s/o 8th grade planning... looking ahead to high school

[Farrar]

I realized I don't really care about 8th grade planning for next year much. We're doing what we're doing for the most part. And I definitely don't want to nitty gritty plan 9th grade yet - a year and a half away is way too far ahead for me in anything but the most general terms. But it is on my mind. In particular, I've been thinking about the ways in which it will look different once we've crossed the threshold from middle to high school. Right now we do things very interdisciplinary. I don't know if I'll continue that or not. Or what we'll be doing that's different exactly. We did radically change things up going from grammar to logic stage - grammar stage we did a whole history and science cycle very methodically. But logic stage we moved to doing unit studies about different topics and being much more child-led. I had originally thought we'd go back to being more top down - history class, science class, etc. But now I'm not sure. Some people in the 8th grade planning thread talked about already looking at college requirements. This isn't a specific question... more like, an open ended meandering. What are people thinking about in regards to next steps...

[Roadrunner]

I have an entire high school planned out. I understand things can change, but 😳 I can't help it.

We are in CA, so the peculiarity of UC admissions dictate certain structure. While I would love to ignore UCs, I am afraid they might end up being our only financially viable options.

So while we plan on certain structure, we will improvise within it. So we will take foreign language SAT for UC, but much if what we study will be very custom made. For example, we might do one year studying francophone lit in French.

I plan on taking a similar approach to other subjects - highly customized to their strength and along the interest lines while knocking out whatever testing we must do to look pretty for UCs.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Roadrunner

[madteaparty]

I realized I don't really care about 8th grade planning for next year much. We're doing what we're doing for the most part. And I definitely don't want to nitty gritty plan 9th grade yet - a year and a half away is way too far ahead for me in anything but the most general terms. But it is on my mind. In particular, I've been thinking about the ways in which it will look different once we've crossed the threshold from middle to high school. Right now we do things very interdisciplinary. I don't know if I'll continue that or not. Or what we'll be doing that's different exactly. We did radically change things up going from grammar to logic stage - grammar stage we did a whole history and science cycle very methodically. But logic stage we moved to doing unit studies about different topics and being much more child-led. I had originally thought we'd go back to being more top down - history class, science class, etc. But now I'm not sure. Some people in the 8th grade planning thread talked about already looking at college requirements. This isn't a specific question... more like, an open ended meandering. What are people thinking about in regards to next steps...

 I am also working backwards from college requirements and many of my decisions had to be made back when we moved house last year. He wants to go to school in the UK, therefore we need APs, period, full stop. Either the very nice local public will agree to fund these on his schedule, or we will do this thing of 1-2 DE classes a semester, and online AP classes the rest of the time. I hope to have some clarity this summer as I am taking most of 8th grade off...He loves in person classes, so that is something I can no longer neglect :(

[SilverMoon]

.

Edited June 19 by SilverMoon

[tmstranger]

Looking at 9th grade just overwhelms me...

 

This will be my 1st and at this point, we're not sure if he'll be homeschooling or not, so I just keep working on what I think he needs to work on...his weaknesses.

 

Following this thread, though!!

[Farrar]

I swing wildly between thinking high school will be no big deal (I mean, I've taught high school, so it doesn't feel like it's a secret, arcane experience) to feeling super intimidated by it.

 

We don't have any state universities to prepare for. We can potentially get in state tuition in any state, but we have to apply out of state. It occurred to me that maybe I should look at Indiana just in case for BalletBoy - several of the graduates of his studio have gotten scholarships there and it's obviously the best for dance. But beyond that, I have no clue. And who knows if he'd be good enough or if he'll still want to dance in college at that point. It would be a lot easier if there was a flagship state university that we could be aiming toward. Mushroom would love to follow in his father's footsteps and go to Hampshire, but that's some next level expensive.

[Farrar]

I think one of the things that I'm kind of rebelling against in my thinking is that I like that we've been relaxed and flexible in how we've done school so far. And I think we've had some rigor too. I mean, both the boys will finish algebra before the end of 8th grade. They can both write a basic essay. It wasn't my goal to have them be doing calculus and AP classes in middle school. I think we're doing okay. But I like being able to change things up, to design work based on their interests, to keep their options open and change gears...

 

My fear is that I feel an oncoming pressure to either do a very standard high school path to make them appealing to any decent school. Or... to help them specialize and aim for a specific couple of schools, a specific future career or couple of career options and by doing so make their schooling be more tailored and specific. And I don't like either of those choices. Like, obviously we have to check the boxes that are needed, but I'd rather do it with some level of flexibility and creativity instead of with a very straight up forward march toward rigor sort of a thing. But I also don't think they know what they want to do yet. And I would rather be able to keep changing gears and stopping things that don't work in order to be able to follow a rabbit trail.

 

I mean, can you do that for high school? Can you Reggio Emilia your high school curriculum (aka, do it backwards the Reggio Emilia way where you do the stuff and then say what the class was?).

[Julie of KY]

I  have one entering high school, one in high school and one graduating.

 

I certainly think you can be flexible and creative in how you do things. Of course certain subjects like math are much more structured in the order and expectations. However, other assignments/projects/rabbit trails can cross between certain subjects. You have to be careful you are doing enough in each subject to be able to assign a full credit if you are doing so. For some courses, I let me kids follow their passions and then wrote it up as an elective.

 

I definitely change things up as we go and redefine where we are going. As long as at the end education is occurring and the student is meeting expectations then you are accomplishing stuff.

 

I do think you have to keep in mind college requirements assuming your student is college bound. However every requirement does not have to be the most rigorous. You can do some subjects "lite" so that you have more time to spend in other passions. Follow your instincts and still have fun with high school.

[Arcadia]

I mean, can you do that for high school? Can you Reggio Emilia your high school curriculum (aka, do it backwards the Reggio Emilia way where you do the stuff and then say what the class was?).

Why not. I think only the traditional high school math courses are more rigid in curriculum use as in people are more likely to list one or two textbooks used rather than a reading list.

 

For my current 7th grader, he wants to keep the option of B&M high school open. My district also have an early college high school program. So we could possibly do public high school, or private high school or dual enrollment and private tuition centers for a la carte high school classes. He does not want to go to college early so we will have time to go wide if we do a la carte B&M private classes for high school.

[Roadrunner]

I think math and sciences are straightforward. I have a math lover, so he will continue with that subject to whatever place it takes him. It's also easy to put a box around those courses. I feel similar with science. I wouldn't want to graduate my kid without knowledge of Chem, bio, physics, so anything they want to study beyond that, be my guest. I feel that I can label it an elective and make everyone happy.

I think the true creativity really lies within liberal arts courses, because those can be designed in a million ways! And absolutely, we can first teach it and then figure how it can be packaged.

