Regular/Average high school

[Night Elf]

I'm too afraid to post this on the high school board. Are there any of you out there who have children who are/will be average high schoolers? I mean take on-level courses, no Honors or AP? Ds will not have any volunteer hours, extra-curricular activities, or job experience when he applies to colleges. He's applying to state colleges. The last application I did was in 2010 as a transfer student but it was the regular application. It didn't ask for involvement in anything. I'm just starting to worry about ds because his high school career is so ordinary. It's a reason I regret homeschooling high school.

[DawnM]

Academically my teens are average.  

 

They are involved in quite a few activities though and will have that to put on their college applications.

 

But they are not taking any APs or Honors classes.

 

Dawn

[marbel]

My kids are very much average students and right now they are not involved in clubs or other activities.  My daughter does a fair bit of service for our church, working with little kids.  My son just quit Scouts and hasn't replaced it with anything so I don't think he will have any extracurriculars.  

 

But not all public or private school kids have those things either.  A lot of kids go on to state or community college without the honors or AP courses, lots of extracurriculars, etc.  I'm not denying that those things help!  But I don't think they are absolutely necessary.   I graduated from high school a very long time ago, and I'm sure things have changed, but I went to a state U with no particular honors, extracurriculars, mediocre SAT scores...

 

In any case, regret will get you nowhere!  You did what you did and I imagine your reasons were valid.  I can think of lots of mistakes we have made, or may have made, with our kids and all I can do is move forward.

[creekland]

Are there any of you out there who have children who are/will be average high schoolers? I mean take on-level courses, no Honors or AP? Ds will not have any volunteer hours, extra-curricular activities, or job experience when he applies to colleges. He's applying to state colleges.

 

 

No reason to be afraid or to have regrets IMO.  There are many "average" homeschoolers when it comes to academics as many kids just aren't ready for higher level courses at a high school age.  These kids go on to colleges (esp state schools like you are considering) and do just fine.

 

However, working in a public high school - an average one - where many kids go on to local state schools vs anything elite - I have to add that it's NOT common to have no volunteer hours, extra curricular activities or job experience and many kids do something in all three categories.

 

Is there any reason your soon-to-be applicant can't start doing something he enjoys?  It may or may not be needed for an app, but it's a great way to get involved in something.  It's never too late to get started with something...

 

[creekland]

Thought I'd come back and add ideas that come to mind... (meaning I might be missing some obvious ones!)

 

At our school:

 

Extra curriculars:

 

Church groups are popular as are sports (school and community teams or individual).  Some do dance.  Some do theater (community or school).  Some sew or do woodworking.

 

Volunteer:

 

Food banks (working or doing collections), animal groups, community cleanups, blood drives, medical groups.

 

Jobs:

 

Retail or food service are the most common, but some also do lawn care, mechanical work, dog sitting, etc.

[Onceuponatime]

No reason to be afraid or to have regrets IMO.  There are many "average" homeschoolers when it comes to academics as many kids just aren't ready for higher level courses at a high school age.  These kids go on to colleges (esp state schools like you are considering) and do just fine.

 

However, working in a public high school - an average one - where many kids go on to local state schools vs anything elite - I have to add that it's NOT common to have no volunteer hours, extra curricular activities or job experience and many kids do something in all three categories.

 

Is there any reason your soon-to-be applicant can't start doing something he enjoys?  It may or may not be needed for an app, but it's a great way to get involved in something.  It's never too late to get started with something...

 

 

This. I've graduated a couple of average type kids, but they both had part time jobs as teens and did some kind of volunteer work. It can be as easy as community clean up days.  Also, in my opinion, community college may be a better way to start college for some kids.

[Night Elf]

 

Is there any reason your soon-to-be applicant can't start doing something he enjoys?  It may or may not be needed for an app, but it's a great way to get involved in something.  It's never too late to get started with something...

