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[alisoncooks]

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Edited July 27, 2022 by alisoncooks

[Loowit]

DD did not do DE or any AP classes.  I did make sure that she met the requirements for the credits she would need to enter a university if she chose to.  She was accepted into an digital arts school which has a 20% acceptance rate for her major, which she was proud of, but the school is for profit and very expensive so she couldn't attend.  She decided later she was glad she didn't go, because it is a very intense four-year program.

She ended up attending CC for two years and got her AA.  Right now she is doing a sort of gap year while applying for universities to get her BA and should be going in the fall.  She is still taking one class a quarter so she can keep her tutoring job and stay on the speech and debate team.  She has gotten a lot of compliments on her homsechool education from professors.  She is doing excellently on the speech and debate team at her CC.

When she started CC she felt frustrated because she had wanted to do DE and everything, but it has really been a great experience for her so far.  She is doing well, has a lot of professors that are offering her letters of recommendation.

My DSs will have the same sort of education as DD.  I have no idea what they will do with it.  DS17, almost 18, is planning to join the military.  He doesn't want to attend college.  Youngest is not sure what he wants to do at this point, and he has several years to figure it out.

[BusyMom5]

My oldest is a super-kids- Straight As, lots of DE, and excellent standardized test scores.  Follow that with DD2, who has always struggled in school- it's why I started homeschooling.  I have known from the beginning that they are not on the same trajectory, and I have tried to get DD2 to find her own path.  She is in 10th grade, and the growth since 8th grade is huge.  For one, we finally got a diagnosis and treatment for her APD!  For another, I have tried to encourage her in finding her own way, without pushing that college is the only option.  She has found a few hobbies that she really enjoys and is learning so much through those.  We keep her school at a minimum.  4 core classes (and no Foreign Language- with APD that would be a huge stresser!  We may do Sign Language as I think she would enjoy it and appreciate it much more than kids without Auditory issues).  Her hobbies take up hours per day, and she has learned a lot of skills through those without my having to facilitate it!  All I do is encourage and provide $$ occasionally, LOL!  She is just at the end of 10th grade, and weirdly I think she may go off to college in a few years- I did not think that a few years ago.  I am still not pushing, and as of now we aren't planning DE for 11th grade (but i have left this open to her).   So my advice is to not make that decision now.  Kids can change- A LOT in just a few years.  Try to make a transcript that would be acceptable to a college, but it doesn't have to be full of AP, DE, CLEP type classes.  Just think the solid, steady growth towards college level.  When I worry about things like math or reading level, I look and see that we are making progress.  There is a push to do DE and college level courses early, but they were designed for 18+ and if your kid isn't ready, that's fine!      

[J-rap]

Absolutely!  One of mine fit that category.  She did fine in her classes (mostly A's), but I think one C and a couple B's.  (She ended up doing half homeschool and half public school.)  No AP's.  Her ACT score was pretty average.  But she's a hard worker.  She's honest.  She's dependable.  She works really hard to do the right thing and to finish her work completely.  She's on time.

She got into a nice local private liberal arts college with a good scholarship.  (They also needed more people in their choir so they gave her a scholarship to be in the choir!)  She picked a degree that was pretty general -- communications.  She got an entry level position at a random job in a big company after she graduated.  And they soon learned that she was dependable, worked hard, and did good work.  She was kind and professional.  She always volunteered for the extra shifts and extra hours.  Apparently all of that was sort of unusual, so they promoted her twice.  Then she was able to get the same-promoted level job at another company, and is working her way up there too.

It can happen!

[Lori D.]

No APs, no CLEPs, no honors, and only 2 semesters of DE for each DS so we could knock out foreign language in half the time. We focused on leaving time for exploration of personal interests, developing real life skills, and doing some great extracurriculars. We did meaty credits in high school for each DS -- we just didn't focus on the AP and testing track that some students do.

Both went on to the local CC after high school. Both got partial scholarships at the CC. DS#1 transferred to a liberal arts college after earning his AAS also landed partial transfer scholarships. He earned his BA there, and is currently going to the in-town university and finishing up a BS in Mechanical Engineering. DS#2 left the CC 2 years into a 3-year AAS for Interpretation for the Deaf when he realized  that's not what he wanted to do. He then did a stint with AmeriCorps which then led to what he's loving doing now -- wildland firefighting. He starts his 5th season this spring, and 2 years ago earned his national EMT certification. Both are happy, responsible, working adults, successfully doing things they really enjoy, following somewhat non-traditional paths that did not require APs / CLEPs / DE.