[madteaparty]

I'll pm you

Edited January 24, 2017 by madteaparty

[Farrar]

 

 

I know there's a clearer "path" with STEM subjects, but I guess I don't think it *has* to be. Like, why can't one get creative with the sciences too? I guess this is where I don't totally get it. But in my idealized vision, yeah, you have to have "a" biology and "a" physical science and at least one lab and all that, but can you get away with doing a specific topic in biology instead of a general course? Or doing a semester of a long term child-led project that's very specific? I dunno. And I'd like to think that even if my kids aren't "STEM" (and oy I hate that term) superstars that they can get a solid background then go on to study a science in college if they really want to.

 

As for language arts... I had such a stellar language arts high school experience that I feel like I totally get what that looks like. It's piles of books, piles of literary criticism, being able to pick apart your Faulkner and Joyce and so forth and reference the Bible and the fairy tales and all the epics. It goes deeper, but mostly it's just more and more and more. Watch out though... do too good a job and he'll end up like me... unable to stomach doing an English degree because I realized it would be three years of reading everything *again* and doing all the same things over before I could get to anything new.

Edited January 24, 2017 by Farrar

[Arcadia]

I know there's a clearer "path" with STEM subjects, but I guess I don't think it *has* to be. Like, why can't one get creative with the sciences too? I guess this is where I don't totally get it. But in my idealized vision, yeah, you have to have "a" biology and "a" physical science and at least one lab and all that, but can you get away with doing a specific topic in biology instead of a general course?

My younger boy did a DIY marine biology course not at high school level and after attending a marine science institute open house decided that he is not interested anymore or he would have taken marine biology as one of his high school science choices.

I think Anatomy and Physiology as well as Zoology which are offered at my local high schools count as a biological science. So there are more choices than just biology for biological sciences.

[Roadrunner]

I know there's a clearer "path" with STEM subjects, but I guess I don't think it *has* to be. Like, why can't one get creative with the sciences too? I guess this is where I don't totally get it. But in my idealized vision, yeah, you have to have "a" biology and "a" physical science and at least one lab and all that, but can you get away with doing a specific topic in biology instead of a general course? Or doing a semester of a long term child-led project that's very specific? I dunno. And I'd like to think that even if my kids aren't "STEM" (and oy I hate that term) superstars that they can get a solid background then go on to study a science in college if they really want to.

w.

You know, UCs must be the trickiest universities to satisfy, but I would be surprised if colleges, especially liberal arts schools weren't easier to please with creative sciences. I don't see why you can't pull and stretch and add and refocus on different topics as opposed to following the standard layout. I see Rose is doing an interesting Ecology study, certainly outside of what we think of a standard box.

[Farrar]

You know, UCs must be the trickiest universities to satisfy, but I would be surprised if colleges, especially liberal arts schools weren't easier to please with creative sciences. I don't see why you can't pull and stretch and add and refocus on different topics as opposed to following the standard layout. I see Rose is doing an interesting Ecology study, certainly outside of what we think of a standard box.

 

Yes. Rose had a good thread on the high school board that I saw awhile ago about being more eclectic going into high school. 

 

I think I want to believe that I can keep being as eclectic as we've been and I can't get a handle on whether that's true. And if it's not true if I need to either really carpe diem with the rabbit trails next year or prep ourselves in some way or just mentally start gearing up.

[Soror]

Following along, this has been on my mind as well. I have it on my list to call some colleges to get a better idea of how wide of a range of classes they accept but I've not done it yet. I expect my ds to go to the local CC and transfer to the state college which has a STEM focus, that has always been his interest and there is an articulation agreement between the 2. I've read admission requirements but they all have lists followed by an ETC, which isn't that specific ;)

 

Of course, my son is pretty laid back, he'll likely go with whatever and not be too phased. As he seems headed down a STEM path I want to make sure his humanities education gets extra attention now as it won't as much in college. 

[Momto6inIN]

We're probably more traditional in high school than many others on these boards, but we have tried to keep some of the flexibility and interest led stuff we love about hs'ing in our high school experience while still making a recognizable and somewhat standard transcript. We've gone traditional with core classes like math and science and English and foreign language but we've been much more open and out of the box when it comes to electives and history. It seems to be a nice mix for us.

 

Sent from my Z988 using Tapatalk

[HeWillSoar]

I have 9th grade fairly planned out for my 7th grader because I think he's probably going to take a STEM path but things like AP and honors classes, grading and transcripts AND doing a good job with his education really scare me.  I'm working on that now for my current 9th grader but he's taking more of a community college tract because of his learning differences so there is not the same pressure.  

Edited January 25, 2017 by HeWillSoar

[lisabees]

My kids wove their passions within a traditional path.

 

They took the APs and the subject tests, while exploring rabbit trails.  But all of that was possible because they were very capable of that path.  They knew (and I knew) by 8th/9th grade that they would be applying to selective schools.  If I thought that top tier schools weren't in their future, I would slow down on the testing and just let them follow their interests within a traditional path.

 

But - that assumes that kid has passions! Middle school is the time to actively find that passion in our household.  DD13 took a lot longer than the boys.  She is in 8th grade and found linguistics and languages.  I cannot say for sure that she will be applying to selective schools.  That will be up to her and how willing she is to make academics a priority. She is different than the boys in that way, but is just as capable.  She loves Oberlin (where her oldest brother graduated  :001_smile: ).  She is just beginning to ask what will get her there with a scholarship.

 

Other than having four years of each subject and three of a language, I don't stress at all about staying within the box.  In fact, because liberal arts colleges tend to be a favorite here, showing how the student took advantage of homeschooling is key.  Remember that colleges like that don't want well-rounded students.  They want a well-rounded student body/community.  

 

All that said, next year dd will be in ninth.  She is changing rapidly, so there is no way to plan that far in advance.  I do think I will sign her up for Lukeion Latin.  She will do conceptual physics.  She will do algebra 2 next, instead of geometry.  I follow that path in math and science. 

 

The one thing to remember about colleges - SATs are pretty much everything.  Yes, you can balance it out with high AP scores etc, but your SAT score is a good indicator of the colleges that are a good fit.  If your kid is reading challenging books and has a very solid grasp on math, he is golden.  And he could gain a half decent amount with test prep.  But, again, if your kid isn't shooting for the stars, there is no need to stress about this.  

 

HeWillSoar - as someone on the boards once said, "Being a guidance counselor is not for the faint of heart."  THAT I stress about, having just gone through the application process with DS17.  

 

 

Just some of my thoughts and experiences!

[lisabees]

I swing wildly between thinking high school will be no big deal (I mean, I've taught high school, so it doesn't feel like it's a secret, arcane experience) to feeling super intimidated by it.

 

We don't have any state universities to prepare for. We can potentially get in state tuition in any state, but we have to apply out of state. It occurred to me that maybe I should look at Indiana just in case for BalletBoy - several of the graduates of his studio have gotten scholarships there and it's obviously the best for dance. But beyond that, I have no clue. And who knows if he'd be good enough or if he'll still want to dance in college at that point. It would be a lot easier if there was a flagship state university that we could be aiming toward. Mushroom would love to follow in his father's footsteps and go to Hampshire, but that's some next level expensive.