 

 

There is nothing he enjoys outside of his own room. He's never belonged to any clubs really. He has participated in a once-a-month meeting of other teens and young adults on the autism spectrum. He hasn't wanted a part-time job. The only job I can think of him getting is at one of the two local grocery stores. We don't know anyone that could get him in anywhere specific. The only people my DH networks with is his coworkers at HP. We don't belong to a church, so he doesn't have any of those types of social and/or volunteer opportunities. He doesn't do other volunteer work for the same reason I don't, we just don't know anyone to help us get started. I am too much of an introvert to just search and show up at places I've never been to before. That makes him cringe as much.

 

[Haiku]

Unfortunately, it is not "average" these days to have nothing but coursework. If your son is interested in standing out a bit more for college apps, I'd recommend he find somewhere to volunteer. You just call places up and ask sbout attending a volunteer orientation. When my dd was applying to colleges, an application was no longer sufficient. Students had to submit resumes, too.

 

I don't know how old your son is, but he will be up against kids who've had their high school years packed with resume-building activities, so he may need to look at open admissions colleges if it is already late in his high school career.

[marbel]

There is nothing he enjoys outside of his own room. He's never belonged to any clubs really. He has participated in a once-a-month meeting of other teens and young adults on the autism spectrum. He hasn't wanted a part-time job. The only job I can think of him getting is at one of the two local grocery stores. We don't know anyone that could get him in anywhere specific. The only people my DH networks with is his coworkers at HP. We don't belong to a church, so he doesn't have any of those types of social and/or volunteer opportunities. He doesn't do other volunteer work for the same reason I don't, we just don't know anyone to help us get started. I am too much of an introvert to just search and show up at places I've never been to before. That makes him cringe as much.

 

 

Speaking very gently.... and as one introvert to another... it sounds as if you both need to get a bit out of your comfort zone.  I know I said that extracurriculars are not necessary (and it sounds as if I am wrong about that, based on other replies) but it sounds like your son is pretty isolated and some activities or community service may be helpful to him for a lot of reasons.  Someone upthread mentioned food bank as a volunteer opportunity - I'd start there because in my experience, it is very easy for a family to get started volunteering together.  It's not difficult work and can be a lot of fun  Also in my experience, a long-term commitment isn't needed - but a one-off evening of sorting food could lead to more involvement.  

 

Introverted moms of introverts need to push a little harder.

 

My husband and I were just talking about my own  lack of activity in high school.  He said "you could have been president of the shy club."  I am both introverted and shy (they don't always go together) so have had to push myself a lot. 

 

You could also check out volunteermatch.org which has listings of things to do in various areas of interest.  :grouphug:

[Cindy in FL.]

Our boys are average academically. Mostly As, but no honors or AP classes. They do each play an instrument, are active in church, play sports at a local school, and work in our family paddleboard business. The oldest has been volunteering as an umpire with Little League. Nothing exceptional that a college would take notice of.

[Haiku]

I also think that the push for elite colleges that I see so often is not necessarily a good thing. I went to a state school. I got a degree in social work. I now sell craft beer part time. I have a great life. My sister went to the same state school I did and ended up with a PhD from an ivy. She works for a well-known medical company and just received an international award in her field. So really, it doesn't matter that much where you start college except for a few specialized careers. There is nothing wrong with going to State U. There is nothing wrong with starting at community college (I did that, too, even though I graduated high school with a 3.96 GPA and was sixth i my class). My other sister went to a state school, got a degree she no longer uses, and now grooms dogs in Hawaii. I think the emphasis on getting into an elite school is misguided for most people. If your son starts at a community college or goes to State U, good on him.

[Ottakee]

You mention he is on the spectrum.  Is there anything that really interests him?  If so, look for volunteer opportunities in that area.  My girls have a friend who has high functioning autism and he helps run the camera stuff for the local cable TV stuff for the school.  Another kid helps out at the library or works with the kids lego group at the library, etc.

 

In our area, ALL highschool graduates are required to have some volunteer hours.

 

Are you looking at him staying home while attending college?  If not, he really needs to get out and involved or the whole dorm life/living away from home thing will be even more overwhelming than it is typically.

[Annie G]

Is there a local community college that he could attend for a year or two? Ds was involved with musical theater but for the most part he was a chorus level guy and not a lead.   He wasn't interested in much other than computers, and since theater took up 20 hours a week (about half of that was driving time), he never had time for a job while in high school. 

