asta Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I have realized reading these boards that pretty much everyone homeschools for elementary and middle school. Then, when high school rolls around, many of the kids are signed up for online courses, community college courses, tutored courses, co-op courses, etc. etc. Full disclosure here - I have no access to any of this stuff. No co-op. No community college. No "real time" online courses (too great a time difference). Nothing, in short, that would give kid that "course interaction" experience I read so much about. But that isn't really my question. My question is - at what point, given all of the outsourcing going on at the high school (and sometimes middle school) level, is homeschooling still, well, homeschooling? How does a kid with no outsourcing resources compete with one who has many? Does this not just kind of end up as a similar situation to what a kid from a poor public school district faces when competing with a kid from a tony private school? This is not meant as an attack towards anyone - I really am concerned, as my child really does not have access to these things, and I am concerned that he will be left in the college application dust. a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 We only homeschooled. No co-op. No online courses. Oldest was accepted into a private college that only takes 50 students a yr. Next one started college at 16. No problems. Only thing I didn't teach myself was piano. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayle in Guatemala Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 We do! No online courses, no co-ops, no outside help at all. Just me, the kids, and the books. ETA: We are planning on my oldest dd doing online courses next year for PSEO through a college in our area in central MN. That will be online. She will be doing her freshman-sophomore years of college at the same time as finishing up high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Another Jen Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 We do too! Our oldest graduated our homeschool and goes to Community College. Our other kids are 4,11,14,16 and they're only outside activity is boy/girl scouts. No coop- they are all religiously based here anyway. Plus my older kids went to school and don't really like the idea of anyone else teaching them when they could stay home. Online classes just seem so expensive- when I know I could do it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixie Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 My question is - at what point, given all of the outsourcing going on at the high school (and sometimes middle school) level, is homeschooling still, well, homeschooling? We will probably "outsource" certain subjects in the coming years; in fact, we've already done it for art, music, and tennis. I don't see academic subjects as any different from those kind of classes when it comes to finding suitable instruction. What's important to me is that I direct my child's education, not that I am necessarily the one to teach him everything he learns. I don't believe most people can teach absolutely everything their children need to be educated. As ds gets older, he's going to need more in-depth instruction and information in some subjects than I can provide. I don't plan to stop home educating my child as I define that term; I just don't plan to be the only one to teach him everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 What, pray tell, is the difference between "outsourcing" the teaching of a class to a CC or online provider and a student sitting at home using something like TT, CD, or D.I.V.E.? The parent isn't the one doing the teaching in either case so I don't get the superiority complex... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Ds completely homeschooled for 9th, did a TT course (worthless) in 10th as his only "outsource," and did one class at a CC for high school (psychology). All the rest was at home. It's all about self-education and excellent materials. He's got a 3.75 in college. (not to brag or anything) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixie Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 What, pray tell, is the difference between "outsourcing" the teaching of a class to a CC or online provider and a student sitting at home using something like TT, CD, or D.I.V.E.? The parent isn't the one doing the teaching in either case so I don't get the superiority complex... Is that directed to me? It's under my post, but it doesn't seem related, so I'm not sure. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 This is not meant as an attack towards anyone - I really am concerned, as my child really does not have access to these things, and I am concerned that he will be left in the college application dust. a What, pray tell, is the difference between "outsourcing" the teaching of a class to a CC or online provider and a student sitting at home using something like TT, CD, or D.I.V.E.? The parent isn't the one doing the teaching in either case so I don't get the superiority complex... Did you read her last sentence? That might be insecurity at not having access but it is not superiority. Though, I must say, if you have access to internet as you must have to be on this forum, then you do have access to online classes. You might not (as I don't) have money to pay for them though! My oldest is only middle school but I plan to physically teach all through high school. Time will only tell if that will actually be the case. Honestly, while I tell MIL all the time that I could find a tutor or outsource certain subjects like math and science (since those are the subjects she bugs me about) the reality is that unless the cost is the same as buying the same used curriculum at the homeschool store, I can't afford those. So my necessity will be out of financial need more than physical proximity to these services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Okay, I read too much into this thread. I've just run into too much attitude from certain HSers I know IRL who look down their noses at folks who do choose to use outside resources like CC, online courses, tutors, etc. My apologies for getting my knickers unnecessarily in a twist! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love2read Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 My oldest few were entirely homeschooled through high school. With the third child I tried a Latin online course in 11th grade and while I didn't like that particular school, I've gradually found another for Latin that I like and we now use some video supplements and a course (not online) that grades 6 English assignments each year. Still, we don't co-op or use a community college. We added those things because I discovered they were more motivated when they had an outside teacher in the higher grades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I have realized reading these boards that pretty much everyone homeschools for elementary and middle school. Then, when high school rolls around, many of the kids are signed up for online courses, community college courses, tutored courses, co-op courses, etc. etc. Full disclosure here - I have no access to any of this stuff. No co-op. No community college. No "real time" online courses (too great a time difference). Nothing, in short, that would give kid that "course interaction" experience I read so much about. But that isn't really my question. My question is - at what point, given all of the outsourcing going on at the high school (and sometimes middle school) level, is homeschooling still, well, homeschooling? How does a kid with no outsourcing resources compete with one who has many? Does this not just kind of end up as a similar situation to what a kid from a poor public school district faces when competing with a kid from a tony private school? This is not meant as an attack towards anyone - I really am concerned, as my child really does not have access to these things, and I am concerned that he will be left in the college application dust. a re the time difference and online classes . . . We live in Central time zone, my daughter's Math teacher lives in New Dehli, India. When they break from class, my daughter eats breakfast and Teacher eats supper. My daughter thinks that's cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) What, pray tell, is the difference between "outsourcing" the teaching of a class to a CC or online provider and a student sitting at home using something like TT, CD, or D.I.V.E.? The parent isn't the one doing the teaching in either case so I don't get the superiority complex... -snip- :-) ~~~~~~ As for homeschooling highschool. I know how you feel asta. I personally did have to "outsource" some subjects. But my dc never left my home to do so. I used some of the BJU DVD high school courses for math and science. I didn't have wonderful coop opportunities to pick and choose from, nor am I close enough to a community college for that to be a legitimate course of action. So, my kids were schooled in home, albeit with a bit of help from BJU. ;) I sometimes feel/felt as if I have done a disservice to my children because I am not (and was not) able to "homeschool" as others do....with lots of various outside classes and experiences. If it's any consolation though, my two older boys are doing just fine in college. I now have no regrets with them. Oh, and as for online classes. Folks, I don't know if this is asta's issue, but many, many, MANY of us are still on dial-up!! Especially those of us in the boonies. Online courses are just not possible, even if the money to afford them were available. Thankfully dh and I were able to get an aircard, so we now have somewhat faster internet...but unfortunately it comes at a very steep monthly price and we are only allowed 5 gb of internet access a month. A live online class would cause us to go waaaaaaay over our monthly limit. Not even possible. Edited December 22, 2009 by Melissa in CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Okay, I read too much into this thread. I've just run into too much attitude from certain HSers I know IRL who look down their noses at folks who do choose to use outside resources like CC, online courses, tutors, etc. I do as well. What's funny is that most of them don't teach their dc a single subject; their dc self-teach using textbooks and/or videos. I teach dc most subjects each day,and I plan to continue doing so throughout high school, but we plan to use the community college and online classes for a few things. I consider it still homeschooling when I pay, when I choose the classes, and when I still give the diploma and write the tanscript. It's a fine line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I have realized reading these boards that pretty much everyone homeschools for elementary and middle school. Then, when high school rolls around, many of the kids are signed up for online courses, community college courses, tutored courses, co-op courses, etc. etc. Full disclosure here - I have no access to any of this stuff. No co-op. No community college. No "real time" online