if your kids weren't accustomed to evening/weekend homework...

[Miss Mousie]

... how did they handle the transition to the college/university system, where evening/weekend homework is unavoidable?

 

I have tried searching the board, but haven't come up with much regarding this question specifically.

 

Disclosure:  Much to my regret, I am not homeschooling my DS.  I ask mostly out of curiosity ... and because I can't stop thinking about how badly I want to homeschool him, especially in high school!  :p

 

[go_go_gadget]

Mine are only elementary, but as a person who never needed to do homework outside of normal school hours to get by in high school, the transition was very difficult and my early college GPA reflects that. I wasn't accustomed to needing to work for my education, and that was actually the major impetus behind our choice to homeschool. I homeschool so that there aren't defined times when work happens; we do work when there's work that needs doing. We mostly school on the weekends because I'm also a student, but if we don't finish then we do some on the weekdays between until we're finished. If something's easy for them, I know I need to level them up. They're not going to have the idea I had, that because everyone always told me I was smart, I didn't need to work like other people did (I'm very well aware of how vile that sounds). We talk frequently about work that's too easy is a waste of my time and theirs, and they're well accustomed to work hard enough to be frustrating, and then working through that frustration.

 

There may well be kids who don't have the difficultly that I did, but I'm not taking the chance. I'm mainly posting to show that homeschooling doesn't necessarily mean working only at defined times.

[8filltheheart]

My kids have not any adjustment period for college level work compared to our homeschool and they don't have homework or weekend work. However, I will qualify that statement by the fact that my kids carry heavy academic loads in high school and are used to having to budget time, self -discipline, and meeting deadlines, etc from middle school through graduation, so there isn't this huge discrepancy between what they were doing at home and what they are expected to do in college.

 

Eta: I should also clarify that by homework and weekend work I mean work that is assigned outside of what I expect to be completed within the daily timeframe of day's worth of work, not when it is actually completed. They may end up working at night or on the weekend, but they are sImply completing the daily assigned work. We don't work by time, but by the assignments I generate.

[Brenda in MA]

In my homeschool, I found that evening/weekend work became a necessity during high school. Both of my kids had outside committments and challenging classes, so they had to shift work around to do it whenever they had the time.

 

My oldest seemed to generally make the transition pretty well. The younger one was quite a bit more resentful of the loss of his "free" time. I just pointed out that he chose to spend his free time doing various extra curricular stuff, and that it had not gone away entirely.

 

For both of them, if the deadlines that caused the evening/weekend work were not imposed by me, they were much more easily received. That is why outsourcing is/was such an important part of our homeschool in high school.

 

Perhaps you can help your non-hs'd child appreciate the balance of school work/social life/obligations by adding in some outside obligations if he/she doesn't seem busy enough with school work. Perhaps a regular volunteer obligation or club meeting would "crimp" his/her schedule a little bit such that he/she would have to learn how to balance things.

 

Just a thought,

Brenda

[Jean in Newcastle]

If my homeschooled highschooler doesn't get his work done, he either has to do it in the evenings or on the weekend.  

[Miss Mousie]

Gadget, you describe my own situation and exactly what I hoped to avoid with DS.  I do what I can with "before-schooling" and a bit of summer work, but there's only so much I can do, you know?

 

I understand your point about scheduling.  When I said "evening/weekend," I just meant "outside of normal school hours," whatever those might be.

 

Thanks for chiming in. 

[dbmamaz]

My teen is special needs and i struggle to challenge him without stressing him out, and i've been through a LOT - so he hasnt had any 'homework' at all.  I've signed him up for two MOOCs this fall - and he's going to community college for a 2 year degree while working at home, so i can support his transition.  and then he can work until he's mature enough to take full responsibility for himself!

[Miss Mousie]

I'm kind of amused that the people answering, for the most part, are not the people who are "finished by lunch and that's it for school" but rather the people who do, in fact, give enough work (or otherwise maintain a pretty full schedule) so that "outside of school hours" time is required, and thus their DC learn time management and all the associated skills.  :) 

 

So, yes, I suppose I too would figure out how full to fill his plate to make sure he gets that practice.