 

He just wasn't ready to head off to a four year university- the local community college was going to provide him enough academic challenge to transition him from homeschooling to college.  And he blossomed....on his own he wrote for the school paper one semester, sang with the choir one semester, started tutoring German, and  met some folks interested in film and has written and produced a few short films.  I truly think that if we had sent him to a large school he would have been lost and would have just done classes and gone back to his dorm. But at this tiny community college, he has found his place to start expanding his horizons.   He's a late bloomer and just needed that little bit of extra time. 

 

He isn't officially on the autism spectrum, as we halted the evaluation midstream.  We had our struggles educating him, but now he's in the honor society at school and getting lots of mail from 4 year schools.  His high school years weren't spent volunteering or taking AP classes but he's going to be just fine. There's more than one road to take- don't let yourself get caught up in what path everyone else is taking. Your ds has probably taken a different trail his whole life- so his path might not intersect with everyone else right now.  

 

If he's ready for more challenges, by all means encourage him.  And that might mean you have to get out of your comfort zone, too.  Oddly enough, I went back to work part time when ds was in high school because I wanted to push him to start being more responsible for things. It worked.  He took more responsibility for his schoolwork and his chores and such, and the happy side benefit is that I became less introverted and far more outgoing. 

[Carrie12345]

My ps high schooler has a couple of honors courses, but not the most impressive grades in them. He is also a very shy, awkward Aspie.  We've encouraged him to participate in the activities that match his hobbies - umping for Little League, playing music, participating in art program activities, etc.

 

My homeschooled dds (5th and 6th now) will probably stick to "CP"-level studies, but I expect a lot of extracurriculars.  They play softball, one does fencing and the other karate, one is hoping to get involved in theater and other arts, they intend to volunteer at our environmental center where we're very active, and they're always searching for their own home business ideas.  Once my little boys are older, we can commit to more work in our local food bank garden.

 

I'm not encouraging these things for college acceptance, I'm encouraging them to develop the skills needed for college and beyond.

[almondbutterandjelly]

My aspie brother has always preferred his room, too.  Computers have always been his area of interest.  He went to work during the summer with my dad who worked in IT.  Do you have someone your ds could do that with?  It wouldn't have to be paid, necessarily.  My db was unpaid computer guy labor.  He switched out computers and helped with software installation and that kind of thing.  Aspies fit right in as computer guys.  

 

Also, I wanted to say that those hours spent doing unpaid computer stuff helped him get his first job out of college.

 

I know you're an introvert, but maybe you could call or ask around to see if anybody needed someone with your son's skills to work for free.  Just looking ahead to his future, it is probably important to get him out of his room a little bit.

[QueenCat]

My aspie prefers his room but we require him to leave it and participate in "life". I don't say that to be snarky to you.... We knew he would become too isolated if we allowed it so we don't. He participates in scouts, youth group, homeschool group activities, etc. Most days of the week, he sees someone other than his immediate family. It has helped him tremendously to get out in the world and have to interact.

[kroe1]

Dd13 volunteers as a Mindcraft administrator as one of her volunteer jobs. There are all types of Internet chat moderators needed which can be filled by the video game loving, introverted bedroom loving kiddos. What is your DS doing at home when he is not doing school?

 

DS31 got his volunteer work in at the local blood bank. I think he only swept the floors or wiped down chairs when donors left. It was not much.

 

Even a kiddo living in the middle of nowhere can walk down the street picking up trash. Just call the city council/mayor's office to find out who will sign his volunteer sheet.

 

Your question of whether or not volunteer work is necessary is probably going to depend on the college. If you have a few local colleges in mind, call up the admissions office and ask. My DS only needed the volunteer work to get into medical school. For undergraduate, the state college just needed a GED and a check since he was a high school dropout. That was over 10 years ago, however. Things have changed greatly since then.

[Dmmetler]

Maybe he could do something for a non-profit from home? I know a non-profit DD works with always needs help with their website.

 

 

[umsami]

What about volunteering online?