 

I'm almost certain that Hampshire doesn't offer merit aid.  That's another level of preparation - emotional preparation if merit aid is needed.  Many don't qualify for financial aid, even though they think they should!

 

So - heads up about merit aid - if needed.  

 

1. Throw off the table all schools that don't offer it.  Don't even let your kid get his hopes up!

2.  Research schools that offer merit aid - a lot of it to a lot of students.  Yes, some offer $5,000 to the top 5%.  Not good enough!

3.  Apply to schools where your kid's scores are in the top 25%.  Chances are greater to get that aid.

4.  Midwest schools tend to offer great merit aid.  

 

I am getting ahead of myself.  But by 11th grade, these are the kinds of things I worry about!

Edited January 25, 2017 by lisabees

[lisabees]

I think math and sciences are straightforward. I have a math lover, so he will continue with that subject to whatever place it takes him. It's also easy to put a box around those courses. I feel similar with science. I wouldn't want to graduate my kid without knowledge of Chem, bio, physics, so anything they want to study beyond that, be my guest. I feel that I can label it an elective and make everyone happy.

I think the true creativity really lies within liberal arts courses, because those can be designed in a million ways! And absolutely, we can first teach it and then figure how it can be packaged.

 

Yup!

[EndOfOrdinary]

To keep you options open, I think you mainly need to focus on if your kids can test well. If you have some hyper specific course like Genetic Differentiation of the Eastern Tit Mouse and then they get a great score on the AP Bio test or the SATII, that seems like a major asset for the college track. You have a very interesting course, the kid has a definite learning interest or passion, and your bases are covered with outside verification at the national level.

 

You just list Early Feminist Literature During the Italian Reniassance, well then no one knows if the student has their history or literature bases covered. It doesn't really show colleges anything. Without a way to somehow quantify the interesting learning in more standard terms, all you have are very esoteric mommy grades. That gets a bit dicey.

 

It does not sound like any of your kids want to shoot for tippy top schools. If that were the case, most start prepping in 7th grade, which means that ninth should definitely be figured out. Large amounts of extensive research has been done on the courses/community/interests for the ridiculous transcripts most of elite schools seem to want. If your kids are leaning that way, interesting classes and fancy scores are the way to go.

[Ms Brooks]

We are in the middle of our 8th grade year looking toward high school, but we are still very much working through middle school coursework.

 

Algebra will be completed with ease. 

 

One of my main focuses for the last half of this year is to get writing speed up so that DD can write a response essay in one sitting, a kind of mini-prep for AP written responses, plus more fluidity in writing for different purposes.

 

We are also pursuing self study with an eye toward high school AP.

 

I also want to make sure we complete the last leg of our four year history cycle, concluding with contemporary history to present. Within this section of history I want to including a bit of civics, government, and propaganda. Geography is an ongoing reminder of places and names.

 

Middle school physics will be completed with ease.

 

I am looking at the end of middle school as a time to ensure skills to succeed in high school are in place. I don't want to add advanced work right now. Time management with a teen is a challenge when outside activities are daily. We are working on finding a balance.

 

 

[8filltheheart]

Yes, it is absolutely possible even within the framework of the standard list of courses that colleges want. Some subjects give far more leeway than others. Math is pretty standard here bc I do not know enough math to even think about it being non-standard. My kids have added in courses that were completely interest-directed in addition to the main core. For example, my current college student's high school science sequence looked like this:

 

9th: chemistry and astronomy 1

10th: AP chem and astronomy 2

11th: DE physics (both semesters) and at home independent study of black holes and dark matter

12th: DE for 3 physics classes and at home biology

 

He absolutely loved his at self-study astronomy courses. At his university he wanted to sign up for a course that had astronomy pre-reqs, and when he talked to the professor about his self-study courses, he gave him an override for the pre-req requirement.

 

So that is one way to open up freedom to pursue pure interests.

 

Literature has always been a place we have loved our freedom. That ds had a lot credit for a literature course I created around the movie Inception. We read books focused on illusion, myths centered around allusions in the movie, etc. (Some of the books we read were Flatland, Through the Looking Glass, Fahrenheit 451, Allegory of the Cave, myths around Ariadne and the Minotaur, etc.) It was incredibly interesting. We loved it.

 

He had a course built around the Birth of the Modern Mind and the philosophy of the 17th and 18th centuries and how that influenced the relationship between science and religion.

 

My current 12th grader is a different student than her older siblings. She had a clear vision of what she type of education she wanted for herself. She did not want to take APs, and she didn't want to DE. (Though she did decide to take stats this semester.) She saw high school as her last opportunity to immerse herself in the subjects she really wanted to dig into with the freedom homeschooling allowed. So we launched into this with her completely understanding that the consequence might be limited college options bc other than her SAT scores, she really only has one outside teacher--Russian. (She has been working with a Francophone, but she is not a teacher. They meet to converse, do book studies, discuss current events, etc) We were fairly confident admissions would not be a problem, but we weren't so sure about scholarships which are absolutely necessary.

 

She has courses like the Apologetics in the Works of CS Lewis; Fairy Tales, Legends, and Myths; Russian Literature: War and Peace; Science Fiction and Fantasy; Shakespeare: A Senior Capstone Thesis; Communism in the 20th Century; Russian History, etc. Her French courses were not like typical high school French courses. She read a lot of literature, watched the French news, watched movies, etc alongside a grammar book.

 

She did take courses that were required to fulfill high school subjects that are necessary for a college prep education (sciences, for her, bc science is her least favorite subject.) She discovered a love for economics.

 

When she applied to colleges, I provided in-depth course descriptions. She wrote essays discussing her ownership over her education and how much she loves to learn. She described her literary research (the fairy tale and Shakespeare studies were (are) heavy research courses). And, now that the college app dust is settling, she actually has more options than all of her older siblings combined bc of the scholarships she has been offered. Right now, she as a pretty clear top choice and it was her "I can't get excited about it as a possibility" school bc we couldn't afford it without their very top scholarship. I am glad she was firm in her resolve, bc her high school experience has been exactly what she wanted.

 

Fwiw, she has found CLEPs allow freedom of studying how she wants while still enabling college credit. Most of the schools she applied to (we are merit scholarship seekers, so elites with only need-based aid are not part of our application process) do grant CLEP credit. She will CLEP out of approx 2 semesters worth of courses.

 

Don't know if that helps or not. (Sorry if this is full of typos or is full of gaps. I am multitasking.)