 

This board is the best.  :) 

 

[Barbara H]

Is he in high school now? Public high school students who are taking a challenging college prep curriculum and doing well with it typically do put in time on nights and weekends. Students who take a lot of APs and do well on them often put in quite a bit of time. Finding a saner version of that AP rat race is why many of us homeschool in high school. High school has changed quite a bit in the last ten years. I see many public school kids who take a full four years of math, science, English, social science and foreign language. Depending how they are taught, APs can come with a lot of busy work. When kids add in any sports or any other really serious time commitment extracurricular they can be very busy. So, I would not worry there will be no opportunity to learn to manage his time if he's enrolled in school. If he wants to take a challenging curriculum and be involved in extracurriculars he will have the chance to learn to manage time if he wants to.

[Myra]

We're the "finish by lunch and that's it" homeschoolers.  Actually, we are really start by nine finish by one-ish types.....with no homework in the evenings and weekends.  Each morning we just start where we left off from the previous day. My eldest will be a sophomore in college next year and ended up with a 3.97 average for his freshman year while taking classes in his dual major of economics and classics.  He just stepped up to the plate, budgeted his time, and did the work required....and then some!  I think what helped was giving him home schooling syllabuses for some of his subjects that gave some assignments that needed to be done daily, some weekly, some monthly - giving him the independence to decide how/when he would do his assignments, yet........in some subjects (usually the most difficult for him - Science and Composition - holding a tight rein while providing skills to get over the hurdles that might cause him problems. 

 

Myra

[Mom22ns]

I don't think there are just tons of "finish by lunch and done" homeschoolers on TWTM boards at the high school or college level. Myra shows there are some  :seeya:

 

I think most homeschoolers who are targeting college do more than a half day of work in high school. Anyone following tWTM even a little, does far more than half a day in high school. If you ask the same question on an unschooling board, I'm sure you would get some different answers. I don't know if kids that have had lighter loads in high school are more likely to struggle with the load in college or not.

 

As far as our experience, my oldest is just starting his first college classes, but my kids are used to having home evening work. I don't expect homework from college classes to be a surprise or a big transition for them. I have one who works fast and one who works slow. The slow worker obviously is used to having to spend more time, and will have to spend more time in college. The fast worker is used to getting away with far less evening and weekend work, but I expect she will do less evening and weekend work in college too.  :001_rolleyes:

[regentrude]

We're the "finish by lunch and that's it" homeschoolers.  Actually, we are really start by nine finish by one-ish types.....with no homework in the evenings and weekends.  Each morning we just start where we left off from the previous day. My eldest will be a sophomore in college next year and ended up with a 3.97 average for his freshman year while taking classes in his dual major of economics and classics.  He just stepped up to the plate, budgeted his time, and did the work required....and then some!  I think what helped was giving him home schooling syllabuses for some of his subjects that gave some assignments that needed to be done daily, some weekly, some monthly - giving him the independence to decide how/when he would do his assignments, yet........in some subjects (usually the most difficult for him - Science and Composition - holding a tight rein while providing skills to get over the hurdles that might cause him problems.

 

Myra, I am very curious: how did you manage to fit in a full class load with only four hours of work each day, when a single credit corresponds roughly to one hour per day? Are you schooling year round? I'm sure your student did not graduate with only 16 credits... what am I missing?

 

[Julie in MN]

I don't think the problem in college is doing evening work.  I don't even think you need to do evening work during college.  My sister got her R.N. while raising a child, so she decided to use daycare and scheduled ALL college classes & assignments during the daycare hours, leaving her evenings totally free to take care of her child and do home tasks.  This is completely do-able in most cases, if a person keeps very task-oriented.

 

I think the problem in college is that you have only maybe 10-20 hours of classroom time, and you have ALL THAT FREE TIME, during which you must discipline yourself to get to work, because no one is there telling you to start working on the next class.  Your schedule is also different every day and random hours, sometimes juggled between fitting in some job hours or other responsibilities, and there are often a lot of wasted transition hours in there.