courses (too great a time difference). Nothing, in short, that would give kid that "course interaction" experience I read so much about. But that isn't really my question. My question is - at what point, given all of the outsourcing going on at the high school (and sometimes middle school) level, is homeschooling still, well, homeschooling? How does a kid with no outsourcing resources compete with one who has many? Does this not just kind of end up as a similar situation to what a kid from a poor public school district faces when competing with a kid from a tony private school? This is not meant as an attack towards anyone - I really am concerned, as my child really does not have access to these things, and I am concerned that he will be left in the college application dust. a Asta...I have REALLY homeschooled. The one year I outsourced ds's classes was a total disaster. I don't know how competitive my kids are...but dd #1 graduated with a BA in Graphic Design...was working in her field since her senior year...graduated Summa Cum Laude...No outsourced courses except she did a Church History college class with Dh in 12th grade. DD 3@ just gradrom CC with a 3.98 GPA and was excepted with High Honors and scholarships to her first choice school...in her major of choice, Nutrition Science. She did a few Bravewriter classes in 11th and 12th grade. I think a total of 18 weeks in her entire homeschool career. Ds #1 also did just a couple of Bravewriter, one Write @ Home workshop and Logic through memoria press. He did these basically for fun. he is now studying Electrical Engineering. Ds #2 did one year of online classes....I ended up teaching most of the work to him...this was a very expensive disaster for him. I am fully homeschooling him again...with 1 outsourced class Logic 2 through memoria Press because he started Logic 1 last year and we wanted to finish up. That is all the outsourcing he is going to get. So, when is it considered not officially homeschooling?? beats me... As far as competing goes...it depends on your goals and your students goals...Start looking at the schools you are interested in early, find out what they want to see, and go for it. My kids took the CC @ 18 route and then transfer to school of choice. I have been extremely happy with this course...even with the bumps, lumps and growing pains. This route certainly has not held them back from their goals, yet I see many of their public school counterparts who got into their schools of choice floundering, burning out, coming home etc. Follow your heart....it will all work out...Look at Susan Wise Bauer! Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixie Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Asta...I have REALLY homeschooled. So if any part of your child(ren)'s education takes place outside the home, you aren't REALLY homeschooling? I'm not being argumentative. I genuinely don't understand why something other than that arrangement isn't "really" homeschooling. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 How does a kid with no outsourcing resources compete with one who has many? a I think a kid with capable, dedicated parents will compete well with a kid who has out-sourcing opportunities. I am seriously lacking in the capable department in a few subjects. That was the main reason we decided on outsourcing later in our homeschool journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I have realized reading these boards that pretty much everyone homeschools for elementary and middle school. Then, when high school rolls around, many of the kids are signed up for online courses, community college courses, tutored courses, co-op courses, etc. etc. Full disclosure here - I have no access to any of this stuff. No co-op. No community college. No "real time" online courses (too great a time difference). Nothing, in short, that would give kid that "course interaction" experience I read so much about. But that isn't really my question. My question is - at what point, given all of the outsourcing going on at the high school (and sometimes middle school) level, is homeschooling still, well, homeschooling? How does a kid with no outsourcing resources compete with one who has many? Does this not just kind of end up as a similar situation to what a kid from a poor public school district faces when competing with a kid from a tony private school? This is not meant as an attack towards anyone - I really am concerned, as my child really does not have access to these things, and I am concerned that he will be left in the college application dust. a So far, the only outsourcing we do is some occasional spanish tutoring (just answerubg questions that come up and practicing verbal stuff.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill- OK Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I consider it still homeschooling when I pay, when I choose the classes, and when I still give the diploma and write the tanscript. It's a fine line. I totally agree with everything except the "it's a fine line". I don't think it's a fine line, at all, lol. It's a big huge bold one, to me. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill- OK Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I think a kid with capable, dedicated parents will compete well with a kid who has out-sourcing opportunities.I am seriously lacking in the capable department in a few subjects. That was the main reason we decided on outsourcing later in our homeschool journey. Ditto, here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 My kids have taken art, sailing, riding, guitar, drums, piano, voice, French etc lessons. Some through a hs coop, some free or low cost through the town, some private. We've also done quite a bit of museum or zoo -sponsored programming. (Which tends to be very reasonably priced, and often free). When they were little, we had KinderMusic & attended a parent/child Waldorf playgroup together. Currently, my 17 yr old dd is working with an art tutor to get her portfolio in order for college applications, & will be taking Chemistry Honors at the local high school next semester. We've participated in town sports-- soccer, baseball, track etc. So, if this were a poll, I would *have* to say we have *never* entirely hschooled. My babies started in group-y things as infants via La Leche League meetings. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixie Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Some through a hs coop, some free or low cost through the town, some private. We've also done quite a bit of museum or zoo -sponsored programming. ... We've participated in town sports-- soccer, baseball, track etc. Oh, I hadn't even thought about those kinds of things! We do lots of activities/classes with local museums, zoos, and community centers, not to mention various history, science, art, and cultural activities with other homeschooling groups (both "official" co-ops and informal parent-led groups). Honestly, I don't see how one could get one's entire education at home. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 We do. No co-op or other resources such as community college are available locally, and I'm not interested in online classes, at least not now. It is a huge amount of work, but very rewarding. ETA: guitar lessons and tae kwon do are outsourced. We are involved in many non-school related activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Asta, the vast majority of high school is taught straight out of textbooks. Student gets book, teacher assigns pages to read. Periodic tests follow. Students could just do it all themselves if they had the self-initiative to get it done and stick to a deadline. Your child will be as competitive or more competitive than any public school kid. Don't worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) Oh, I hadn't even thought about those kinds of things! We do lots of activities/classes with local museums, zoos, and community centers, not to mention various history, science, art, and cultural activities with other homeschooling groups (both "official" co-ops and informal parent-led groups). Honestly, I don't see how one could get one's entire education at home. :001_smile: When people talk about the mostly wealthy founding fathers etc as having been 'homeschooled', it's good to remember that they had all manner of tutors. Queen Elizabeth and her sister were 'hs'd' (palace-schooled?), but most certainly not by their mother. Edited December 22, 2009 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 My kids take outside classes for music lessons, art/dance/drama. sports etc I still consider us completely homeschooling because I teach some of those classes at home (like art, I actually teach it more in depth than the art classes they took), and they would have been involved in their extra currics no matter what way they were schooled. We do not cyber school, or co-op etc. When we move we will have much less access to things than we do now, which is a bummer, but will not change our plan for homeschooling because I never planned to outsource high school courses. I may however use something like chalkdust math which is not officially outsourcing but also not me directly teaching. The kids will lose their fine arts program when we move(it was a program for low income families in my current city), they will also likely lose some of their other activities (like dd's sewing and cheerleading) as we are moving to a smaller province and community with less to offer. I do not think losing access to those types of programs will hamper their chances of competing with peers when it comes to college and employment. It is certianly nice to have the options right now, but it doesn't mean that suddenly they will be far better than another child who does not have access to the same programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 In talking to admissions people, the only concerns I would have about not outsourcing anything for teens are : 1. Does the child have access to science labs? & 2. Finding people who are not related to your child to write recommendations about their academic or other strengths. Applications limited to parental recommendations may appear to be biased or incomplete. If your child has a job or volunteers somewhere, that person would be someone your child should approach for a recommendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 About 8 years ago, I worked in an admissions office for a private, Christian university. They were very homeschool-friendly. As far as they were concerned, it didn't matter where/how you took high school classes, as long as you had the ones necessary for admission with required grades. Maybe the more elite schools will care if you took special classes, but most will not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 How does a kid with no outsourcing resources compete with one who has many? Does this not just kind of end up as a similar situation to what a kid from a poor public school district faces when competing with a kid from a tony private school?....I really am concerned, as my child really does not have access to these things, and I am