Homeschool to college: the path seems overwhelming

[Ting Tang]

I was just reading through a few of the "motherload" threads.

My oldest is 10 and is a rising 5th grader, so we have time. But you know what they say, "those who fail to plan, plan to fail."  (ha, I had to fix that!)

Assuming my children do not go to public high school or even the very expensive (though not stellar) private high school, should I be planning for my kids to "dual-enroll" in a community college during high school?  Should I be planning for them to enroll in online academies to have grades given by someone other than myself?  (Those are pretty expensive.  I could use that money for college costs, right?)  Should I be planning for them to take AP level classes?

Planning for college seems to be critical, starting early. But at the same time, I want them to focus on becoming educated, not just the plan, if that makes sense.  I had the best intentions and plans, and they did not work out.  Knowing what I know now, I might have planned differently, lol.  

I would of course like to make college as affordable for them as possible with a decent chance at merit awards.  Do mommy-given grades count?  It seems like a lot of kids have GPAs well above 4.0, which just wasn't as common in my day.  

I do believe just about anyone can get into a college these days, but they all seem pretty expensive, even after average aid. 

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Ting Tang

[cintinative]

A lot of these questions are answered in the pinned threads at the top of the high school board and the college board.

I don't have one in college yet so I can't answer these from a BTDT perspective.  

Honestly I think that really worrying about most of this with a kid at age 10 is probably not necessary, unless you have a really gifted kid who is likely to start high school course work in 6th grade.  And I say that as a person who comes by worrying really naturally.  😃  Planning is my favorite part of homeschooling sometimes.  I love planning.

What I can say is, at this point, I would be thinking about 1) if they do go into a public school or private, what sort of study skills, executive skills, etc. do I need to work on to get them ready (you will still need to do this if you homeschool, but perhaps in a slightly different way). There is an old thread on here about getting your 8th grader ready for high school. It's in the pinned threads. It's really good.  2) what will their course trajectory be in high school? Will they take classical courses or traditional courses? How can I avoid having them take ancient history two years in a row, for example?  It's totally a best laid plans thing, but if you know for sure that they will take a certain class their freshman year, say, medieval lit, it makes no sense to also do that in 8th grade. So in a sense you can plan backwards with some things. 3) I was told over and over that I should think about what they might want to do post-high school and backfill our courses from there. I can tell you right now that what I thought my oldest would want to do when he was 10 is TOTALLY different than what I think he wants to do now. So, you can plan, but I would seriously advise you to hold any plans loosely. And try not to buy too many texts way ahead. 😃 I am skilled at that. 

On the dual enrollment thing, we do plan to do it, but I am evaluating if my kids are prepared. Those grades are on their permanent record. I have seen people online say things like their kid is in 8th grade, doing dual enrollment, with a 2.3 GPA and I cringe.  As has been said on here before, teach the kid in front of you.  My kids would not have been mature enough or capable to handle a college workload in 8th grade.  YMMV.  Just know that some people that are chasing that path are not doing it wisely.  You will get good advice on here. Ask away.  😃

Again, I'm still navigating this, so take it all with a grain of salt. 

[catz]

I think there are many ways to do this successfully. Homeschool kids can continue on their homeschool way and if they have a decent ACT/SAT score they can get into college.  If they don't or are averse to testing, you can start in a community college.  If your kid wants to apply to more competitive college options and/or possibly be eligible for significant merit, you may want to make sure you have some outside grades, additional scores, DE, etc.  It can be a good step toward college readiness to have a kid practice a more traditional grading/classroom situation too.  

For us, we decided on path with our kids before high school.  I was not particularly willing to homeschool obstinant teenagers that didn't have a work ethic.  We toured high schools.  I think it is hard to homeschool a teen who doesn't want to homeschool, so I'd keep an open mind.  I know plenty of families who said they would homeschool to the end that made a change once their kid hit the teen years.  I thought we'd be done at high school, but my kids were motivated to keep going.   My kids did a lot of outside extracurriculars that help motivate them to continue homeschooling.  Both my kids have done/are doing 2 full years of dual enrollment.  But that is 100% free in our state (books, tuition, etc).  If you have limited college funding, you may want to be careful with that.  My motivation was never getting them to college graduation faster that way, but to fill out a high school transcript and if some credits transfer over great.  Our state does have solid transfer options of all sorts, but you really have to have direct path and goals picked before you start.  These credits did make it possible for my oldest to double degree in 4 years (a lot of schools would recommend 5 years for these 2 particular degrees).  He is on track to graduate college in a year.

