Play like Adults, Read like 5th Graders [quotation removed] There is also an interesting essay on the topic by Isaiah Thomas I couldn't find the old thread. If I dig it up I'll add a link

This thread was hijacked last week. I decided to start a new thread to report on my discussion with a lady (forgot to get her name) in the homeschool dept at NCAA today. First and foremost, it is my humble opinion that the NCAA is not trying to stop homeschoolers with conscientious parents from playing college sports. There are unscrupulous coaches and negligent parents who are harming their student athletes under the guise of homeschooling by not providing a college preparatory education. That is what the NCAA is looking for. In order to find those buggers, they have to look a little more closely at all of us. This is how the NCAA will judge “non traditional” courses from the NCAA Guide (with my comments in red): I asked specifically about ChemAvantage because this seems similar to the classes ds has taken in that it was with a private teacher with only a few offerings (Derek Owens, History at our House, Laurel Tree Tutorials). She gave me the line about how the provider would have to go through the NCAA approval process, but I asked if a student could initiate the process and she said that if they were evaluating a student’s courses and the provider had not been approved, that would initiate the evaluation. I do not know why they told snowbeltmom that ChemAdvantage would not be approved because I imagine it adheres to the guidelines above. Give me a minute to finish in the next post. I'm afraid that I'm going to hit some sort of a limit.

I checked ds's NCAA account today and found that his Academic Status has changed from 'decision not yet available' to 'early academic qualifier'. They have listed all the courses they considered. Ds has taken many classes at CC and a few at PS, but I filled out 6 core course worksheets for those taken at home or through a private teacher. Here they are: English 9 (Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings at home) English 10 (High School Composition through Laurel Tree Tutorials) Geometry (Discovering Geometry by Michael Serra at home) American History ( through History at our House with NO textbook) Exercise Physiology & Sports Medicine (through Landry Academy) - ignored Java (through Potter's School) - ignored I did not create a separate transcript for the NCAA. I sent the same one that I sent to colleges. I did hand write the first day of 9th grade on the transcript because I thought I read somewhere that it had to be included, though I can't find that direction anywhere at the moment. It's all falling into place. :thumbup: To those who are interested: I called NCAA a few weeks ago to ask about when decisions would be made. They told me that fall sports are evaluated first, then winter, then spring. Athletes with NLIs are evaluated before those without NLIs. Athletes on Institutional Request Lists are evaluated before those not on IRLs.