Edited January 26, 2017 by 8FillTheHeart

[Ms Brooks]

Yes, it is absolutely possible even within the framework of the standard list of courses that colleges want. Some subjects give far more leeway than others. Math is pretty standard here bc I do not know enough math to even think about it being non-standard. My kids have added in courses that were completely interest-directed in addition to the main core. For example, my current college student's high school science sequence looked like this:

 

9th: chemistry and astronomy 1

10th: AP chem and astronomy 2

11th: DE physics (both semesters) and at home independent study of black holes and dark matter

12th: DE for 3 physics classes and at home biology

 

He absolutely loved his at self-study astronomy courses. At his university he wanted to sign up for a course that had astronomy pre-reqs, and when he talked to the professor about his self-study courses, he gave him an override for the pre-req requirement.

 

So that is one way to open up freedom to pursue pure interests.

 

Literature has always been a place we have loved our freedom. That ds had a lot credit for a literature course I created around the movie Inception. We read books focused on illusion, myths centered around allusions in the movie, etc. (Some of the books we read were Flatland, Through the Looking Glass, Fahrenheit 451, Allegory of the Cave, myths around Ariadne and the Minotaur, etc.) It was incredibly interesting. We loved it.

 

He had a course built around the Birth of the Modern Mind and the philosophy of the 17th and 18th centuries and how that influenced the relationship between science and religion.

 

My current 12th grader is a different student than her older siblings. She had a clear vision of what she type of education she wanted for herself. She did not want to take APs, and she didn't want to DE. (Though she did decide to take stats this semester.) She saw high school as her last opportunity to immerse herself in the subjects she really wanted to dig into with the freedom homeschooling allowed. So we launched into this with her completely understanding that the consequence might be limited college options bc other than her SAT scores, she really only has one outside teacher--Russian. (She has been working with a Francophone, but she is not a teacher. They meet to converse, do book studies, discuss current events, etc) We were fairly confident admissions would not be a problem, but we weren't so sure about scholarships which are absolutely necessary.

 

She has courses like the Apologetics in the Works of CS Lewis; Fairy Tales, Legends, and Myths; Russian Literature: War and Peace; Science Fiction and Fantasy; Shakespeare: A Senior Capstone Thesis; Communism in the 20th Century; Russian History, etc. Her French courses were not like typical high school French courses. She read a lot of literature, watched the French news, watched movies, etc alongside a grammar book.

 

She did take courses that were required to fulfill high school subjects that are necessary for a college prep education (sciences, for her, bc science is her least favorite subject.) She discovered a love for economics.

 

When she applied to colleges, I provided in-depth course descriptions. She wrote essays discussing her ownership over her education and how much she loves to learn. She described her literary research (the fairy tale and Shakespeare studies were (are) heavy research courses). And, now that the college app dust is settling, she actually has more options than all of her older siblings combined bc of the scholarships she has been offered. Right now, she as a pretty clear top choice and it was her "I can't get excited about it as a possibility" school bc we couldn't afford it without their very top scholarship. I am glad she was firm in her resolve, bc her high school experience has been exactly what she wanted.

 

Fwiw, she has found CLEPs allow freedom of studying how she wants while still enabling college credit. Most of the schools she applied to (we are merit scholarship seekers, so elites with only need-based aid are not part of our application process) do grant CLEP credit. She will CLEP out of approx 2 semesters worth of courses.

 

Don't know if that helps or not. (Sorry if this is full of typos or is full of gaps. I am multitasking.)

 

This is absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing!

[Arcadia]

We can potentially get in state tuition in any state, but we have to apply out of state. It occurred to me that maybe I should look at Indiana just in case for BalletBoy - several of the graduates of his studio have gotten scholarships there and it's obviously the best for dance.

Mushroom would love to follow in his father's footsteps and go to Hampshire, but that's some next level expensive.

Have you tried the net price calculator for those universities? I am doing my efiling of state and federal tax since my husband just received his W2 form. Our AGI would made us full pay anywhere so state universities aren't cheap especially with new tuition fee hikes proposed.

[Farrar]

Have you tried the net price calculator for those universities? I am doing my efiling of state and federal tax since my husband just received his W2 form. Our AGI would made us full pay anywhere so state universities aren't cheap especially with new tuition fee hikes proposed.

Not yet. We're too far away from applying. But that's what I've been hearing from people - that the price incentive isn't good enough to deal with the difficulties of applying out of state because the cost has gone up so much.

[8filltheheart]

Not yet. We're too far away from applying. But that's what I've been hearing from people - that the price incentive isn't good enough to deal with the difficulties of applying out of state because the cost has gone up so much.

You essentially have a few different class of schools:

 

meets full need (based on their formula, not how you define need. Heavily focused on income and assets from a single yr snapshot.) Those fall into 2 main categories--with loans and without loans. One thing to keep in mind w/these schools is that outside scholarships reduce need and replace grant $$ or low $ student loans/work study, not expected parental contribution. These schools are also typically highly competitive for admissions.

 

Partially meet need--might grant some institutional aid but may gap between need and expected contribution.

 

Need-based scholarships--scholarships based on a combo of merit and need criteria

 

Merit-based scholarships--based strictly on academic achievement often combined with required leadership roles. Some are highly competitive; some are strictly stat based (GPA and test scores)

 

Some just give lousy aid in general (NYU has this reputation) Some will offer token merit aid to everyone and leave most to fully pay the remainder.

 

For our family, need-based schools are not an option. We don't have all of our kids overlapping in school. They don't take into acct our adult kids were raised and sent to college. Anyway, when our EFC is factored over 8 kids for 4 yrs, it is a ridiculous amt. yeah, not happening on an engineer's salary.

 

We do seek merit scholarships and yes, we actively seek them at state universities. For schools that offer them, apply with stats in the top 25% and have an inter sting application, and you will probably be considered. Awarded? Definitely no guarantee. Just like for high stakes admissions, the student needs to be offering the school something they are looking for. Many of these schools also offer elite specialized programs.

[Farrar]

I guess I'm still not clear on the ins and outs. I don't know a ton about the different types of aid and scholarships yet either. And our situation of being able to get in state tuition in any state but having to apply out of state is really unusual. From the vague things I'm hearing from people here, it's maybe easier to get into "elite" (not like, Ivies elite necessarily, but the big name private universities and liberal arts colleges) than into the "good" state universities and that because more of the private schools do the "meets full need" or "meets partial need" thing, the difference in cost can make it just a better route. We have no here state schools to apply to.

[8filltheheart]

I guess I'm still not clear on the ins and outs. I don't know a ton about the different types of aid and scholarships yet either. And our situation of being able to get in state tuition in any state but having to apply out of state is really unusual. From the vague things I'm hearing from people here, it's maybe easier to get into "elite" (not like, Ivies elite necessarily, but the big name private universities and liberal arts colleges) than into the "good" state universities and that because more of the private schools do the "meets full need" or "meets partial need" thing, the difference in cost can make it just a better route. We have no here state schools to apply to.

That is way too simple of a generalization. There are only about 66 or so meets need schools in the country. http://www.thecollegesolution.com/schools-that-meet-100-of-financial-need-2/. Almost all of them are extremely competitive for admissions.