Getting affordable options really depends on income level if costs are a concern.  If your income is low enough to have high financial need, you may want to focus on schools that are "need blind", even though I wouldn't really call them need blind.  I would pick like 5 varied schools (public, private, local, far flung, competitive, etc) and run their NPC (net price calculator) on them and see where you're at.   Plenty of middle/upper middle class families cannot afford what schools actually expect them to pay.  But if it seems like a reasonable number, you may want to focus on those types of schools.  We worked with a finanical advisor prior to having high schoolers and he said we could afford HALF of what we were expected to pay (HCOL area, older parents closer to retirement, 2 kids, etc).   Our EFC (expected family contribution) is over half our take home pay.  LOLOLOL.  Hilarious.   Just because a college gives you a number it says you can pay doesn't mean you actually can.  Colleges don't care about your emergency funds, your aging parents, your health issues, your 100 year old furnace, your retirement, your flucuating salary, etc.  

Anyway, this is where you get into looking into merit money.  You target schools where your student will be in the top 25%.  My oldest is in the top 25% of a large university and it is absolutely fine.  At least 25% of the students there who had stats to apply anywhere and that is over 10K students.  Small liberal arts colleges can be generous with merit and take many of their students pricing in range of like a flagship university, or may end up cheaper depending on income level, campus needs, etc.  Plenty of families are making college choices based on finances.  

Some schools have very generous and unique merit programs.  You have to dig around for those.  You may want to look at how the public unviersities in your state run.

One thing to mention is there is only so much a student can take out in federal loans.  A student can take out up to 31K in federal loans for an undergrad degree on their own as a dependant.  Anything over that would require a parent loan or cosign.  I think the federal loan limits and under are a reasonable and healthy limit for undergrad to consider.  I have been following student loan boards since we started looking at options and so many sad stories of young people that got in over there heads and adults that weren't guiding students toward reasonable options.  

I agree you don't have to worry about this too much, but I don't think it is too early to start thinking about the financial end and realistic options for your students and your budget.  Definitely check out the threads above.  I did have rough high school credit requirements based off our local flagship U, our state's grad requirements, and a local private prep school's requirement but we followed our own path.  My kids are college bound but we never did anything in particular to target a particular school or anything.  Colleges ideally are a fit both ways.  

The other thing I would say as your child starts high school level work, keep good records (curriculum, sequences, teachers, etc).  There was one highly competitive LAC my homeschooled kid got max merit and it required a homeschool portfolio and written paper and lab report.  Because I kept good records this was pretty easy for me to pull together.  I start a new binder for my kids every year, throw in work samples, and I maintain a list of classes with description, curriculum, projects/work and any other info.  A calendar of events.  It ends up being a pretty nice memory book of each year too we throw in museum maps and show programs and travel itineraries, etc.  He didn't end up attending that school, it was still substantially more than where he ended up but he got a very unique merit scholarship at his university.

Edited April 22, 2022 by catz

[8filltheheart]

I can share that my experience with having graduated 6 kids from our homeschool (and have 10th and 6th graders this yr) is 100% opposite of what you are imagining.  Only 1 of my kids so far has taken APs (he took cal and chem bc he was significantly advanced and DE at our local 4 yr U was the only option for hem to keep progressing in math and science.  I can manage other advanced courses at home.)  He is also the only one of my kids who took a significant number of DE courses.   I have other advanced kids who did their courses at home.  I have one dd who studied 3 languages to advanced level and  was significantly advanced in her literary analysis and writing skills. (For example, she created a sr capstone project for English; she spent the yr researching current research on the Catholicity of Shakespeare and embedded literary allusions in his works.)  She had 1 outsourced class (Russian) and took several CLEP exams, but she had zero interest in DE.  