 

I think homeschoolers might be at a slight advantage there, since they have been working with a lot more freedom & self-discipline over their entire academic life (which is part of what makes homeschooling hard sometimes).  Whether a particular homeschool has greatly succeeded in self-discipline or not, at least they have struggled with the beast.

 

I think some folks are naturally better at this kind of self discipline, either because they are oldest children like me and just that way, or they are competitive, or they have a passion for something.  Some folks are going to have a lot of trouble with that freedom & the temptation to procrastinate, and should work especially hard on planning for this.  However, I don't think a lot of it has to do with having done homework in high school.  Maybe a little, but it is more because homework is sort-of unscheduled and done during free time, rather than that it is extra hours.

 

It seems to me that college is very unique in our culture, since K-12 schooling and most jobs are all pretty structured.  The only thing I can think of that's similar to the freedom and variation and need for self-discipline in college schedules is being at home -- being a housewife, a homeschooler, a home business entrepreneur, a farmer... the college schedule would be good prep for those things, eh?! Or vice versa?

 

Julie

[dbmamaz]

Not all of us worry about the hours/credit rule.  If we arent aiming for high end colleges, esp.  I wont put any grades on my transcript.  I've gone to schools with no grades.  As homeschoolers, we are not bound by rules unless we choose to be.  we get to homeschool in a way that works for us and ours.

[8filltheheart]

Myra, I am very curious: how did you manage to fit in a full class load with only four hours of work each day, when a single credit corresponds roughly to one hour per day? Are you schooling year round? I'm sure your student did not graduate with only 16 credits... what am I missing?

 

 

I was wondering the same thing, especially since she has AoPS courses (as in plural) listed as math for her sr.   While ds isn't spending much time on math now that he is taking college classes, when he was taking AoPS classes, he could easily spend 2+ hrs just on one of their math classes alone.   He always spends 2+ hrs on physics daily b/c he wants to and takes more than 1 physics course/semester.   So just between science and math, that would be 4 hrs (now commuting to and from the university makes for longer days.)  

 

[regentrude]

Not all of us worry about the hours/credit rule.  If we arent aiming for high end colleges, esp.  I wont put any grades on my transcript.  I've gone to schools with no grades.  As homeschoolers, we are not bound by rules unless we choose to be.  we get to homeschool in a way that works for us and ours.

 

I understand that we don't have to count hours, but it has been my experience that high school level programs, especially things like AoPS which the person to whom I repsonded listed as curriculum, simply do take a certain amount of time. And even not-so-high-end colleges have admission requirements. So, I am curious whether the student is simply incredibly efficient to complete a rigorous high school load in 4 hours per day, or how that is accomplished. I have gifted students, and DD is extremely ambitious - but no way she could pull that off.

(And yes, I realize that one can do a bare bones general high school program that takes way less time, but this did not seem to be the case, judging from the signature; besides, we are talking about college prep, so I figure we are talking about a college prep level curriculum, not a general diploma)

[regentrude]

... how did they handle the transition to the college/university system, where evening/weekend homework is unavoidable?

 

My DD has not yet graduated high school, but she has been taking eight hours at a four year university for each of the past two semesters, and that made evening and weekend work necessary. Each class was very time consuming, sometimes she spent 15 hours per week on physics alone. Previously in our homeschool, she  was working for six hours per day and then she was done.

The transition to the more demanding schedule went basically without problem. She is determined to excel, which means she is diligent about completing all assignments, preclass readings, preparing for lab in advance. It always got done. Even though she was not yet taking the full load of a regular college student, she had to use evenings and weekends to work, because she is also singing in choir, riding a horse several times a week, and working as a tutor in the physics learning center.

We found that the things that did not get done were things without firm deadlines, mainly from our home classes (I let her have a lot of slack there because I wanted her to focus on her college courses). But from what I have seen her do over the past three semesters, I am fully confident that she could handle a full load: having required work with deadlines makes her be very efficient.