Also, you might like to check out some of these past threads on this same topic. All are linked on PAGE 1 of the big pinned thread at the top of the High School board: "High School Motherlode #1":

Does anyone on this board have a NON-superstar high school student? 
High school AS high school 
Anyone just doing average work in high school? 
s/o “average” work in high school: when did you know that’s how it would be? 
I want to share some very average PSAT scores
Launching an average kid
I would like to hear from moms of “average” kids who want to go to college 
Anyone with extraordinarily average students attending college? 
I get so depressed reading some posts on this board (anyone else NOT have over-achievers?) 
I need former slacker teen success stories today 

Edited February 9, 2021 by Lori D.

[Farrar]

You don't need AP or DE to prove yourself. There have been tons of positive stories here about students getting into good schools, with merit money, here on this board, without them. And I know many others as well from my community and my work with college applicants. I mean, I don't know any homeschoolers who have gotten into Harvard like that. But I know homeschoolers who have gotten into second best state school or Colleges That Change Lives schools or similar with decent but not stellar coursework, okay but not wow extracurriculars, no AP or DE credits, a good essay and a good letter of rec.

If she wants to go straight into CC, then that's a great path. All she has to do is finish and that path is open to her. If your question is can she potentially have other options, then the answer depends partly on your ability to pay, but she can absolutely get into other schools. Those options won't be ivy league or anything and depending on your state, they might not be worth the cost of a 4 year for public. But there are definitely options for kids who make good grades, do a little bit not a lot, and aren't super academic.

[Roadrunner]

A ton of late bloomers at CC here who had no interest in academics in high school but are working hard and transferring to some great state schools. There are many paths.

[freesia]

Oh, my goodness, yes.  I know many. 

My closest friends dd, homeschooled, average SATs, no whiz bang ECs (mainly a year of robotics and youth group, I think),  She got into a good liberal arts college in the mid-west and is graduated and gainfully employed in graphic arts.

Another friend's ds, same back ground (and I think only youth group as an EC), went the CC route and transferred to the nearest state college and is graduating this spring (already working full time, I don't know if he'll stay with that job).

Two other children with that background went straight to the local state college and are thriving (one is graduating this spring, too.)

I cannot think of any child I've known who was an average student, without spectacular scores or SATs, who has not done just fine--really fine.

The phrase I love the best is "gloriously ordinary."  If you live in a high pressure area like mine, that can be a hard one to hold onto. I'm glad you know that she is special.  I am sure she is, and she will do just fine.

[smfmommy]

My oldest did the bare minimum in high school.  Except for literature and creative writing, she did a considerable amount of those.  Never even took the SAT.  After high school she taught piano and then started working at a daycare.  After teaching the four year olds she decided to pursue working for the district.  She was never interested in taking a bunch of random classes to get a bachelors, but she took a couple of free Sophia courses last year and decided she could do online schooling.  So she is now getting a bachelors in early elementary education with a for profit online school.  She was able to get scholarships and grants, so this year is free.  She is cruising through classes and doing well.  Even if she doesn't finish getting the degree, she is living on her own as a functioning adult and enjoying her life.  So I think she'll be fine no matter what she chooses going into the future.

[teachermom2834]

I am local to a medium size private university. Admission is very nearly open admission with very low admissions requirements and remedial courses offered on campus. There are good students there too, for sure, but the student body is on average, pretty average 🙂

They have some wonderful teachers there, an involved student body, lots of sports and activities. Students go there and have a full college experience, get an education, and go on to careers and graduate and professional schools. Most of our town is run by grads of this university (including doctors and lawyers, etc).
 

Honestly, aren’t there like 5000 colleges in the US? Most of the students at those colleges are pretty average (and a big chunk of them would have to be below average too). We have several colleges in our state that do not require impressive high school records to be admitted yet students go on and do extremely well in their lives. 