FWIW, I don't start thinking about college until they are near the end of 10th grade.  We just do what we want to do at their level.  Their homemade, printed of my home printer transcripts have been accepted at face value.  My kids have had zero problems being accepted with my having been their primary teacher who assigned their grades.  My kids have been accepted to honors programs, selective honors programs, and for highly competitive scholarships.  (The ds I described above was part of RRSP The Randall Research Scholars Program | The University of Alabama | Honors College (ua.edu) and dd was 1 of 20 OOS students selected as a Top Scholar Who are Top Scholars? - Office of Undergraduate Admissions | University of South Carolina )  I didn't plan on their pursuing academics at a high level.  It was simply who they were.  They have siblings who are just pretty avg performers.  They have equally gone on to pursue their goals and have been top performers at their respective colleges.  (My current college sophomore was just recently awarded a prestigious scholarship from her U (they say the scholarship represents the top students in the Honors College.  Her high school yrs were pretty ordinary in terms of level.  She loves meteorology and she had the opportunity as a homeschooled student to add studies related to her interests.)

Edited April 22, 2022 by 8filltheheart

[MamaSprout]

As someone who did have a kid start high school work in 6th grade, I still say you are worrying too early. The gap between my youngest and next oldest kid is 10 years. There was a huge difference in the application process between my 3rd kiddo and my 4th.

Enjoy middle school, error on the side of rigorous for high school, keep good records and don’t worry about it at all until you’re coming up on 8th grade.

At that point, make sure you know your state’s law’s for high school and glance at the colleges your kiddo it interested in to see what their requirements are.  

[catz]

My oldest started high school math around age 10 and I do agree about academics.  If your kid really is doing some high school level work, just file the info and forget aobut it.  

The finances I think can catch people off guard and I was glad we started working with a financial planner when my oldest was middle school age.  

[MamaSprout]

22 minutes ago, catz said:

 

The finances I think can catch people off guard and I was glad we started working with a financial planner when my oldest was middle school age.  

This is true. We started early with financials just because we were realistic about what kind of aid would be available for all of our kids (almost none for our middle class small business owning family).

Even so, merit isn’t something you can do anything about until high school, and even other strategies (like a parent working for a tuition remission or exchange school) won’t matter until high school or even the last couple years before college.

Don’t steal the joy from middle school by worrying about college. Getting ready for high school work is enough!

[catz]

2 minutes ago, MamaSprout said:

This is true. We started early with financials just because we were realistic about what kind of aid would be available for all of our kids (almost none for our middle class small business owning family).

Even so, merit isn’t something you can do anything about until high school, and even other strategies (like a parent working for a tuition remission or exchange school) won’t matter until high school or even the last couple years before college.

Don’t steal the joy from middle school by worrying about college. Getting ready for high school work is enough!

Oh I totally agree.  About late sophomore into junior year directions on where to be targeting became more obvious and it made sense to start campus visits, etc.  And honestly even some of those decisions were not great.  My kid had a 40-50K swing/year in college offers.  I hope to be more targeted with kid #2 now that I get how it will work for us better. 

Kids should have lots of opportunities to change their minds and reinvent themselves and explore these years.  They only get one childhood.  

[MamaSprout]

Of course saving for college can and should happen as early as possible aside from any conversations about merit aid. Almost nobody goes for 100% free, and working your way through college isn’t realistic the way that it once was.

We had money in a very small 529 account that we literally forgot about for 10 years (switched to an in-state one). Just by letting it sit there it had increased to triple its value. Each of our older kids got a semester of in-state tuition out of it. I had it in some higher risk investments because of the timeline, so it could have gone the other way, but time is your friend with investing for college.

Edited April 22, 2022 by MamaSprout

[skimomma]

I am a planner, so I know how you feel.  But I would recommend just going with the flow for now.  My dc homeschooled all the way through and is now in college.  At 5th grade, if asked, I would have told you there was no way I was going to homeschool high school, let alone started making plans.  Right up until the start of 9th grade, neither of us was 100% committed.  And it still worked out just fine.

On cost, which will matter whether you homeschool or not, there is a wealth of info buried in this forum.  My family is very pragmatic.  My dc could have gotten into and done well at a *much* "better" school than where they are attending.  But we have zero college savings.  We made compromises and chose a school that stacked up scholarships and merit aid to be full tuition.  Dc will graduate with a respectable degree with no debt.  The school is still a fine choice and challenging despite not being a tippy-top university.  In your shoes, I would for sure financially plan and understand the tools available to you.  It is never too soon to do that.  But I am a prime example that things happen and the best laid plans can and do go awry.  I do believe there is an affordable option for almost any kid as long as everyone is willing to make compromises.