 

For many students, the biggest issue actually is not weekend and evening work, but using time gaps during the day wisely. there are breaks between classes, and a full time student MUST use them efficiently. Also, one crucial element for success is the attitude that being a college student is a full time job with overtime. Those students who approach it with this mindset tend to do well, whereas students who think a 16 credit hour course load should translate into roughly a half-time job will not be successful. If the students are aware that they might need to invest two hours outside of class for every hour in class, they usually make the time; it is those students who do not take this recommendation seriously who are  in trouble.

As a college instructor, I have not yet seen a student fail my class who put it this amount of time on task. Every single student who fails my courses does so because he is not investing enough time, in and out of class.

[Myra]

Let's see.....we spend 40 minutes per subject per day.....sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, sometimes an educational field trip...but it all works out for us.  The hours mentioned doesn't include yearly internships (2-3 hours one afternoon a week) or music lessons/practice. On the transcripts we sent to college admissions, I did not list grades or credit hours but rather just put an "X" in the subject box and explain in accompanying documentation which curriculum we used and materials covered, projects completed, and general education philosophy.  Every college that my eldest applied to commented favorably on our approach to homeschooling and offered my son generous merit scholarships.

 

It's interesting to read the many different approaches to home school and all of them seem to be successful!

 

Myra 

[In The Great White North]

It's definitely possible, obviously dependent on the abilities of the student and courses chosen.

 

Back in the day, my public high school only allowed five classes per day, 50 minutes each, at least five minutes in each class was wasted, leaving less than four hours per day. The only homework I ever did at home was typing the occasional paper, on a manual typewriter, which today's students wouldn't have to do. We had no problems being accepted to competitive colleges.

[regentrude]

Let's see.....we spend 40 minutes per subject per day.....

 

I am seriously impressed... only 40 minutes per day for taking AoPS courses... wow, that makes me feel dumb.

[Myra]

I am seriously impressed... only 40 minutes per day for taking AoPS courses... wow, that makes me feel dumb.

Oh my :crying: ..........now I didn't say that "I" could do the AoPS in 40 minutes a day or that my eldest son could either.....but my 2nd kiddo....that's a different cup of tea......and the "funny" thing is that he hates math......go figure!   :huh:

 

Myra

[8filltheheart]

It's definitely possible, obviously dependent on the abilities of the student and courses chosen.

Back in the day, my public high school only allowed five classes per day, 50 minutes each, at least five minutes in each class was wasted, leaving less than four hours per day. The only homework I ever did at home was typing the occasional paper, on a manual typewriter, which today's students wouldn't have to do. We had no problems being accepted to competitive colleges.

  

In most states, 20 hrs would not earn a college bound diploma. Most require 24 and many states have students graduating with 28. Those are the students our students are now competing against. Back when I graduated high school, very few students took 24 hrs.

I am seriously impressed... only 40 minutes per day for taking AoPS courses... wow, that makes me feel dumb.

Me, too. My ds couldn't solve a single problem many days in 40 mins. He wouldn't have even been able to finish 1/2 a course in 40 mins per day.

 

I still don't see even at 40 mins/subject/day a student taking 7 courses (8 if it is more than 1 AoPS course is being taken) equals 4 hrs.

[Teachin'Mine]

The beauty of homeschooling is that there are many successful paths. We each choose what's best for our own family.

 

BTW I balked much more than my dd when school work spilled over into evenings and weekends. I missed the freedom of the earlier years. : )

[ThisIsTheDay]

My kids have both taken a few outside classes that required them to do homework during the week.  My oldest later took dual enrollment courses at the local community college, which also required homework and juggling of deadlines and assignments.  I left her to deal with that entirely on her own, and she did exceptionally well. She's off to university in a few weeks, and I have no doubt she's up to the challenge.

 

We were/are more relaxed than some here with high school.