 

There are far more schools that offer merit aid. Our sr didn't apply to any instate schools bc none offer Russian at the level she needs. That left all OOS schools. She has at least 1 close to full- ride offer as of right now. Another with a slightly larger gap (around $7000/ yr). And multiple full-tuition offers. And offers to come and compete for their largest scholarship.

 

Some of the competitive publics do offer extremely competitive scholarships like UVA's Jefferson or GT's Presidential. Kids being awarded scholarships like those are equally like contenders for elite admissions.

 

(I'm typing while on the treadmill. Not the best combo.)

Edited January 26, 2017 by 8FillTheHeart

[Farrar]

I think I'm still just rebelling about the need to even think about this as far ahead as 8th grade. I have no clue what my kids will be able to aim for at that point and only the slightest clue what they'll really want to study or what specific needs they'll have. BalletBoy might still want to study ballet. I know his studio does some college counseling about where to apply for scholarships and so forth for the boys if they make it that far. He's super dedicated... but who knows if he still will be four years from now. I have no clue. He also loves to write. He likes science. He's my little budding activist and dedicated volunteer worker. But... there's not some clear, driving passion that is career specific other than the pipe dream of ballet. And Mushroom is super into musical theater and engineering and design... but he totally changes about what he's doing. He's a slow worker, he can't spell to save his life, and while he's pretty good at math, he really doesn't test well. I'm totally happy with how we're doing his education at home... but I'm not sure what paths will be right or open for him. And it feels like, eek, should I really have to think about this *before* high school and in the very early grades? I think I'm stuck in my own school mentality of not even giving it a bit of consideration until junior year and then being able to get into and get good aid offers for decent schools.

[8filltheheart]

I think I'm still just rebelling about the need to even think about this as far ahead as 8th grade. I have no clue what my kids will be able to aim for at that point and only the slightest clue what they'll really want to study or what specific needs they'll have.

 

And it feels like, eek, should I really have to think about this *before* high school and in the very early grades?

Again, I think it all depends. I don't. I don't even plan out all of high school in 9th. We simply go yr by yr focusing on their academic needs at that point and wherever they are at the end of high school is who they are and that transcript dictates where they are meant to go to college.

 

BUT......that is the antithesis of the approach taken by most people who are aiming for meets need or competitive schools. Planning out APs for admissions, or even planning out high school with specific schools in mind, is just not how or why we homeschool. But we don't aim for tippy top schools, so our pressure to conform to the status quo is different. I wouldn't change what we do for anything.

 

The only thing I do make sure they do is get pretty decent scores on standardized tests.

 

ETA: And make sure they know what they need to do to achieve their goals. My kids are all very different and their high school educations have been equally different, but their educations have allowed them individually to pursue what they have wanted to at college.

Edited January 27, 2017 by 8FillTheHeart

[Julie of KY]

I haven't planned much of high school - just followed passions and found "great" classes that met the need of teaching my child. I do work toward having ACT/SAT scores reflect my child's potential as that is a first cut for most scholarships.

 

My oldest just got into a meets-full-need competitive school. His resume shines as having a passion for math. However his only APs were math and calc based physics, only 2 years foreign language, basic history, solid English - but nothing crazy competitive. He ended up with 9 credits of math starting with Algebra 3. We certainly didn't plan it that way, but just let him follow his passion. I never dreamed that he'd want to go to a competitive school - I just thought he'd want to stay home. 

 

I don't think colleges all want super-good at everything. They want individuals that have a passion for learning who are likely to continue learning in college. They want someone that has interests beyond academics - not necessarily the check the box do everything kid, but someone who pursues passions.

[raptor_dad]

I guess I'm still not clear on the ins and outs. I don't know a ton about the different types of aid and scholarships yet either. And our situation of being able to get in state tuition in any state but having to apply out of state is really unusual. From the vague things I'm hearing from people here, it's maybe easier to get into "elite" (not like, Ivies elite necessarily, but the big name private universities and liberal arts colleges) than into the "good" state universities and that because more of the private schools do the "meets full need" or "meets partial need" thing, the difference in cost can make it just a better route. We have no here state schools to apply to.

 

Unless something has changed recently, DC residents don't get in-state tuition everywhere. What they get is a DCTAG grant of $10K to *help* offset the difference between in-state and OOS tuition. That probably isn't going to cover the difference most places. A few samples in-state:OOS UNC 9Kvs33K Michigan 14Kvs45K Cal 13Kvs40K. So, I can easily believe that private schools with better aid are competitive with publics with poor aid and a 10K discount off much higher OOS tuition. :(

[Arcadia]

FYI - From Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education,

 

"6th Grade

• Speak with your school counselor or librarian and other adults (your teachers, relatives, and family friends) who have interesting jobs.

• Develop strong study habits that help you earn good grades and test scores.

• Read at least one book every month, just for fun.

• Participate in class activities.

 

7th Grade

• Begin taking advanced courses such as Algebra I and a beginning foreign language class. (But, remember, take only the most difficult courses you can handle.)

• Talk to your counselor or teachers about courses you can take in high school.

• Get involved in school- or community-based extracurricular activities.

• Start reading magazines or newspaper articles.

• Keep a journal to develop good writing skills.

• Do well on standardized tests.

 

8th Grade

• Keep doing your best in school—study hard, earn good grades, and participate in class.

• Ask your counselor about challenging and interesting courses you can take in high school.

• Continue to explore different career options.

• Start saving money now to help pay for college.

• Continue taking advanced courses such as Algebra II and an intermediate foreign language class.

• Ask your older sisters and brothers or other college students about their college experience. If you don’t know any

college students, ask your counselor to help you contact some students.

 

There are tons of scholarships out there. The most important thing is to nd out what your options are. Keep in mind that no scholarship is too small!

For more information go to StudentAid.gov/scholarships. "

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/my-future-my-way.pdf

 

Middle School Checklists webpage https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/checklists/middle-school

[8filltheheart]

I haven't planned much of high school - just followed passions and found "great" classes that met the need of teaching my child. I do work toward having ACT/SAT scores reflect my child's potential as that is a first cut for most scholarships.

 

My oldest just got into a meets-full-need competitive school. His resume shines as having a passion for math. However his only APs were math and calc based physics, only 2 years foreign language, basic history, solid English - but nothing crazy competitive. He ended up with 9 credits of math starting with Algebra 3. We certainly didn't plan it that way, but just let him follow his passion. I never dreamed that he'd want to go to a competitive school - I just thought he'd want to stay home.

 

I don't think colleges all want super-good at everything. They want individuals that have a passion for learning who are likely to continue learning in college. They want someone that has interests beyond academics - not necessarily the check the box do everything kid, but someone who pursues passions.

I wholeheartedly agree.

 

A couple of my kids do have some pretty amazing accomplishments, but those accomplishments are bc that is who they are and what they achieved, not bc of a plan with a specific tier of colleges at the other end. Just like Julie's ds, I think my dd's outcomes are due to her interests and her pursuit of her passions. Hers were foreign languages (15 foreign language credits) and literature. For example, I think the fact that she taught herself French to such a high level really demonstrated just how much she loves learning and her commitment to mastering what she sets her mind to.