 

[Ting Tang]

2 hours ago, cintinative said:

A lot of these questions are answered in the pinned threads at the top of the high school board and the college board.

I don't have one in college yet so I can't answer these from a BTDT perspective.  

Honestly I think that really worrying about most of this with a kid at age 10 is probably not necessary, unless you have a really gifted kid who is likely to start high school course work in 6th grade.  And I say that as a person who comes by worrying really naturally.  😃  Planning is my favorite part of homeschooling sometimes.  I love planning.

What I can say is, at this point, I would be thinking about 1) if they do go into a public school or private, what sort of study skills, executive skills, etc. do I need to work on to get them ready (you will still need to do this if you homeschool, but perhaps in a slightly different way). There is an old thread on here about getting your 8th grader ready for high school. It's in the pinned threads. It's really good.  2) what will their course trajectory be in high school? Will they take classical courses or traditional courses? How can I avoid having them take ancient history two years in a row, for example?  It's totally a best laid plans thing, but if you know for sure that they will take a certain class their freshman year, say, medieval lit, it makes no sense to also do that in 8th grade. So in a sense you can plan backwards with some things. 3) I was told over and over that I should think about what they might want to do post-high school and backfill our courses from there. I can tell you right now that what I thought my oldest would want to do when he was 10 is TOTALLY different than what I think he wants to do now. So, you can plan, but I would seriously advise you to hold any plans loosely. And try not to buy too many texts way ahead. 😃 I am skilled at that. 

On the dual enrollment thing, we do plan to do it, but I am evaluating if my kids are prepared. Those grades are on their permanent record. I have seen people online say things like their kid is in 8th grade, doing dual enrollment, with a 2.3 GPA and I cringe.  As has been said on here before, teach the kid in front of you.  My kids would not have been mature enough or capable to handle a college workload in 8th grade.  YMMV.  Just know that some people that are chasing that path are not doing it wisely.  You will get good advice on here. Ask away.  😃

Again, I'm still navigating this, so take it all with a grain of salt. 

Thank you so much!  I do not think my children are gifted; two or maybe three of them are capable of being accelerated learners, but the oldest does need some help with those study skills and executive skills you mentioned.  Today I am not really sure what we will do for their education.  I'm having one of those days where I feel like making them someone else's problem from 8-3, haha!  But I do want to do what is best for them and not make mistakes that will affect them.  Sometimes when I read (and listed), it seems like the DE is very commonplace. I have a nephew who is a senior in public high school, and they have so many opportunities.  I also do not want to "lock" them into anything so young.  I cannot foresee my children as 8th graders handling college-level courses, and certainly not with average grades.  Eeks.

[Ting Tang]

2 hours ago, catz said:

I think there are many ways to do this successfully. Homeschool kids can continue on their homeschool way and if they have a decent ACT/SAT score they can get into college.  If they don't or are averse to testing, you can start in a community college.  If your kid wants to apply to more competitive college options and/or possibly be eligible for significant merit, you may want to make sure you have some outside grades, additional scores, DE, etc.  It can be a good step toward college readiness to have a kid practice a more traditional grading/classroom situation too.  

For us, we decided on path with our kids before high school.  I was not particularly willing to homeschool obstinant teenagers that didn't have a work ethic.  We toured high schools.  I think it is hard to homeschool a teen who doesn't want to homeschool, so I'd keep an open mind.  I know plenty of families who said they would homeschool to the end that made a change once their kid hit the teen years.  I thought we'd be done at high school, but my kids were motivated to keep going.   My kids did a lot of outside extracurriculars that help motivate them to continue homeschooling.  Both my kids have done/are doing 2 full years of dual enrollment.  But that is 100% free in our state (books, tuition, etc).  If you have limited college funding, you may want to be careful with that.  My motivation was never getting them to college graduation faster that way, but to fill out a high school transcript and if some credits transfer over great.  Our state does have solid transfer options of all sorts, but you really have to have direct path and goals picked before you start.  These credits did make it possible for my oldest to double degree in 4 years (a lot of schools would recommend 5 years for these 2 particular degrees).  He is on track to graduate college in a year.