[Miss Mousie]

For many students, the biggest issue actually is not weekend and evening work, but using time gaps during the day wisely. there are breaks between classes, and a full time student MUST use them efficiently. Also, one crucial element for success is the attitude that being a college student is a full time job with overtime. Those students who approach it with this mindset tend to do well, whereas students who think a 16 credit hour course load should translate into roughly a half-time job will not be successful. If the students are aware that they might need to invest two hours outside of class for every hour in class, they usually make the time; it is those students who do not take this recommendation seriously who are  in trouble.

 

Regentrude, you are absolutely correct.  Working in the gaps worked very well for me; I'm not sure if DS will get on board.  He is incredibly outgoing, and I see him maximizing the between-class opportunities for chit-chat and laughs, and waiting until he's home to do the work. 

 

He will start 7th grade in a few weeks - it'll be his first exposure to mutliple teachers and changing classrooms, except for the art/music/gym parts of elementary school.  I'll be watching closely to see how he navigates time management.

[Miss Mousie]

I think most homeschoolers who are targeting college do more than a half day of work in high school. Anyone following tWTM even a little, does far more than half a day in high school. If you ask the same question on an unschooling board, I'm sure you would get some different answers. I don't know if kids that have had lighter loads in high school are more likely to struggle with the load in college or not.

 

Good point!  One would think I should have thought of it myself.  :P

[In The Great White North]

 

 

In most states, 20 hrs would not earn a college bound diploma. Most require 24 and many states have students graduating with 28. Those are the students our students are now competing against. Back when I graduated high school, very few students took 24 hrs.

 

 

This got me curious so I looked up the local high school, that sends 92% of the class to college and about 20% to Ivies.  

 

They require 20 hours for graduation but students can opt to take 24 if they skip lunch.  Of those 24, 3 are mandatory non-academic courses (PE, health, computers (ie. Office), art), leaving them with just 21 credit hours.  (The 20 in the 1980's had only a 1/2 credit of PE, no health, no computers, no art.)  Pretty much the same.

 

What kind of schedules do your local schools use to get up to 28?

[8filltheheart]

This got me curious so I looked up the local high school, that sends 92% of the class to college and about 20% to Ivies.

 

They require 20 hours for graduation but students can opt to take 24 if they skip lunch. Of those 24, 3 are mandatory non-academic courses (PE, health, computers (ie. Office), art), leaving them with just 21 credit hours. (The 20 in the 1980's had only a 1/2 credit of PE, no health, no computers, no art.) Pretty much the same.

 

What kind of schedules do your local schools use to get up to 28?

Here is the link to VA's advanced diploma requirements which now requires a minimum of 26. You are correct in that their list includes 2 required credits for health and PE, but the inclusion of the fine arts and computer tech credits are actually representative of a lot of college admission requirements. At some institutions, students are only granted conditional acceptance and must meet art, computer, or foreign Lang requirements before their conditional status is removed.

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/graduation/advanced_studies.shtml

 

Students meet the 28+ credit hrs via the block system. They can take 4 classes per semester which means 8 per yr and some students graduating with 32 credits. I think I have read on this board states where 28 is the minimum required.

 

I am not saying I agree. It is simply the reality of many states. If you homeschool in VA and apply to VA public universities with 16-20 academic credits, you won't be attending UVA, VT, William and Mary, etc. Most will have a minimum of 24 academic classes.

[regentrude]

This got me curious so I looked up the local high school, that sends 92% of the class to college and about 20% to Ivies.  

 

They require 20 hours for graduation but students can opt to take 24 if they skip lunch.  Of those 24, 3 are mandatory non-academic courses (PE, health, computers (ie. Office), art), leaving them with just 21 credit hours.  (The 20 in the 1980's had only a 1/2 credit of PE, no health, no computers, no art.)  Pretty much the same.

 

What kind of schedules do your local schools use to get up to 28?

 

My state requires 24 credits minimum for graduation and 25 for the College Preparatory Studies Certification.

 

Those mimimum requirements do not, however, match with the admission requirements of selective universities, as they contain only 3 science, 3 social studies, and zero foreign language credits. A student aiming to satisfy a competetive university would have to use 6 of the seven electives budgeted in those 25 hours just to meet the 5x4 requirement.

