With how many credits does a student usually graduate?

[Melissa B]

I was thinking 28 credits (7 per year.)

 

Now, the town we are moving to has a charter school for 9th-12th my dd would like to attend. We will be going to the open house in April to be sure. If she does go - she will receive 3.5 credits per year from the school. If I add that to the work she does at home she will have 9 credits per year. There aren't any additional classes we want to drop, and there aren't any that we don't want to show up on her transcript. Does 9 credits per year look ridiculous? Should I just drop one of the classes she does at home from her transcript and look on it as more of an enrichment class? :) Or could I list one class as a summer class (even though she did it during the school year)? We school year round so even the semester break down isn't completely accurate.

 

Her 3.5 from the school would be 1 credit English, 2 credits science, .5 credit art. So each year she would be getting 3.5 from a high school and 5.5 from a homeschool transcript made by me.

 

 

I guess what I am actually asking is how many credits are too many?

[MaryM]

My understanding is that a majority of people do 6-7 a year but we have always done 8-9 a year of "academic" credits not including music, art, theatre or pe. For what it is worth, our umbrella school limits credits to 10 a year, excluding non-academic courses. I personally think you are fine.

 

HTH,

Mary

[Kareni]

... she will receive 3.5 credits per year from the school. If I add that to the work she does at home she will have 9 credits per year. ...

 

Her 3.5 from the school would be 1 credit English, 2 credits science, .5 credit art. So each year she would be getting 3.5 from a high school and 5.5 from a homeschool transcript made by me. ...

 

What do the 5.5 credits from home consist of? Could any of those (i.e., music) be considered an extracurricular activity?

 

Two credits of science also strikes me as unusual especially if it is two credits each year of highschool. What do those science credits consist of?

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Gwen in VA]

You want the number to be "normal" enough to maintain your credibility.

 

Twenty years ago or so, the norm (at my high school) was 5 per year -- so a total of 20 or a little more. I graduated with 24.5 by doing 6 academic subjects two years plus electives.

 

Nowadays it is a bit more confursed -- block scheduling allows students to take 8 credits per year.

 

Whatever number you end up with, make sure that it represents good solid class work!

[Melissa B]

What do the 5.5 credits from home consist of? Could any of those (i.e., music) be considered an extracurricular activity?

 

Two credits of science also strikes me as unusual especially if it is two credits each year of highschool. What do those science credits consist of?

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

The 5.5 will be:

 

Latin (1 cr)- taken with Scholars Online

Greek (1 cr)- taken with Scholars Online

Math (1 cr) - taken at home

History/Literature (2 crs) - Great Books taken through GBA or ETS

Modern Language (.5 cr) - taken at home

 

The science credits are solid - the charter school is specifically for science. (I don't know if I would consider the English and art worth 1.5 credits. But, I don't think I can do anything about that as they are given by the school.)

 

I know it looks like a lot, but this particular dd of mine is capable and willing. She is a good student and doesn't want to drop anything from this list. Should I just insist it is too much? I think she can do it, but nine credits seems like quite a bit to me. I could let her try, and drop something if need be. But really, I think she can do it and am more concerned with how this will look on a transcript. Dd is very focused and would like to go to a competitive college. I don't want a transcript that looks padded and will in the end hurt her chances.

[Kareni]

Hello again, Melissa,

 

Well, it does sound like they are all solid subjects that you'd be justified in putting on her transcript. Can you drop the charter school's English? or does that come part and parcel of the deal? (Without that and given that she has one home credit for Literature, she'd come out with 8 credits.)

 

Is this all for your ten year old? If she's motivated, I'd say go for it. And make adjustments if necessary. Three languages sounds wonderful to me.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Melissa B]

Thanks Kareni,

 

I think I will just go with the nine credits. She can't drop the English/art. She has to attend the full program if she goes. She is only 10 (but will be 11 shortly.) In some ways it seems I am planning way ahead, but really, if she wants to go to the charter school I have to supply a transcript beginning with this year's classes. We need to attend the registration meeting in April. And she begins her online classes next year. It all seems to come up so fast. In the blink of an eye, I am no longer planning ahead, but scrambling to keep up. :)

[QueenCat]

Our umbrella school allows up to 10 per year. 7 during the traditional school year, 3 during the summer. They do not allow more than 1 English in a year. They say that literature, writing, grammar are not to be listed separately. That's about the only they're restrictive about. When I asked, they said it's because colleges won't believe more than 1 credit of English per year.

[kate in seattle]

She is only 10 (but will be 11 shortly.) In some ways it seems I am planning way ahead, but really, if she wants to go to the charter school I have to supply a transcript beginning with this year's classes. :)

 

So she will be applying to colleges when she is 14? Or will she be waiting until she is 15 or 16? In some cases, (such as the University of Washington) colleges will only look at the four years prior, so it may make no difference what she does this year.

 

This is a very intense load for someone who is - age-wise - a fifth grader. Does she really have the depth and insight to do a high school lit course? Do you want her reading high school lit at this age?

 

kate in seattle