concerned that he will be left in the college application dust. I can see three advantages that kids with a lot of "outsourcing" would have: (1) outside validation of "mommy grades," (2) more extra-curricular activities to beef up the resume, and (3) more choices for letters of recommendation. Here are a few suggestions for filling in those blanks for a child with few outside resources: (1) Good scores on the SAT/ACT will be worth more than a bunch of coop classes. You can also have him take CLEP (cheap and relatively easy), SAT II, or AP subject exams to demonstrate mastery of certain subjects and validate the "mommy grades." You can register with the College Board and get your own courses approved, so you can legitimately list your son's courses as AP (there are pre-approved syllabi on the CB website you can follow). There are also accredited online courses (both high school and CC) that are not "real-time" ~ even some traditional book-&-paper correspondence courses. (2) If you think the list of extra-curriculars may be skimpy, then make the one or two items really count. You might look into the Congressional Award program. Students between 14 & 23 can earn Bronze, Silver or Gold Congressional Award Medals for meeting goals (set by themselves) in four specific areas: physical fitness, personal development, public service, and exploration. (3) For letters of recommendation, try to plan ahead and develop a few "mentor" type relationships for your son, even if they are not academically focused. Instead of a teacher discussing his academic history, the letter could focus on character traits or other accomplishments. (If you do something like the Congressional Medal, that would provide some good opportunities.) (4) I think a really articulate, passionate application essay carries a lot of weight, so all that WTM training will probably make him stand waaaaaay out compared to the public HS applicants! I really wouldn't stress about it. :001_smile: Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfatherslily Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I have no advice, just a little personal experience to add as the homeschooled student. I was fully homeschooled from K-12 and had very few outside classes. A short stint in french, a little piano, brief sewing lessons... and we did field trips with our local homeschool group. At the end, I took the SATs and got a GED, just as added insurance since we didn't have an "official" diploma from any other place (which I received "with honors" ...and thought, 'Hey, cool, I'm smarter than the people who didn't finish high school!' lol...). We never got into deep science (zero interest) or math beyond Algebra 2 (which I struggled with). I was easily accepted to a distance learning college, which I didn't finish cause I went off and got married instead, then later our local community college. I don't know if things will change as time goes by, but I didn't have a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose in BC Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 We're doing Grade 7 & 8 this year. No co-ops (absolutely no access to any) and no on line courses. This is how I would like it to stay but who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asta Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 Asta, the vast majority of high school is taught straight out of textbooks. Student gets book, teacher assigns pages to read. Periodic tests follow. Students could just do it all themselves if they had the self-initiative to get it done and stick to a deadline. Your child will be as competitive or more competitive than any public school kid. Don't worry about it. Thank you, Audrey. a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 We have always done some outside courses, however we dont hand over the reins entirely to anyone else, no coop, no charter school etc. I wanted to say that we are in Australia (big time difference) and my dd15 has been using home2teach.com successfully for some writing units. She doesn't attend the online weekly class (with permission, due to the time difference) and it honestly doesn't seem to matter- the feedback between the teacher and her seems to be enough- I believe the class is only to clarify things. It is affordable to us to do these 6 week courses- not a huge committment but quite dense in terms of content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 My son is in the middle of the college application process. Let me share with you what I have learned. Counselors in admissions offices have told me that they like to see some outside verification of a student's grades, but whether that is co-op, CC, or some other sort of outside course does not matter. If these courses are unavailable, they like to see a portfolio of work. Granted--this comment came from admissions offices at several LACs. Large universities or other LACs may have different philosophies. For example, some colleges demand three or five SAT subject tests as a way of verifying those mommy grades. Obviously some do not need any ancillary materials or testing. There is no hard and fast rule. Our homeschooling journey began in 7th grade. I taught everything in 7th, 8th and 9th. Frankly, I could not plan all of my son's 10th grade classes and keep up with AP Biology which he did that year. He essentially self studied--not something I recommend to most people who are using the massive Campbell text. We suspected that we would outsource some courses at the local CC in 11th, but AP Bio convinced me of the need to outsource chemistry. Again--some people are perfectly