 

ETA: checked the schedule at our local high school. Every day, students have seven periods plus an exra 30 minutes home room/study hall. Lunch seems to cut into 4th period, not sure how they handle it. But every student is taking full 6 credits each year. Students who take summer school or dual enrollment would have more.

[ThisIsTheDay]

Here is the link to VA's advanced diploma requirements which now requires a minimum of 26. You are correct in that their list includes 2 required credits for health and PE, but the inclusion of the fine arts and computer tech credits are actually representative of a lot of college admission requirements. At some institutions, students are only granted conditional acceptance and must meet art, computer, or foreign Lang requirements before their conditional status is removed.

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/graduation/advanced_studies.shtml

 

Students meet the 28+ credit hrs via the block system. They can take 4 classes per semester which means 8 per yr and some students graduating with 32 credits. I think I have read on this board states where 28 is the minimum required.

 

I am not saying I agree. It is simply the reality of many states. If you homeschool in VA and apply to VA public universities with 16-20 academic credits, you won't be attending UVA, VT, William and Mary, etc. Most will have a minimum of 24 academic classes.

 

Welllllll, yes, this is what the law is regarding "advanced diplomas" in Virginia, and I know that's the question that you were answering.

 

However, I do not believe that any of the (Virginia) state universities require a fine arts or computer tech credit, nor do any of them require a state-issued "advanced diploma" from in-state applicants.  UVA and W&M do not.

 

I agree with your statement, "If you homeschool in VA and apply to VA public universities with 16-20 academic credits, you won't be attending UVA, VT, William and Mary, etc."  That probably is the case in many states.  (How can someone seriously claimed to have graduated their homeschooled student with fewer than 20 credits?)

 

But I want to point out that it is not necessary to have 26 or more high school credits to get into a good VA university.  I don't want anyone to read this and start freaking out.  Even the W&M website says that it expects 5 credits a year, which would only equal 20 credits.  (And yes, if you were considering applying to W&M, you'd surely want to have more.)

[8filltheheart]

Welllllll, yes, this is what the law is regarding "advanced diplomas" in Virginia, and I know that's the question that you were answering.

 

However, I do not believe that any of the (Virginia) state universities require a fine arts or computer tech credit, nor do any of them require a state-issued "advanced diploma" from in-state applicants.  UVA and W&M do not.

 

I agree with your statement, "If you homeschool in VA and apply to VA public universities with 16-20 academic credits, you won't be attending UVA, VT, William and Mary, etc."  That probably is the case in many states.  (How can someone seriously claimed to have graduated their homeschooled student with fewer than 20 credits?)

 

But I want to point out that it is not necessary to have 26 or more high school credits to get into a good VA university.  I don't want anyone to read this and start freaking out.  Even the W&M website says that it expects 5 credits a year, which would only equal 20 credits.  (And yes, if you were considering applying to W&M, you'd surely want to have more.)

 

I am sorry if my post implied that VA state universities require a fine arts or computer tech credit for admissions, b/c that isn't what I meant.   I meant that there are universities out there that do require them on a high school transcript or defer them to a requirement for admission and they must be completed freshman yr.   And I am certainly not suggesting that they require a state-issued advanced diploma, but being on par with those standards is prudent if those schools are a goal.

 

Also, the 26 credits is fairly new for VA.  It was 24.  This is what I would consider "trending."   When you see something like this for entering high school freshman, it means if you look forward,you could expect to see something changing in college admission critiera.   For example, when our oldest was in 9th grade, the vast majority of unis I was looking at only required 2 yrs of foreign lang, but I noticed that the private schools around us were requiring 3.   When I inquired, they said it was bc unis elsewhere in the country were requiring a minimum of 3 yrs of the same lang.   Now, requiring 3 is pretty normal (and the requirement at many VA unis or 2 yrs each of 2 languages).    The point being, just because you don't see it now, 4 yrs from now when these rising 9th graders are graduating, it may be.    For example, VCU currently states that "a minimum of 20 units is required for admission to all programs on the Monroe Park Campus" even though they only list 16.