Edited February 10, 2021 by teachermom2834

[alisoncooks]

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Edited July 27, 2022 by alisoncooks

[Clear Creek]

There is a large amount of space between bare minimum and no AP/DE. Bare minimum would be my middle child, who will struggle to have more math on her transcript than prealgebra and algebra 1 (I know prealgebra doesn't count for high school credit and I don't care and am putting it on there anyway). She is doing most of her classes on Power Homeschool (Acellus) and we all know what the opinion around here is of those classes. But they were created for students like her. Most of her strengths are not academic, so she is doing the bare minimum for traditional subjects. She will go to community college because they don't care that she will have two maths on her transcript (one of them prealgebra) and only non-math sciences and didn't read any classic literature.

My oldest child did not have any AP or DE and was very average academically. With a lot of work she could pull off an A. She did not test well, so her ACT score was only in the mid-20's. She was in choir for years, but never made all-state. What she did was not the bare minimum, but it was nothing spectacular, either. She was accepted at two LAC's (waitlisted at a third) and at two state schools (including the honors college at one). Average kids still have plenty of open doors. (Because of covid she is living at home and attending community college with plans to transfer to one of the schools she was originally accepted at in another year. She was adamantly against taking out any loans to sit in a dorm and take online classes and have virtual choir.)

[cbollin]

@Clear Creek: my youngest was in grade 9 for pre-algebra. Therefore it was high school credit. Maybe that’s not the norm on this forum but it was an acceptable path with our cover school.  right there with ya.  just saying...

 

 

My oldest is academically strong but didn’t have AP, CLEP on transcript, DE or even a co-op course. No world changing activities either. Course work was not bare bones though. Did fine in college. Has job,

Middle is average. Same course work as oldest. ACT 24. nothing wow on EC. Did community college, with clep, and is finishing last course for a bachelors at Thomas Edison (homeschool for college,)  Don’t know how work will go for her after that with pandemic issues. Lives at home. That’s fine. slow path, non traditional. life is good.

Youngest: she was my bare bones academics. Things like Walch Power Basics were the norm for her. Her course work was originally special ed level right on the border of vocational/general diploma. cover school called it "general level".  Currently working on technical certificate at community college online. who knew? She can do all kinds of things in excel and word and power point with those Cengage books.

 

A comment was made to the effect that: things will fall into place once.....

yep, that’s where I’m at with youngest. She has intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). You probably aren’t dealing with that. But I think when some stuff reopens with fewer covid restrictions, she’ll have some work with things she likes to do with some job coaching. Right now, she’s become a leader in her Special Olympics stuff and will be a panelist in a few days on a webinar sharing about health challenges with IDD. Yes, she’ll live with us a long time. Not your situation. But wanted to share that she’s falling into place in things that interest her. She might end up on worship team on piano with the adults with disabilities class at church. That, or be a minor youtube personality sharing her music and preschool teaching of Bible.

Average is well, average. But lots of stories share are about non average, and that's ok. that's not a bad thing. Or it is average but told with a good marketing spin. I know with the thing my youngest is doing with the webinar it sounds really fancy. and maybe it is.  It's a huge accomplishment for someone who was in speech and language therapy from age 16 months to 18.5 years.  But the reality is I helped her write answers to the questions and she'll just read them.   But yes, things are falling into place in the paths that interest her. 

so be encouraged.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by cbollin

[alisoncooks]

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Edited July 27, 2022 by alisoncooks

[cbollin]

@alisoncooks  you have me laughing now. I had never thought of her as a college freshman before because it's a one year program. But yeah, let's go with that. I like that. Makes me feel proud.  happy squeal!   oh oh and I can make it sound really awesome too.  She's on full scholarship.   There's a state grant that pays community college to the last dollar and she did the hoops for that with filling in the paperwork and 8 hours of community service.  giggle.  they cover it all except for a minor fee to access the course material through Cengage.  Some days around here it feels like she still is in kindy.  The other week she started to play the teletubbies theme song (on her keyboard by ear and adding in some background stuff with it) to some stuffed animals as her students. I thought what? no. why? no no no.  not that.  please no.  Then, she kicked it up like a college freshman in music theory and said "let's try that in another key, maybe a minor key this time. Ready,! everyone sing!".  Went through all of her keys (major and minor with stuff that I dont' have a clue what she does) and  next thing I know, I'm in the kitchen doing the dishes and dancing while singing along.   felt like old times.  LOL.    thanks for the smile and memories.  blessings -crystal

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by cbollin