I am too excited to sleep, so I thought I would share a bit of our high school athlete's journey. Honestly, we are just at the beginning, but I hope that our experience will be of use to another athlete's family – I know there are a few here. If there is interest, I will update this thread from time to time. Dh is a natural athlete. I am athletically challenged. :tongue_smilie: Ds inherited dh’s athletic gene and my math gene. Ds's passion in basketball. Ds excels in math, but has no passion for math. Ds has played basketball since the age of 6. He's also played soccer, baseball, and flag football, but sometime during junior high dropped all the other sports. He's been the best player his age on most teams with a few exceptions. Around 9th grade, we started to think that he might be able to compete in college. He definitely wants to try. Being ignorant, we've done nothing more than have him play on competitive teams starting the spring of 8th grade. Perhaps we should have started earlier, but (a) ds wanted to play other sports as well, (b) ds wanted play time with friends, and © neither parent wanted to spend the time/money on it. Ds is going to Atlanta next month for the USSSA National Tournament. He is a 10th grader playing on a 11th grade D2 team. The team does well, the coaches are great, but it's still a D2 team. (Ds dreams of playing D1 in college, though none of us are certain that he is D1 material.) The parents have been talking about getting registered with the NCAA so that college coaches can talk with them. I hadn't done it yet because it is my understanding that that is done the beginning of junior year. So...while my husband was investigating the NCAA site, he hit the NCSA button and filled out their questionnaire. NCSA (National Collegiate Scouting Association) markets student athletes to colleges for a substantial fee ($800-$2500). After an initial conversation with dh, a conference call for the entire family was scheduled. NCSA provides a website for the athlete, creates a video of the athlete, provides an email address for the athlete, contacts every college in the nation on behalf of the athlete, etc. The person who conducts the conference call is definitely a bit of a salesman. At the end of the conference call, he wanted us to sign on the dotted line. We postponed him for a few days to discuss/research. While researching, I came across NSR (National Scouting Report). The companies are similar. Both ds and I liked NSR better - it didn't feel quite so much like a sales job. The services they offer are similar, but seem more personal because the person who would work with ds lives in the area. He came to our house to give his "presentation". He even comes to the athlete's games. He offered me a reference of a local mom with a newly graduated baseball player. She absolutely raved about him. The cost of their services run $2500-$3300. Again, he wanted us to sign on the dotted line, but we postponed him in order to discuss/research. We cannot see the athletes who are marketed by NCSA, but we can see the athletes who are marketed by NSR. We were able to search on the basketball athletes that they represent in 2012(32), 2013(25), and 2014(4). My husband was not impressed by the number of basketball players they represent and does not believe that those numbers would generate much interest from college coaches. I called a few of the 2012 athlete's HS and competitive team coaches. I spoke with 2 who gave me great advice. It was fascinating. They both are of the opinion (along with our HS coach) that the marketing services are a waste of money. They all say that you can market the athlete yourself and it is the HS coach’s job to market the athlete as well. BTW, our HS coach is overworked and underpaid. So, we decided to market ds ourselves. Actually, talking with these 2 companies taught us a good bit about how to do that. Dh is in the process of putting together a very impressive brochure for ds to send to colleges. Dh is in the process of creating a very impressive website for ds. (Note: Dh is not a computer geek. He's in a very different line of work. He does sometimes update work's website.) Dh created a highlight video to put on youtube and the website. I worked on ds's transcript with a little help from 3 angels (:Angel_anim: Janice in NJ, :Angel_anim: Laura in CA, and :Angel_anim: Lori D). I (attempt to) research potential colleges. I’ll save my rant for another day. I guess we are just homeschoolers to the core. Why turn over the responsibility to someone else when we can do it (and maybe do it better?) ourselves? Even though we have absolutely no idea how to do it. We research and teach ourselves. It's exciting. We have some regrets about not starting earlier. At the very least, it would have been beneficial to videotape each HS game ds's freshman and sophomore year. The HS coach can get the game video, but has loaned some out to athletes who have not returned them. That's one of the things I wanted to share with others. It possibly would have been beneficial to follow the athletic recruits forum on college confidential that I just learned about a week or so ago. I also want to offer to share the brochure and website that dh has created. If you are interested, PM me with your email address, and I will send you a brochure and the website address. I hope I can get to sleep now.

DS is a rising senior and a competitive rifle shooter. I received an email from the NCAA that all my core course worksheets sent to them this past spring appear blank in their browser. So, this is a word of caution to all --- do not use their fillable pdf forms. I used a product called Bluebeam PDF Revu, SW I use all the time to write on my AP Stat students pdfs, and wrote on the NCAA forms. When I look at these forms on my pc the information is there, but not for them. All of DS CCW are in snail mail to the NCAA. NCAA did say that we could make our own form provided the form retains the same structure and requires the same information as their form. This also must mean that one of the colleges we visited this spring has followed through on our request and placed DS on the institutional request list. DS has an official visit lined up and we're waiting for possible visit dates from another college. And one college we visited last month on an unofficial visit asked DS if an official visit was necessary or could they just proceed with making an offer. :hurray: Exciting times. Carole

This is a follow-up to the thread http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/482794-heard-from-the-ncaa/ After receiving the email from the NCAA stating that the Core Course Worksheets pdfs were all blank I sent the package snail-mail. Today in checking DS *My Planner* at the NCAA Eligibility Center I found the *Missing Core-Course Worksheets* box had been checked off. :hurray: The disclosure box states I'm guessing that since his *My Planner Missing Core-Course Worksheets* box has been checked off that they have reviewed the CC worksheets, however under Academic Status DS is still identified as *Decision not yet available* Does anyone know if they might change this is a *Preliminary Certified*? Also in the Academic Status pop-up window the Core Courses section still states *There are no courses to display for this section.* Either they checked the first box because the worksheets have been received rather than reviewed, or the worksheets really have been reviewed and the *Core Course* list just hasn't been updated yet. At least I know that they finally have our Core Course Worksheets.