 

As far as how someone can claim to have graduated their student, if you only cover 4 English, 3 math, 3 history, 3 science, and a few electives, you are way below 20.

 

[dbmamaz]

see, i've done math, english, science and history every year, but not much else.  some programming, a few failed attempts at french, martial arts, 1 semester of band and 2 of choir.  some crafts . . .

 

but definitely NOT looking at UVA or WM or U of R, for that matter, which is almost next door.  I hear WM is particularly unfriendly to homeschoolers.  I was once at a conference for homeschooling high school to college - the representatives from UVA were SWAMPED with questions lol.  But isnt that the definition of an exclusive college  - they have way more applicants than they could ever accept?  anyways, there are many paths, and despite the loudest posters, i dont believe that the majority of homeschoolers are aiming at top colleges - plenty are, but not MOST of them.  

[8filltheheart]

see, i've done math, english, science and history every year, but not much else. some programming, a few failed attempts at french, martial arts, 1 semester of band and 2 of choir. some crafts . . .

 

but definitely NOT looking at UVA or WM or U of R, for that matter, which is almost next door. I hear WM is particularly unfriendly to homeschoolers. I was once at a conference for homeschooling high school to college - the representatives from UVA were SWAMPED with questions lol. But isnt that the definition of an exclusive college - they have way more applicants than they could ever accept? anyways, there are many paths, and despite the loudest posters, i dont believe that the majority of homeschoolers are aiming at top colleges - plenty are, but not MOST of them.

I don't think of VCU as a top college. It is the largest in the VA system, but not overly selective. Its criteria are included in the minimum of 20 hrs.

 

FWIW, I suspect you are referring to me in the list of "loudest posters." The irony is that I only have 1 student that is even interested in a competitive college. I certainly do not possess the POV that that is the way students need to go. FWIW, our oldest went to a very mid-tier state university. Our oldest dd is pursuing a 2 yr Allied Health degree from a CC and took all completely high school level coursework (no advanced courses) and ended math at pre-cal. Only our rising sr ever took APs or an extremely competitve high school curriculum. Our 9th grader is similar to him. Our kids simply take the load that meets their personal needs and abilities.

 

I find it amusing that answering a question about transitioning from homeschool to college and stating that a solid college prep high school load leads to easy transition is somehow arguing that there is a single path. If your student plans on attending a CC, there are no entry requirements in general until you start considering specific classes and/or specific degrees. Then you do start having minimum requirements. For example, the Allied Health program my dd is in has 30 hrs of pre-reqs (some of which had pre-reqs) and only admits 35 students per yr. It is the only program in the entire state and they have approx 100-125 students apply annually. FWIW, their admissions is strictly a numbers game. You get X# of pts per letter grade per required class and X# of pts for your ACT score. The top 35 students via pts are offered admission.

 

Our #2 graduate is not even pursuing a college education/degree.

 

So, fwiw, I do not believe there is a single path for everyone. Nor do I believe that there should even be a set course load. But, if and when you are discussing college attendance, then yes, there are minimum norms and basic levels of expectations. The whats depend on where and what they plan on doing.

[Tiramisu]

Students meet the 28+ credit hrs via the block system. They can take 4 classes per semester which means 8 per yr and some students graduating with 32 credits. 

The above point is interesting. The high school where dh teaches tried the block system. Every teacher complained that they were unable to cover the amount of material they had been able to cover under the traditional system. Finally, the administration decided they had to revert to the traditional system. His high school is known for the high level of its offerings, lots of AP and arrangements with colleges for college credit. 

[katilac]

I don't think of VCU as a top college. It is the largest in the VA system, but not overly selective.

Virginia Commonwealth University? It's not Ivy League, but it's ranked tier one, isn't it?

[8filltheheart]

Virginia Commonwealth University? It's not Ivy League, but it's ranked tier one, isn't it?