 

It is why I also do not believe that there is a single path that requires x# of APs worth of proof. There are lots of ways for students to demonstrate academic rigor. APs are one way and if that is a path families want to take, it is a proven one and a good choice. But, it does not mean it is that other ways cannot be successful. Maybe a little scarier ;), but if you are open to where the ride takes you, it can make for 4 memorable yrs. :)

Edited January 27, 2017 by 8FillTheHeart

[lisabees]

Schools want students who are genuine.  That shines through in their courses, their ECs, their essays, their interviews. 

 

And, in my mind, that happens when the student is allowed a certain amount of freedom to explore what that means.  People ask what I've done to get interesting kids.  I just provide that freedom, find extra resources and opportunities to support those explorations and then I let them drag me, serving as their cheerleader along the way.

 

But, the truth is, many kids don't find that passion in high school.  I'm still trying to find mine. :)

 

Julie mentioned that colleges want someone who has interests beyond academics.  The way I've always explained it is this...colleges want to know that a student understands their place in the world - not just their school or community.   I am not sure this can be taught.  It comes with exposure and maturity.  It may be based on personality.  

 

APs stink.  DS17 hated the idea of them.  He ended up taking five.  I don't know what the typical amount is for kids applying to top tier schools is, but I think he is way below that. His path, unlike 8's senior, is math and science, though.  He proved his capabilities through classes at University of PA.  Similar to Julie's ds, other than an AP Lang class, he took self-made history and English courses.  He just reads and writes.  Nothing intensive at all.  We haven't heard back from any schools, though. We'll see where it gets him! ;)

 

So, the truth is, APs or not, the student must prove his depth of knowledge and abilities somehow.

 

Farrar - I know BalletBoy has had some neat ballet opportunities.  My SDD returned to PS yesterday, after realizing the ballet path wasn't going to work out.  One thing I know is that you don't typically go to college for ballet.  You ideally get chosen by a company around your junior/senior year.  

 

8 - Seriously?  You do it all AND still find time to go on the treadmill?  Dang.

 

Edited January 27, 2017 by lisabees

[deerforest]

I think about this a lot. DD (12) is already volunteering as a teaching assistant in aerial dance and just was invited to join a new group in which she will be getting paid for her performances. She's pretty determined to make this a career of some sort. I don't think she's competitive enough to try for Cirque du Soleil but she works really hard and she's definitely a strong kinetic learner. She isn't too keen on cross training in gymnastics and dance which she needs but she's doing some now.

 

Her ideal, right now, is to be in a cirque show or troupe and also be a massage therapist. The US has no college degree program for circus arts, although Canada and many other countries do. She's very interested in A&P from a conditioning perspective for her work so we're going to focus a bit on that, and I hope to encourage her into getting a degree in kinesiology, physical therapy, etc. She is adamant that going to college is not important to her and she doesn't want us or her stuck with debt. She reads too much about these things I think! But, we have some very reasonably priced in-state schools, and I don't want her limiting herself if she is not able to continue teaching and performing aerials for some reason.

 

You're all probably thinking that's not very competitive. Well, my challenge is that DD is moderately gifted with processing speed challenges, but it's very mode specific. She picks up things in aerial dance faster than anyone so it's really hard to see any semblance of her challenges there. She's also extremely mature for her age and just isn't interested in things many kids her age are. She has an extremely small and tight group of friends, and she insists that's whats she wants/needs. She prefers being around her adult circus friends more than anything else.

 

Academically, we are working ahead of grade level, but it's not because she loves it and can't get enough of it. I just meet her where she's at. She's doing well in algebra in 7th but she doesn't love it. I certainly don't give her entire problem sets, especially if she gets the concept. I also have to switch it up and bring in other things to help if she gets stuck on anything. Just doing more and more problems just demoralizes her. She much prefers our open-ended discussions and debates about history, science, literature. She doesn't work well under pressure for anything academic. We have to test for our state, and I use the PASS test because it's untimed even though she's maxed out of the levels already (it's supposed to go up to 8th grade.) We're going to another complete neuropsych eval either in 8th or 9th so we can get accommodations for college tests. But, I don't know if she'll test well on timed tests. 

 

I'm not a fan of the categorizing of kids' interests as STEM, humanities, etc. She likes just about everything just fine, and her love of science biology and environmental science, not things like engineering, math leagues, Lego competitions. That's not who she is at all, but I think she's still very much a science interested kid. 

 

I'm babbling because I struggle a lot. She has the intelligence to get into just about anywhere, but not sure her test scores will reflect it, and she certainly isn't interested in anything competitive because that's just not who she is. She'd probably love and thrive in a place like Warren Wilson. But they don't have a degree program that aligns with her professional interest.

 

I plan to meet the requirements for college prep but will do it in our unique way. She's the type of person who knows what she wants, and with her work ethic so strong at this age, I have no doubt she'll be successful. So, I'm just not sure it's worth creating a high school program that doesn't excite her just to meet some likely unnecessary goals.

Edited January 28, 2017 by deerforest

[...................]

For us, my son has been so busy pursuing his own interests, having a summer job, now he's pursuing a very Involved new sport....the last thing he would want would be any kind of creative free flow education. He has to plan out his whole week using IStudiez and he plans in plenty of free time and he loves that.

 

He doesn't want any mom designed courses from here on out and even my 7th grader feels the same. She loves to learn but with her formal education she wants to know what to expect and have specific goals and specific assignments that don't change throughout the year. She just declared that she wants school done quickly with textbooks (with or without online classes) and the only class she wants to be involved and wonderful is English and literature.

 

So, idk maybe your worry about not being as fluid won't be an issue as your kids separate from you a bit and become more independent and also more busy :)

 

Just some thoughts to add :)

[8filltheheart]

....the last thing he would want would be any kind of creative free flow education. He has to plan out his whole week using IStudiez and he plans in plenty of free time and he loves that.

 

... with her formal education she wants to know what to expect and have specific goals and specific assignments that don't change throughout the year.

 

 

Just for the sake of clarity, "mom" designed courses and courses with planned out assignments with specific goals are not mutually exclusive. All of the courses my kids take are both thoroughly researched and thoroughly planned. My kids have detailed lesson plans planned out for approx 6 wks at a time. There is nothing loosey-goosey about what is expected. It is quite different than textbooks and traditional textbook assignments, but the expectations are clear, both daily and long-term objectives.

 

That is not a comment about what you and your children prefer. It sounds like you have found a system that works for your family. That is awesome. I just wanted to clarify how "mom" courses work here.

[...................]

Understood, and that's a good distinction to make.  By mom-designed I should have probably said "unit study, creative, free flowing, lapbooking, etc. etc."  Courses that require discussion, trips to the library, crafts, creative free flow project ideas....mom needs to be involved on a very regular basis and nearly daily discussion or collaboration to make decisions or gather supplies or explain how a new projects, etc. needs to be done.  