 

There are groups who look for people to post things/manage their Facebook or Twitter pages.  If there's a group he likes or is interested in, he can message them and ask. (No need for in person interaction.)

 

There are online research projects which look for average volunteers, etc.

[Rebel Yell]

I'm too afraid to post this on the high school board. Are there any of you out there who have children who are/will be average high schoolers? I mean take on-level courses, no Honors or AP? Ds will not have any volunteer hours, extra-curricular activities, or job experience when he applies to colleges. He's applying to state colleges. The last application I did was in 2010 as a transfer student but it was the regular application. It didn't ask for involvement in anything. I'm just starting to worry about ds because his high school career is so ordinary. It's a reason I regret homeschooling high school.

 

my graduate and my freshman have taken regular classes, and occasionally were "behind" typical high-school levels, esp. in math. That IS the reason I homeschool- to go at their pace, whatever it is.

 

They did/do have volunteer hours- Church nursery and community library. Extra-curricular activies were dance-related, which is their career path.

 

Community College was the first choice school for diamond, and will likely be for SweetChild as well.

 

Diamond is fine and doing well in college. SHe does not regret being homeschooled.

[marbel]

What about volunteering online?

 

There are groups who look for people to post things/manage their Facebook or Twitter pages.  If there's a group he likes or is interested in, he can message them and ask. (No need for in person interaction.)

 

There are online research projects which look for average volunteers, etc.

 

Hoping this isn't a derail... I would love to have some more information on this.  (OP might too?) 

 

 

[umsami]

Hoping this isn't a derail... I would love to have some more information on this.  (OP might too?) 

 

Of course, I can't find the project I was thinking of at the time….but try:

 

https://www.zooniverse.org

 

http://www.volunteermatch.org

 

 

https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/vol/

[marbel]

Of course, I can't find the project I was thinking of at the time….but try:

 

https://www.zooniverse.org

 

http://www.volunteermatch.org

 

 

https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/vol/

 

Thanks!  I have a research loving kid here.  I never thought or heard of volunteer research!  Will check it out.

 

[umsami]

Just missed it, but next year you could also do the Great Big yard Bird Count.

http://birds.audubon.org/great-backyard-bird-count

 

 

What about starting his own website/chat board for Autistic Teens like him who may have a similar interest? (So Spectrum Minecrafters if he likes Minecraft or what not.)  Even if he gets three friends to join he can still list that.  He can still say he did this… he did something.

 

For older kids another option would be to look into training to perhaps be a peer online counselor for suicide, bullying, etc.  http://www.billwilsoncenter.org/action/index.html/title/chat-4-teens-peer-counselor

 

What about organizing "love bombs" for kids who are sad or lonely…or starting a homeschool birthday club or going to a local nursing home, getting a list of the birthdays (if they'll share it), and having him make/buy a birthday card for each resident on their birthday.

 

 

[Tammi K]

I've had 4 kids go to three different state schools (different states) and not a single one was ever asked about the 'extras'.  They all applied with  relatively brief on-line forms, sent SAT scores and transcripts, and voile they were in. 

[MomatHWTK]

I have to admit, I'm envious that you are able to contemplate college for your Apsie.  Count that as a victory. 

[elegantlion]

My university is a state university that accepts everyone. So you might check statistics of the places he wants to apply. It's a step above community college and they have transfer agreements throughout the state, so it's a good place to gain experience and transfer if necessary. 

 

I worry about some of that with ds. If he can't find a job this summer, he'll be building volunteer hours by helping my parents. I know some programs don't like helping family, but in our case, they need it and if they weren't related it would be an ideal volunteer situation. 

 

He's an average student with non-average interests like Japanese and languages in general. He might dual-enroll in 1-2 classes depending upon budget and my school schedule, and he may CLEP a few classes, yet I still worry. We are limited by location and budget. For ds, he'll probably do better if they interview him. He's an engaging conversationalist when he's interested in what he's talking about. 

 

I'm hoping once I start on campus classes, I'll find some opportunities for him that aren't necessarily advertised at large. 