No idea what it is ranked, but their admission criteria are definitely not very selective with only 20% in the top 10% of their hs class whereas UVA's stat is 88%. Compare the 2 stats

 

VCU:

Standardized Tests Statistics

 

Standardized Test Scores Critical Reading Math Writing Composite (out of)

SAT (25th - 75th Percentile) 480 - 600 490 - 590 470 - 590 1440 - 1780 (2400)

ACT (25th - 75th Percentile). 20 - 26 19 - 25 19 - 25 20 - 26 (36)

General Statistics

Top 10% of HS Class: 20%

 

 

Here are UVA's

 

Standardized Tests Statistics

 

Standardized Test Scores Critical Reading Math Writing Composite (out of)

SAT (25th - 75th Percentile) 610 - 720 630 - 740 620 - 720 1860 - 2180 (2400)

ACT (25th - 75th Percentile) 28 - 34 27 - 33. 8 - 9 28 - 32 (36)

General Statistics

Top 10% of HS Class: 88%

 

Oh well, it lost its formatting but it is still readable. Either way, admissions criteria exist and we need to be aware of them if they are a goal for our students.

[Chris in VA]

Lol--feeling a little defensive re VCU.

It's School of the Arts, which includes art, drama, dance, film/photography, was four years ago, at least, ranked as the No. 1 public institution.

 

I guess it's top tier in its own way.

:-)

 

Agreeing, though, that it is considerably easier to get into VCU than UVA. Different animals.

 

Now back to your regular programming.

[dbmamaz]

Yeah, I've reread this post a few times, trying to figure out why she quoted me and then said something about VCU . . . i didnt mention VCU . . . my daughter did go there for a semester though.  Its funny, i tried to convince her that VCU actually has an excellent graphic design program, but she wouldnt listen to me and insisted she did not want to go to any schools in VA.  Then she decided she was interested in advertising, and that VCU's advertising program is well ranked.  She transferred in community college credits, at least half of which she took while still in public high school, and started 2 credits shy of a junior.  But quit after that semester and moved in w Gramma in PA.  

 

Anyways, i still cant figure out if I said anything to spark that VCU comment.  

[ThisIsTheDay]

She quoted your post but also responded to a previous poster who'd mentioned VCU.  

[8filltheheart]

Yeah, I've reread this post a few times, trying to figure out why she quoted me and then said something about VCU . . . i didnt mention VCU . . . my daughter did go there for a semester though.  Its funny, i tried to convince her that VCU actually has an excellent graphic design program, but she wouldnt listen to me and insisted she did not want to go to any schools in VA.  Then she decided she was interested in advertising, and that VCU's advertising program is well ranked.  She transferred in community college credits, at least half of which she took while still in public high school, and started 2 credits shy of a junior.  But quit after that semester and moved in w Gramma in PA.  

 

Anyways, i still cant figure out if I said anything to spark that VCU comment.  

 

I quoted you b/c you stated ", i've done math, english, science and history every year, but not much else.   some programming, a few failed attempts at french, martial arts, 1 semester of band and 2 of choir.  some crafts . . .. " and went on to say that "i dont believe that the majority of homeschoolers are aiming at top colleges - plenty are, but not MOST of them.".  My pt was simply that even VCU requires 20 hrs of credit (including a minimum of 3 yrs of one foreign lang or 2 yrs of 2) and its admission standards do not compare to the other schools you had listed (UR, UVA, W&M).

 

There are schools that have low admission criteria.  But, since the OP was asking specifically about college prep, my pt was we, as being responsible for the role of guidance counselor for our kids, do need to be aware that even non-top schools have specific admission criteria.    ETA:   also, aiming for a local CC is not going to require the same level of education as aiming for a university.  

[8filltheheart]

Lol--feeling a little defensive re VCU.

It's School of the Arts, which includes art, drama, dance, film/photography, was four years ago, at least, ranked as the No. 1 public institution.

 

I guess it's top tier in its own way.

 

 

LOL.....yes, we have friends in the art dept.   Putting together their portfolios was brutal.  :)