Edited January 30, 2017 by Calming Tea

[8filltheheart]

Understood, and that's a good distinction to make. By mom-designed I should have probably said "unit study, creative, free flowing, lapbooking, etc. etc." Courses that require discussion, trips to the library, crafts, creative free flow project ideas....mom needs to be involved on a very regular basis and nearly daily discussion or collaboration to make decisions or gather supplies or explain how a new projects, etc. needs to be done.

Our courses are heavy discussion based, but the idea of crafts, lapbooking, etc.....that makes me shudder. I don't do that with my primary grade kids, I certainly cannot imagine it being something included in an 8th grader's or high school course on any level as appropriate. My kids' courses require a lot of reading, journal or some other type of research, writing, and discussion.

 

They can be "unit studies" with history, literature, etc overlapping, for example. Unit studies can simply refer to cross-curriculum teaching. So Shakespeare combined with the history of the Elizabethan England combined with the recusancy of Catholics would be the overlap of lit, history, and religion. Nothing crafty or free-flowing about it. Their plans would include reading and research. We would do Shakespeare together and also discuss how the three are interconnected. They would most likely have a concluding research paper assigned that would incorporate those themes on top of individual essays on different aspects of each subject individually along the way.

Edited January 30, 2017 by 8FillTheHeart

[deerforest]

Understood, and that's a good distinction to make.  By mom-designed I should have probably said "unit study, creative, free flowing, lapbooking, etc. etc."  Courses that require discussion, trips to the library, crafts, creative free flow project ideas....mom needs to be involved on a very regular basis and nearly daily discussion or collaboration to make decisions or gather supplies or explain how a new projects, etc. needs to be done.  

 

Our mom-designed courses are not like you've described here either. I think we moms are probably quite different in how we design courses!

[sdobis]

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. I have one recent graduate and a 7th grader. My son wanted to go into emergency services for as long as I can remember. He was fairly intelligent and took a year of DE. He just wanted to do school and be done.

 

My daughter is very different. She plans to attend The Art Institute of Chicago. She's going to start taking summer classes in the summer of 2018, Lord willing. She has changed where her focus will be, and I expect that to continue.

 

She's my dyslexic child, so we're using middle school to shore up some skills for high school. I'm happy that art schools require very little if anything in math. I want her to get through Algebra II. I'm excited to have more mom-created and self-created classes. I know that almost all electives will be in the arts. She wants to master Japanese and Chinese. Hopefully I can help her to do that.

 

I'm hoping that she tests well enough to use CLEPs. These will help in getting through those annoying "academic" classes. She's never had any testing, so we'll have to see how she does.

 

High school will be a completely different experience with my second. I think it'll be a time for digging deep in her passions, getting through science and math, and making the rest as fun as we can.

[Farrar]

My kids honestly do want to do "mom-designed" courses for the near future at least. I don't see us dropping them next year for 8th grade to be sure. I think 8 and I probably have a very different approach in some ways, but I also have been doing studies designed around what the kids want to learn for the last few years. Sometimes it is more free form and open ended and other times it's more like the kid says what they want and I present some ideas and then plan a more specific course of study with specific assignments and so forth. I think that's exactly my worry... that it will be a year from now and we won't be ready to end that and move to, say, doing an AP geography course or something. And I don't think that open-ended is bad. I mean, I think backward planning - the way little kids' Reggio Emilia classes do it where you do it and then write the curriculum at the end - can be just as rigorous and in depth as doing it the traditional way. I mean, if a course of study includes the same number of discussions, papers, pages read, etc. then why does it matter? Except, maybe for the officialness of high school it does? I also worry a bit about the way we do math so that it bridges one year to the next. I guess I just "fudge" the transcript - so what if "Geometry" was completed a little bit in 10th and to ease off some anxiety issues we changed things up and started "Algebra II" in 9th or something, as long as we really did it all?

[EndOfOrdinary]

I do not think that in most cases anyone is going to really rip apart or question what you are putting on a transcript. Iirc, the amount of time anyone looks at it is something around 4 minutes. That is the whole application. Really, it is just to get ducks in a row. If you are feeling a groove, and your kids are too, then rock on with your bad selves.

 

When they figure out an idea of where they want to go, then adjust. I am in my mid thirties and I am just now discovering it. No one said they needed to know in 6th grade, or 9th, or whatever. Let them, be them.

 

I would do a bit of test prep for the SAT or ACT. A drastically different test score could cause more scrutiny or even just so they understand what annoyingly traditional testing looks like. We are using Derek Owens for math verificaton just so that my son has some idea of what a traditional course looks like. For him, there was anxiety about how the math section of the ACT looked due to being so different than AoPS. You may not have those kids, so it might not be a big deal.

[8filltheheart]

By 8th grade and high school, my kids are helping me design their courses quite often. This yr my 12th grader completely designed her own English credit. I labeled it Shakespeare: A Sr Capstone Thesis. Her course descriptions state that she is doing independent research on the controversial issue of Shakespeare's Catholicity and messages in his works. She has read numerous journal articles, read books, etc on the subject. She is now analyzing a play and will end with a thesis paper based on her research.

 

Some of our courses do change path over the yr as we get interested in rabbit trails, but all are absolutely very high quality academic courses, and if we detour, the detour does not distract from but enhances learning.

[Lori D.]

My kids honestly do want to do "mom-designed" courses for the near future at least...

 

...I mean, I think backward planning - the way little kids' Reggio Emilia classes do it where you do it and then write the curriculum at the end - can be just as rigorous and in depth as doing it the traditional way. I mean, if a course of study includes the same number of discussions, papers, pages read, etc. then why does it matter? Except, maybe for the officialness of high school it does?

 

Not a problem. Just track your hours/resources from your unit studies and apply towards the different credits as they best fit, and accrue your credits via integrated studies. However, when it comes to your transcript, label your courses roughly to match what colleges are looking to see (it makes it MUCH easier getting through the admissions process!), and then you use the separate Course Description document to list the major resources and give a short description of the course objectives and explain how your integrated studies worked in that document.

 

So that gives you loads of lee-way for the content of your high school level courses. For example, the Lit. of one of your English courses might focus on The Roots of Steam Punk. Or 19th century Gothic works. Or Eastern Hemisphere Classics... As long as you're getting some high school level writing and some formal literature study in there, the content of your English 9, English 10, English 11, and English 12 courses can definitely be "DIY" (Design It Yourself).