 

My goal is to present him in the best possible light - but it will be him that is represented. There is a place out there for him, and for your son too. In our case we may have to transition from college while living at home to transferring, but lots of kids do that. 

 

Can you find a volunteer thing you both can do? I find I'll push introverted self more if it's to help out ds. 

[fairfarmhand]

I have one kid who will be regular high school. It's okay. The world is full of average Joes. and they make the world go round.

[JFSinIL]

I take my adult son with autism once a week to spend an hour playing with the cats at our local animal shelter (we went through a required two-hours 'training" and wear our volunteer t-shirts.)

 

Once a week we go to the Northern Illinois Food Bank huge warehouse to spend two - three hours helping sort bread, cans, - whatever needs doing, usually now with the same group of regular volunteers. Most are retired folks, although there is another older mom there with her older special needs son. It is nice, because Joe is now used to seeing the same set of folks every Monday afternoon, it gets him out of the house, (me, too), and it does help the community.

 

Check and see if there is a local food bank or animal shelter where you can sign up to be trained as a volunteer with your son.

[KungFuPanda]

I would have thought that too, but talking to the local NHS advisors showed me that only about 1/4 of the high school population is participating in these kind of activities. Volunteer hours aren't that common among the population as a whole. So..if your instrument players are giving cpmmunity concerts, their church and sports groups help the community, they'll end up with colleges taking notice. Yes, if it's not on a national level some colleges won't be interested...but many will be happy to find students who are out in their own communities, contributing.

I'm surprised that there is only 1/4 participation. In my county, a set number of volunteer hours are REQUIRED for graduation.

[ThisIsTheDay]

. What is your DS doing at home when he is not doing school?

 

I'm not an expert, but as my dd went through the college app process last year, the above quote is what schools really want to know.  I don't believe they want cookie cutter kids. They want to know what makes your ds different from someone else.

 

What does your son do well, and how can you show that side of him at application time?  Are there quirky subjects that interest him, a couple of courses you can create based on what he spends his free time doing?  How can you build on that?

[HRAAB]

My oldest never took any honors or AP classes.  She was a very average student who struggled when she was younger. Very average SAT score.  She did work part-time in high school and volunteer at a local food bank.  She went to a state university.  One of my younger ones is like this also.  I'm not willing to write off AP classes or dual enrollment just yet, I really don't think it will happen.  She's a happy kid.  Most likely high school will just be regular, average high school, and she can start at community college if she wants.  It's okay.  She's happy at home, and I know I can provide what she would get at the local high school - being an average student.

 

Don't be sorry that you homeschooled them.  It's very possible it was the best option for him.

[Mrs Mungo]

I'm too afraid to post this on the high school board. Are there any of you out there who have children who are/will be average high schoolers? I mean take on-level courses, no Honors or AP? Ds will not have any volunteer hours, extra-curricular activities, or job experience when he applies to colleges. He's applying to state colleges. The last application I did was in 2010 as a transfer student but it was the regular application. It didn't ask for involvement in anything. I'm just starting to worry about ds because his high school career is so ordinary. It's a reason I regret homeschooling high school.

I think if he's planning on attending a state school and going on to a non-competitive field, then it will be fine. I think it would be wise for him to consider service clubs (my alma mater has clubs for everything from aeronautics to gaming to chess to engineers to young democrats/republicans, etc), a public speaking organization (like Toastmasters) and/or something else in college that shows teamwork, leadership and things like that. Prospective employers will eventually want to hear about those things.

[Dicentra]

I'm not in the States, OP, so you can ignore me if you like. :)

 

To me, the bigger question is...  What's the purpose of things like extracurriculars, volunteer work, or part-time jobs for teens?  (I realize that everyone is going to answer that differently. :))  Maybe, OP, you and your son could answer that question together.  If you both agree that the point (for you) to all of those things is just to have things to put on a college application for a selective school and he doesn't want to go to a selective school, then you can alleviate some of your worry and not push yourselves to do those types of things.  If you decide that the point to them (for you) is something less tangible (experience in the "real" world, confidence, gaining a social skill set, etc.), then maybe it's worth pushing yourselves out of your comfort zone even if those things won't be needed for a selective school application.