capable of teaching chemistry at home. I was not with everything else on the plate. I had kept my head above water in Latin until we began Ovid and Catullus. Again, there were not enough hours in the day for me to master Vergil so we are outsourcing Latin this year. One of the beautiful things about homeschooling is that one can tailor an education to the student which is what we have done. I felt that someone else needed to comment on my son's writing so he enrolled in an expository writing class at the CC. I have very strong opinions on how to teach mathematics, so I am not letting that one go. My son has found a mentor for the subject he wishes to pursue in college (archaeology). It would be foolish not to utilize the expertise of a working archaeologist who has offered to oversee his senior project. I have worked hard to present my son with what I believe are the best resources available to us considering our location and the assorted limitations that life imposes. I believe that this is all any of us can do. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 One of the beautiful things about homeschooling is that one can tailor an education to the student which is what we have done. I felt that someone else needed to comment on my son's writing so he enrolled in an expository writing class at the CC. I have very strong opinions on how to teach mathematics, so I am not letting that one go. My son has found a mentor for the subject he wishes to pursue in college (archaeology). It would be foolish not to utilize the expertise of a working archaeologist who has offered to oversee his senior project. I have worked hard to present my son with what I believe are the best resources available to us considering our location and the assorted limitations that life imposes. I believe that this is all any of us can do. Jane This is one of the things I hope for my ds, that he can find a mentor in his area of passion (which is yet undecided). I'm not even sure where we will live during his high school years and I hope to be able to utilize CC classes for a few subjects in his junior and senior year. Currently we don't do coop or online classes and at this point I don't plan to. An outside letter of recommendation is another concern. My ds has a guaranteed job with dh during his high school years so the work experience will be valuable but it's still a "daddy letter". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) If there are certain schools which interest your teen, you or the child can call or email the admissions offices with your specific questions for that college. Those big fat college books which seem to list all 3000 colleges in the US are full of specific information. Sometimes there is a gray area-- 3 sciences? Does that mean 2 or 3 labs? Call and ask, tell them you are a hsing student ; is there anything specific they would like to see in a hs application? My 17 yr old has a list of about 8 schools which interest her. Some require SATs, a couple do not. Some ask for 2 maths and 2 sciences, some ask for 3 each, plus two lab sciences (so 3 years of astronomy isn't going to cut it) etc. Of course, all of this is less important for a younger teen. However, once they are considered 'high school' age, and are considering college, this information becomes critical. If a school your child loves requires 3 years of science and 4 years of math, and she doesn't have it, all the Latin or ancient history in the world is not going to matter. It will matter to the child, but it will not meet the admissions requirements of the school. Edited December 22, 2009 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 We have had short periods of no outside classes, usually when we just moved to a new area. I try to have them have some outside classes of some kind. In my view, it has been helpful to learn about different expectations, planning, and of course, the actual course work. It also helps in high school for college admittance. Many schools require academic letters of reference. Do all? No. But most of the ones that my kids are interested in do. I am absolutely still homeschooling since I am the one directing the learning and issuing the transcript. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I'll second the fact that many college admissions folks want to see something that shows the homeschool transcript is legit. My oldest has applied to colleges this year - and has only taken ONE CC course this fall semester. We had to use that teacher for several recommendation letters for both admission and scholarships. Fortunately, my boys are also on the local ps chess team. We were allowed to use the coaches (two) for additional recommendations. Then, I'm glad that my son scored high on the SAT and ACT. With all those combined, he got in everywhere he applied - though we're not talking Ivies. With my middle and youngest I plan to be sure they have at least one or two classes outside our home just so we can confirm their transcript and have sources for recommendation letters (VERY important for some competitive college scholarships). Those classes will probably be junior or senior year. I see no need to do any sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 We never outsourced anything with older dd (although she started taking classes at the community college when she was 14; from that point on, she was a c.c. student, not hsed); we outsourced biology with younger dd, but that's all. We didn't do co-ops or any of that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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