 

Just to help you "plan backwards" for overall courses for high school, here's what you'll want to accomplish to be "college prep" (credits typically required by colleges for admission): 

 

4 credits = English (VERY easy to DIY for content)

4 credits = Math (Alg. 1, Geometry, Alg. 2, + 1 credit of math above Alg. 2)

3-4 credits = Science (some colleges want Bio. & Chem., but most don't specify, so can somewhat DIY)

3-4 credits = Social Studies (1 credit Amer. Hist.; some want 0.5 credit each Gov't & Econ -- easy to DIY for content)

2-4 credits = Foreign Language (same language)

1 credit = Fine Arts (VERY easy to DIY)

4-8+ credits = Electives (VERY easy to DIY)

22+ credits = total

 

NOTE: 1 credit = 1 year course, approximately 1 hour/day 4-5x/week

 

Math is the only tough subject area for a DIY course because you just have to accomplish certain math courses to meet college admission requirements, and it's tough to cover all of the topics of each of those higher maths outside of a traditional textbook or class unless you're a Math teacher.

 

Foreign Language needs to achieve a certain "level" for each credit, but there's a lot more lee-way for how you do it compared to the Math -- live/study in another country as an exchange student, for example.

 

Science has more lee-way because there are so many topics you can cover -- Astronomy, Geology, Marine Biology... you don't have to be tied to just the "big 3" of Biology, Chemistry, Physics. And you don't have to just go with a textbook program; as long as you can come up with resources to make it of high school level, you can certainly DIY.

 

Similarly with Social Studies: while you will want to make sure to cover American History, Gov't and Econ, you can do a much more specialized focus of those required credits. And there are tons of resources out there for making a DIY course for Amer. Hist. or Gov't or Econ. And, you can completely DIY with the remaining credits needed for Social Studies -- and with any number of accepted subject areas -- History, Geography, Philosophy, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, etc.

 

English, Fine Arts, and Electives are super easy to go with DIY. :)

 

 

...I guess I just "fudge" the transcript - so what if "Geometry" was completed a little bit in 10th and to ease off some anxiety issues we changed things up and started "Algebra II" in 9th or something, as long as we really did it all?

 

Also not a problem, and no need to "fudge". Just list your credits by subject, not by year. We had several credits that were accrued over more than one school year, or were started in one year and completed the next. Creating a subject-based transcript neatens that up nicely. A partial transcript-by-subject example:

 

English

course . . . . . .credit . . grade

English 9 . . . 1.0 . . . . x

English 10 . . 1.0 . . . . x

Journalism . .0.5 . . . . x

Gothic Lit . . .0.5 . . . . x

WRT101* . . . 1.0 . . . .x

WRT102* . . . 1.0 . . . .x

total cr./GPA . .5.0 . . .   x.xxx

* = dual enrollment course with XYZ Community College

 

Math

course . . . . . .credit . . grade

Algebra 1 . . . 1.0 . . . . x

Geometry . . . 1.0 . . . . x

Algebra 2 . . . 1.0 . . . . x

Statistics . . . 1.0 . . . . x

total cr./GPA . . 4.0 . . .  x.xxx

 

Science

course . . . . . .credit . . grade

Environ. Sci. 1.0 . . . . x

Physics . . . . 1.0 . . . . x

Botany . . . .  0.5 . . . . x

Horticulture . 0.5 . . . . x

Anatomy . . . 0.5 . . . . x

Astronomy . .0.5 . . . . x

total cr./GPA . . 4.0 . . .  x.xxx

 

Social Studies

course . . . . . .credit . . grade

Hist: U.S. . . .1.0 . . . . x

Hist: Science 0.5 . . . x

Geography . 0.5 . . . . x

Government 0.5 . . . . x

Economics . 0.5 . . . . x

Logic . . . . . .0.5 . . . . x

PSY101* . . . 1.0 . . . . x

total cr./GPA . . 4.5. . . x.xxx

* = dual enrollment course with XYZ Community College

 

 

ETA:

 

...I don't know a ton about the different types of aid and scholarships yet either...

 

The biggest factors that play into financial aid are:

1. very low family income

2. high SAT/ACT score

 

The first factor is not something you have a lot of control over, and it determines how much free Federal aid you qualify for (grants, work study).

 

The second factor is what you can maximize, and you do so by aggressively prepping/practicing for testing, and taking multiple tests. It also really comes down to whether or not your student tests well or not as to whether to schedule time in your high school years to aggressively work to raise test scores as much as possible.

 

There are a number of good threads on linked in the pinned threads at the top of the high school board on financial aid and scholarships, so in a few years, when you're closer to the time of needing to know about all of that, you can start doing some reading about options for paying for college. ;)

 

Edited January 31, 2017 by Lori D.

[lewelma]

I think I'm still just rebelling about the need to even think about this as far ahead as 8th grade.

 

Well, we have done an about face half way through 11th grade. DS has decided not to go to university in NZ, and instead apply in the USA.  These are two totally different systems with totally different entrance criteria.  I will say that it can be done.  There is a lot of work on my part coming up to speed as the guidance councilor, and ds has to double up on humanities and pick back up on his mandarin to get in the requirements.  He has to restudy physics for the SAT2 test because he took physics 1.5 years ago, and he has to do some volunteer work, but this is all possible.  Where there is a will there is a way.  Now, DS does have the trump card with representing NZ at the IMO in 10th grade, but he still has to take all the standardized tests and fulfill all the requirements, none of which is done in NZ (you can specialize in highschool here).  So yes lots of work, but definitely do-able. We certainly did not plan for this 3 years ago!

 

Ruth in NZ

[Farrar]

The biggest factors that play into financial aid are:

1. very low family income

2. high SAT/ACT score

 

The first factor is not something you have a lot of control over, and it determines how much free Federal aid you qualify for (grants, work study).

 

The second factor is what you can maximize, and you do so by aggressively prepping/practicing for testing, and taking multiple tests. It also really comes down to whether or not your student tests well or not as to whether to schedule time in your high school years to aggressively work to raise test scores as much as possible.

 

There are a number of good threads on linked in the pinned threads at the top of the high school board on financial aid and scholarships, so in a few years, when you're closer to the time of needing to know about all of that, you can start doing some reading about options for paying for college. ;)

 

Yeah. I've started dipping into those... I know they're there. This is rather depressing though because neither of my kids test well enough that they'll ever be getting scholarships based on their SAT scores and our income is not low enough to justify much need based aid. So basically... I'm guessing we're just screwed. I might be able to push BalletBoy into better test scores. He doesn't test particularly poorly and some of the things that make him a weaker tester can get better - but I doubt it'll be enough to make him win any big scholarships. But if I spent four years of high school trying to make Mushroom into a better test taker, he'd likely need to go on meds, he'd be beyond miserable, and we'd probably be stuck paying for therapy instead of college anyway. So I'm thinking that's a bad idea. Second mortgage it is, I guess.

 

Maybe this is really what bugs me. I mean, I got into homeschooling so I could focus on *education* and quality and the individual children I have over any sort of cookie cutter, test-driven, conveyor belt of education that's always focused on the next thing instead of actually worrying about the actual learning that is or isn't taking place in the first place. Thinking about needing to start prepping SAT scores in middle school makes me want to shout obscenities.