 

I think it all depends on what you and your family see as the purpose of extracurriculars, volunteer work, and part-time jobs for teens. :)

 

And please understand - I'm not making any value judgments on anyone's thoughts on the purpose of those things for teens!  Everyone's family is different, everyone's situation is different, and everyone has to answer the "purpose" question for themselves.

 

Just my two cents. (Even though we don't have pennies in Canada anymore.  Maybe I'll have to round up and make it my five cents.  Doesn't seem worth five cents, though...)

[Pawz4me]

I don't know, but do state schools REALLY care that one is in the art club or walks dogs for old people? I'd think so long as the grades are ok (I didn't say awesome) the student could get into the school. And if the grades are not ok then maybe the student really needs to spend some time at the CC getting up to par.

 

I wonder if anyone at these schools reads all this info.

It probably depends on the school. It takes an

Impressive resume to get in a "public ivy" and

probably many strong state flagship schools. Most satellite/"directional" campuses are typically less selective.

[catz]

It probably depends on the school. It takes an

Impressive resume to get in a "public ivy" and

probably many strong state flagship schools. Most satellite/"directional" campuses are typically less selective.

It does depend on the school. I think things, even at state schools, are much more competitive than they used to be in terms of schools just wanting to see a little personality on your application. At CC, not so much and if you do well there, you can likely get into a more competitive college. And I do agree that is a good road for many kids to take.

 

I would also say as someone who went away to college and has watched friends kids go away to college the last number of years, getting into college is just one step in long road to a degree. Acceptance into college does not mean a kid will be successful and graduate. Success in college also means having the ability to advocate for oneself. If he has a designated diagnosis that he can get services with on a campus, I'd be looking at colleges that have a strong history of working with special needs students. Has he taken outside classes of any kind where he's had to work with a teacher's constraints and deadlines? If he hasn't done much of that kind of thing, I'd sign him for at a minimum an online elective class to try.

 

I have friends that have sent aspie/LD kids to college. My own kids are quirky, so it is in an interest area for me. I guess I'd not necessarily be getting my kid to do crazy out of character things to prep for college at this point in the game. I'd be looking for ways where he can practice communication skills.

[NASDAQ]

In Canada they don't care.

 

I think getting an aspie through high school and to college or jr college is bloody impressive.

[Lolly]

I'm surprised that there is only 1/4 participation. In my county, a set number of volunteer hours are REQUIRED for graduation.

 

Pet peeve: Those are service hours not volunteer hours. Basically, it is forced servitude. They should call it what it is. There is no volunteering involved.

 

 

 

My first had nothing special. She decided to stay home and attend CC first. It was an excellent choice. It has made absolutely no difference in her success or acceptance into college.

 

Unless he is trying to get into a competitive school, it won't make a bit of difference. Just make sure you check the requirements for the schools he is applying. Grades and ACT/SAT scores are what is most important for the majority of schools. 

[umsami]

I didn't know that there were state schools that were pretty open admissions. I grew up in Michigan, and getting into U of M was not a guarantee.  Michigan State was easier, but still not a guarantee.  Here in Florida…same thing for University of Florida and Florida State, although I think U of M is above the University of Florida.

 

How do I find out which schools are open admissions? Does anybody have a list?

[catz]

I didn't know that there were state schools that were pretty open admissions. I grew up in Michigan, and getting into U of M was not a guarantee.  Michigan State was easier, but still not a guarantee.  Here in Florida…same thing for University of Florida and Florida State, although I think U of M is above the University of Florida.

 

How do I find out which schools are open admissions? Does anybody have a list?

Our largest state school is now HIGHLY competitive. It's pretty ridiculous. So maybe I have a warped world view in this regard and all our friends are living in this same warped world. I find it interesting that some schools have open admissions. I am glad there are options out there for all kinds of graduates.

[bettyandbob]

If you aren't looking at very competitive programs, extracurriculars are not going to matter. 