In case you haven't been following the NCAA thread my DS is a rising senior and a competitive rifle shooter. He's happily being recruited by several colleges to be on their rifle teams, all are Division 1 schools. All are miles and miles away from home. Last night he received his second invitation for an 'Official' visit and is making plans to visit this school. We both visited the school this past spring and met with the coach, toured the facilities and questions answered. Of course as time has past I have more questions. :lol: DS would like to go on this official visit alone. The agenda is for him to spend time with the players (he knows most of them from matches and camps), attend class, watch a practice, go to a sporting event (most likely a football game) and get a feel for the team and the town. I have those parent questions that have come up from our last meeting with the coach. Would you go along? I wouldn't go to class and ds would be wtih the players without mom but I would like to chat with the coach again. Thoughts? Carole

I just read this and thought others might want to know about the changes, too. http://www.ncaa.org/...ility Standards

DS13 is in 7th grade this year. He is taking six online classes, four with VP (Omnibus, Algebra 1, Latin 1, Biology) and two with TPS (English 1, Geography). He is currently in the VP-Diploma program. The year has been intense, but I really wanted to get a feeling for his ability to function in this kind of learning environment during 7th/8th grade, as we intend to outsource a majority of classes for high-school. We will need to keep a couple of parameters in sight when planning high-school, and I am increasingly dubitative about the VP-Diploma for our needs... We live in Europe. Moving in the not too far future (South-Africa) is a possibility, but we want to keep doors to Swiss/European universities wide open. Access to these is highly dependant on AP exams (at least 5 by the end of Junior Year). We will also need to provide an "official" high-school diploma. On the other hand, ds is swimming competitively and dreams of swimming while studying at a college in the US. He will need to pass the NCAA clearinghouse... So, our options as I see them: 1.) Stay with VP This would provide the Diploma & NCAA recognition. On the other hand, I can not immagine how we would integrate the necessary APs... VP seems increasingly rigid about using their online-classes, and frankly, I don't care for ds to graduate with "pass/fail" grades, or an "Assiciate/Standard"-Diploma... Particularly when it comes to AP exams, I want to make sure we go with well-established providers with a proven track record (PA-Homeschoolers, etc.) 2.) Use TPS Diploma program They seem considerably better organized on the AP-side, with, as an added bonus, significantly more flexibility concerning the integration of not-TPS courses. The problem is their lack of NCAA recognition, and I don't see this evolving... 3.) Do our own thing We would organize the diploma "somehow" (homeschool-/transcript service for a fee), pack the necessary number of APs, and groom a (second?) transcript for NCAA... This last solution seems like the most straight forward way to go...apart of me...not.wanting.it. I am literally frozen at the thought of no-one holding my hand, and doing this alone... What if "my diploma" is not good enough? What if we run into trouble with the NCAA? I am almost tempted to just go K12 for the whole shabang...Diploma/APs/NCAA, all included...,but then, I don't really want this either... Any thoughts? Any brilliant Diploma/APs/NCAA-Combos I have not thought about? Thank you for having read this far!

I just downloaded the 2012-2013 NCAA Informational Brochure. I thought I had read last year that we register our kids at the beginning of junior year, but the 2012-2013 guidelines state that students are to register at the beginning of their sophomore years at www.eligibilitycenter.org. The registration fee is going to increase on September 1, 2012, to $70, so if you have a sophomore, you may want to register this month before the rate increase kicks in.

For those of you that have had children go on to play sports in college, can you give me some advice on curriculum? I have an 8th grader that is a competitive swimmer and would like to swim in college. I have read the NCAA rules/ requirements for eligibility, but would like some clarification from Moms who have been there/done that. It looks as if the textbook approach would be the easiest way to get eligibility, but we haven't used traditional textbooks very often in our schooling... other than some BJU science and Saxon Math. Would you mind sharing with me what materials/curriculm you did use for your high schooler that qualified for NCAA eligibility? Allison