Getting affordable options really depends on income level if costs are a concern.  If your income is low enough to have high financial need, you may want to focus on schools that are "need blind", even though I wouldn't really call them need blind.  I would pick like 5 varied schools (public, private, local, far flung, competitive, etc) and run their NPC (net price calculator) on them and see where you're at.   Plenty of middle/upper middle class families cannot afford what schools actually expect them to pay.  But if it seems like a reasonable number, you may want to focus on those types of schools.  We worked with a finanical advisor prior to having high schoolers and he said we could afford HALF of what we were expected to pay (HCOL area, older parents closer to retirement, 2 kids, etc).   Our EFC (expected family contribution) is over half our take home pay.  LOLOLOL.  Hilarious.   Just because a college gives you a number it says you can pay doesn't mean you actually can.  Colleges don't care about your emergency funds, your aging parents, your health issues, your 100 year old furnace, your retirement, your flucuating salary, etc.  

Anyway, this is where you get into looking into merit money.  You target schools where your student will be in the top 25%.  My oldest is in the top 25% of a large university and it is absolutely fine.  At least 25% of the students there who had stats to apply anywhere and that is over 10K students.  Small liberal arts colleges can be generous with merit and take many of their students pricing in range of like a flagship university, or may end up cheaper depending on income level, campus needs, etc.  Plenty of families are making college choices based on finances.  

Some schools have very generous and unique merit programs.  You have to dig around for those.  You may want to look at how the public unviersities in your state run.

One thing to mention is there is only so much a student can take out in federal loans.  A student can take out up to 31K in federal loans for an undergrad degree on their own as a dependant.  Anything over that would require a parent loan or cosign.  I think the federal loan limits and under are a reasonable and healthy limit for undergrad to consider.  I have been following student loan boards since we started looking at options and so many sad stories of young people that got in over there heads and adults that weren't guiding students toward reasonable options.  

I agree you don't have to worry about this too much, but I don't think it is too early to start thinking about the financial end and realistic options for your students and your budget.  Definitely check out the threads above.  I did have rough high school credit requirements based off our local flagship U, our state's grad requirements, and a local private prep school's requirement but we followed our own path.  My kids are college bound but we never did anything in particular to target a particular school or anything.  Colleges ideally are a fit both ways.  

The other thing I would say as your child starts high school level work, keep good records (curriculum, sequences, teachers, etc).  There was one highly competitive LAC my homeschooled kid got max merit and it required a homeschool portfolio and written paper and lab report.  Because I kept good records this was pretty easy for me to pull together.  I start a new binder for my kids every year, throw in work samples, and I maintain a list of classes with description, curriculum, projects/work and any other info.  A calendar of events.  It ends up being a pretty nice memory book of each year too we throw in museum maps and show programs and travel itineraries, etc.  He didn't end up attending that school, it was still substantially more than where he ended up but he got a very unique merit scholarship at his university.

Thanks so much for this wealth of information!  Community college is something we will likely encourage.  If you told that to my 17 year old self, though, I would have been quite opposed to going to one.  In hindsight, I'd have been better off financially.  I doubt we will qualify for much aid.  We are far from wealthy with our family size, but there are definitely families with much more need.  I was one who "got over her head" in student loan debt--60,000 after a partial scholarship (for undergrad and grad), and I don't want my children to do that, either.  But I also do not think we can foot the entire bill for all four.  Thank you for that heads up on keeping good records.  I've gotten some great information from the HSLDA, but it's good to know they might even consider examples of work and what special things they did during their time being homeschooled.

[Ting Tang]

2 hours ago, 8filltheheart said:

I can share that my experience with having graduated 6 kids from our homeschool (and have 10th and 6th graders this yr) is 100% opposite of what you are imagining.  Only 1 of my kids so far has taken APs (he took cal and chem bc he was significantly advanced and DE at our local 4 yr U was the only option for hem to keep progressing in math and science.  I can manage other advanced courses at home.)  He is also the only one of my kids who took a significant number of DE courses.   I have other advanced kids who did their courses at home.  I have one dd who studied 3 languages to advanced level and  was significantly advanced in her literary analysis and writing skills. (For example, she created a sr capstone project for English; she spent the yr researching current research on the Catholicity of Shakespeare and embedded literary allusions in his works.)  She had 1 outsourced class (Russian) and took several CLEP exams, but she had zero interest in DE.  