 

My niece didn't have anything extra. She did have pretty serious LDs which she overcame and learned to work with. For colleges which required essays one of her essays was about to learning to read as an 8th grader. As a student with aspergers, your ds probably has something similar to share (if he's willing) that would be impressive. 

 

All schools that accept federal funds must have programs for students with disabilities. Be sure to check out the disability services at the schools your ds is considering. Some schools offer extensive programs and some do not. Are you involved in any local parent support groups? If you are ask parents with older dc where their dc went to college and what support they got. 

[kewb]

Academically my high schooler is quite average.  No AP or Honors classes.  He does lifeguard during the summer and he participates on 2 swim teams.  I don't think there is anything extraordinary about his resume. 

 

Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better if I had sent him to high school. I am playing my hand to the best of my abilities.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Dd13 volunteers as a Mindcraft administrator as one of her volunteer jobs. There are all types of Internet chat moderators needed which can be filled by the video game loving, introverted bedroom loving kiddos. What is your DS doing at home when he is not doing school?

 

DS31 got his volunteer work in at the local blood bank. I think he only swept the floors or wiped down chairs when donors left. It was not much.

 

Even a kiddo living in the middle of nowhere can walk down the street picking up trash. Just call the city council/mayor's office to find out who will sign his volunteer sheet.

 

Your question of whether or not volunteer work is necessary is probably going to depend on the college. If you have a few local colleges in mind, call up the admissions office and ask. My DS only needed the volunteer work to get into medical school. For undergraduate, the state college just needed a GED and a check since he was a high school dropout. That was over 10 years ago, however. Things have changed greatly since then.

 

In reference to the "Mindcraft", did you mean Minecraft?  If so could you tell us how your DD went about finding the volunteer position?  If it isn't Minecraft, could you tell me what mindcraft is? Sounds perfect for many of our children.

[kroe1]

In reference to the "Mindcraft", did you mean Minecraft? If so could you tell us how your DD went about finding the volunteer position? If it isn't Minecraft, could you tell me what mindcraft is? Sounds perfect for many of our children.

Oops! Yes, it is Minecraft. Perhaps this is a Freudian slip because I want to believe there is some mind stimulating purpose behind the hours wasted. She got the job because she has a friend who has a server. He was the sound man at the local community theater where DD did quite a bit of acting. His server is not very active so there is not much for her to do. She does waste quite a bit of time on a more active server, however. She also helps teach 3 hours of dance classes to younger students which is easier for me to keep track of for any future purpose I may need.

 

I did want to mention it, however, because there are many online opportunities for introverts.

[NASDAQ]

Where are you guys located? Lots of places have online volunteer registries. Our local one is called GoVolunteer.

 

Here's an example:

http://www.volunteercentralohio.org/

 

ETA: Checked your profile. Try

http://www.volunteermatch.org/?l=Georgia#

[Lolly]

I didn't know that there were state schools that were pretty open admissions. I grew up in Michigan, and getting into U of M was not a guarantee.  Michigan State was easier, but still not a guarantee.  Here in Florida…same thing for University of Florida and Florida State, although I think U of M is above the University of Florida.

 

How do I find out which schools are open admissions? Does anybody have a list?

 

Found this link. You can sort by state and selectivity (open, low, medium, ...). It isn't all that discriminating though. Two of our state schools I am fairly familiar with have the same ratings. One is much higher in price and more selective. The other is less expensive and has automatic acceptance of in state students with a 3.0 gpa and 22 ACT score. So, fairly open, but more than just a high school diploma. The minimum requirements are the same at both schools, but I don't think the other has an automatic acceptance level. (Never looked into it.) The average ACT score for entering freshmen is a good bit higher at the more expensive school.

[ThisIsTheDay]

 

 

Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better if I had sent him to high school. I am playing my hand to the best of my abilities.

 

:grouphug:   I think there are pros and cons to both public (or private) school and homeschooling.  You can't give him the same opportunities he would have at a public school.  But a public school can't give him the same opportunities he has at home.  They are just different, and just like each of our homeschools are different, each public school is different also.