FWIW, I don't start thinking about college until they are near the end of 10th grade.  We just do what we want to do at their level.  Their homemade, printed of my home printer transcripts have been accepted at face value.  My kids have had zero problems being accepted with my having been their primary teacher who assigned their grades.  My kids have been accepted to honors programs, selective honors programs, and for highly competitive scholarships.  (The ds I described above was part of RRSP The Randall Research Scholars Program | The University of Alabama | Honors College (ua.edu) and dd was 1 of 20 OOS students selected as a Top Scholar Who are Top Scholars? - Office of Undergraduate Admissions | University of South Carolina )  I didn't plan on their pursuing academics at a high level.  It was simply who they were.  They have siblings who are just pretty avg performers.  They have equally gone on to pursue their goals and have been top performers at their respective colleges.  (My current college sophomore was just recently awarded a prestigious scholarship from her U (they say the scholarship represents the top students in the Honors College.  Her high school yrs were pretty ordinary in terms of level.  She loves meteorology and she had the opportunity as a homeschooled student to add studies related to her interests.)

Thank you so much for sharing. I really liked what you had to say on the k-8 board.  It is helpful to know that being homeschooled is an option---and doing it in a way that will not break the bank, either.  I would definitely lover for them to be able to specialize and pursue their interests without being overly focused on a future plan that may or may not come to fruition.

[Ting Tang]

1 hour ago, MamaSprout said:

This is true. We started early with financials just because we were realistic about what kind of aid would be available for all of our kids (almost none for our middle class small business owning family).

Even so, merit isn’t something you can do anything about until high school, and even other strategies (like a parent working for a tuition remission or exchange school) won’t matter until high school or even the last couple years before college.

Don’t steal the joy from middle school by worrying about college. Getting ready for high school work is enough!

Thank you! This is great advice. That is what I do not want to do---steal the joy and the educational experience!  

[Ting Tang]

1 hour ago, MamaSprout said:

Of course saving for college can and should happen as early as possible aside from any conversations about merit aid. Almost nobody goes for 100% free, and working your way through college isn’t realistic the way that it once was.

We had money in a very small 529 account that we literally forgot about for 10 years (switched to an in-state one). Just by letting it sit there it had increased to triple its value. Each of our older kids got a semester of in-state tuition out of it. I had it in some higher risk investments because of the timeline, so it could have gone the other way, but time is your friend with investing for college.

Yep. I think we can help some, but not all.  And you are right, even I couldn't "work my way through college" 20 some years ago.  I was able to pay for my books, car gas, basic needs, etc.  

[Ting Tang]

26 minutes ago, skimomma said:

I am a planner, so I know how you feel.  But I would recommend just going with the flow for now.  My dc homeschooled all the way through and is now in college.  At 5th grade, if asked, I would have told you there was no way I was going to homeschool high school, let alone started making plans.  Right up until the start of 9th grade, neither of us was 100% committed.  And it still worked out just fine.

On cost, which will matter whether you homeschool or not, there is a wealth of info buried in this forum.  My family is very pragmatic.  My dc could have gotten into and done well at a *much* "better" school than where they are attending.  But we have zero college savings.  We made compromises and chose a school that stacked up scholarships and merit aid to be full tuition.  Dc will graduate with a respectable degree with no debt.  The school is still a fine choice and challenging despite not being a tippy-top university.  In your shoes, I would for sure financially plan and understand the tools available to you.  It is never too soon to do that.  But I am a prime example that things happen and the best laid plans can and do go awry.  I do believe there is an affordable option for almost any kid as long as everyone is willing to make compromises.

 

Thank you so much!  Yes, I am not sure what will happen for next year let alone high school, but I wondered if anyone truly 100% homeschools or if students are really doing a lot of graded, online academy work. Some of those schools are just so expensive, and even right now, I feel like I would be micromanaging that experience, lol.  I am okay with them going to regular universities that don't have a name.  Even when they look cheaper, I know it could still amount to a lot of debt.  We are fortunate to have a community college 5 minutes from home, so that might be an option.  Sad to say, I would have turned my nose up at that option, but we are also (stillllll) paying off my college.  