 

You've just said you are doing the best you can. I would encourage you to not second guess yourself.  This is such a special time you have with your son

 

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[swellmomma]

my kids will be.  Colleges out here don't give a crap if you volunteer, have extra currics or a job unless you are applying for scholarships.  Just to get in you need the same pre-req courses across the province. While some schools offer AP classes they are not the norm here.  So my kids will have just plain jane regular high school classes.  They are taking a few things that do not qualify for credits so they will be in their portfolio not their transcript incase they apply to one of the 2 schools that does an interview and portfolio review for homeschoolers applying.  If they hold a job in high school it will be fast food, so nothing fancy.  They do have extracurrics but they are not with an eye to college, they have them because they enjoy them.  The 2 schools they are considering have pretty open admissions if you have the high school pre-reqs, specifically grade 12 english for all degrees, math and science for stem degrees.  No needed extras, so they will focus on the basics.  

[OneStepAtATime]

I'm too afraid to post this on the high school board. Are there any of you out there who have children who are/will be average high schoolers? I mean take on-level courses, no Honors or AP? Ds will not have any volunteer hours, extra-curricular activities, or job experience when he applies to colleges. He's applying to state colleges. The last application I did was in 2010 as a transfer student but it was the regular application. It didn't ask for involvement in anything. I'm just starting to worry about ds because his high school career is so ordinary. It's a reason I regret homeschooling high school.

I know that some of the posts on the high school board can be intimidating.  Hugs.  Don't get too stressed out.  There are bound to be some colleges in your area that are not needing a lot of bells and whistles listed.  Honestly, as others have posted, the need to have volunteer work, extra curriculars and part time jobs listed on your transcript really, really depends on the college/university.  In my state this varies widely.  There are some state schools here that just don't care.  There are state schools here that are highly competitive and extremely hard to get in to and will definitely look at the extras.  Same with smaller private schools.  Some care, some don't.  But surely there are ones that don't care that are at least sort of near you.  Is he planning to attend while staying at home? I realize that may limit options a bit.  Contact the schools.  Look at ALL the options.  If he has diagnosed LD's of any kind then see which schools have strong support systems in place.  If he needs a diagnosis to be recent, then GET it, so that he will have access to help at the college level.

 

But I wanted to ask you, how important are checking off these boxes to get into college for you and your child?   Maybe doing some of those things is actually more needed not for checking off boxes but for giving him some exposure to life skills that he may need as a college student and as an adult.  Will he be able to handle college and even adulthood without those experiences?  Maybe doing some sort of volunteer work or an extra curricular activity or getting a part time job now, while he has immediate support, even if it makes you both uncomfortable, would be extremely helpful for preparing him long-term to develop some coping skills and abilities for functioning in society, and to help him get better prepared to deal with college level situations and adult level situations that are bound to arise that he has not yet had to face.  

 

I know this can be terribly intimidating.  As others have suggested, maybe start small, with something you both can do together, and only once in a while at first.  Do either of you like animals?  Maybe you could both volunteer at a local animal shelter.  I realize you are uncomfortable calling but most shelters welcome cold calls.  You don't need to know anyone.  They usually really need volunteers to stay afloat.

 

Does your child like the idea of helping people without a lot of interaction?  What about, as others have mentioned, the local food bank?  You might not have to interact with anyone consistently.  At the food bank in our area when we have volunteered the kids just stuff bags with food or clean off cans or toss away old food.  No need to really talk to anyone if your child is not comfortable with interaction.  And they very much welcome cold call volunteering from the general public.

 

Anyway, huge hugs and best wishes to you and your family.  

[KungFuPanda]

Pet peeve: Those are service hours not volunteer hours. Basically, it is forced servitude. They should call it what it is. There is no volunteering involved.

 

 

 

My first had nothing special. She decided to stay home and attend CC first. It was an excellent choice. It has made absolutely no difference in her success or acceptance into college.

 

Unless he is trying to get into a competitive school, it won't make a bit of difference. Just make sure you check the requirements for the schools he is applying. Grades and ACT/SAT scores are what is most important for the majority of schools.

I think they do call them service hours. My mistake. It's just one more thing the schools require that the students might not take the initiative to do on their own.