[Clemsondana]

Many of the students who dual enroll aren't doing it for all of high school - they do it for a smattering of classes, or just their senior year, or something like that  So, even with that it's not something that you need to plan many years ahead of time.  And, as others have mentioned, the plans will be specific to each student.  We know one student who is planning to largely dual enroll for their jr and sr years because finances are very limited and they want to pursue something that may require a year or 2 of minimal pay right after high school...so they are trying to get 2 years of college credits out of the way.  We know others who dual enroll a few upper-level math and science classes.  We know some who plan to do mostly dual enrollment as seniors.  My own kid is planning to dual enroll 1-2 classes in their junior year just to try it out and then a couple of classes their senior year.  We know others who do no dual enrollment.  My older has/is taking a few APs in classes where we don't need to modify the content any to accommodate the test (chemistry, a co-op history class that happens to align pretty well). 

My younger will likely follow a different path. Strangely, because they are less academically interested (although not less capable) they may do more dual enrollment with the goal of getting through their college work more quickly. But plans may change - they are in middle school and this is what I'm imagining based on their current interests and goals...which could change a lot!  

I will say that I had a moment of panic as we started middle school because it seemed so much more serious.  But, I stopped and though about our goals and made a few choices and realized that we could always change if it didn't work.  For us, the shift to high school for older was far less stressful.  It could be that by that point I had a better mom network to get info from, and also that because I've taught high schoolers at co-op for a decade I've seen that most of them do OK, even though they have different approaches to high school.  

[8filltheheart]

14 minutes ago, Clemsondana said:

 

My younger will likely follow a different path. Strangely, because they are less academically interested (although not less capable) they may do more dual enrollment with the goal of getting through their college work more quickly. But plans may change - they are in middle school and this is what I'm imagining based on their current interests and goals...which could change a lot!  

 

I'm debating this approach right not with my 10th grader.  She is my weakest student by far.  She also has no strong desire to go to college.  We are considering having her DE for gen ed classes.

[maize]

My oldest dual enrolled to get as many GE's out of the way as possible in high school because, while academically capable, she hates academics. Her reasoning was that if she had to do academics for high school and had the option of doing classes that would double count for college she would rather do that than have to do twice as many academic classes in the long run if she wants a college degree. She's planning to major in theatre in college and take as few academic classes as possible.

She's graduating this year and has most of her GE's done, will probably CLEP the few she has left.

[Clemsondana]

1 hour ago, 8filltheheart said:

I'm debating this approach right not with my 10th grader.  She is my weakest student by far.  She also has no strong desire to go to college.  We are considering having her DE for gen ed classes.

My kid is considering something like occupational therapy, which requires another 2 years.  The thought of doing 6 years of college is overwhelming, but if they could get 2 years of DE + 4 years after high school, I think that would help.  Of course, they could change plans completely but that's what started me down that path.  Now that I'm looking, there are possibly some associates that they could DE and get so that if they decide to work a bit at least they'd be able to do some things (like teach preschool with an early childhood associates). 

[8filltheheart]

4 hours ago, Clemsondana said:

My kid is considering something like occupational therapy, which requires another 2 years.  The thought of doing 6 years of college is overwhelming, but if they could get 2 years of DE + 4 years after high school, I think that would help.  Of course, they could change plans completely but that's what started me down that path.  Now that I'm looking, there are possibly some associates that they could DE and get so that if they decide to work a bit at least they'd be able to do some things (like teach preschool with an early childhood associates). 

You might look into OTA.  My oldest dd is an OTA and it is a great career.  There is high demand, great job security, flexible hrs, and good pay.  With a 2 yr degree, she makes more than younger dd who is pursuing a masters anticipates making with her career choice.

[Brittany1116]

Is your CC free for DE?

I don't think you have to plan all or nothing. What makes the most sense for your family, and his plans and abilities? 

My 11yo  is taking Algebra 1 now so in another year or two he will be outsourced. I plan on him doing 2 years of DE English to cover for 11th/12th. If something else pops up or he changes direction, I am okay with DE in 10th or later, especially if online. He wants to go into an engineering field so his first 2 years would have to be pretty specific.

[teachermom2834]

7 hours ago, 8filltheheart said:

I'm debating this approach right not with my 10th grader.  She is my weakest student by far.  She also has no strong desire to go to college.  We are considering having her DE for gen ed classes.

I’ve talked a lot about my second ds who really didn’t enjoy academics the way the rest of the family does. His de is likely what got him through his degree because he was able to finish his BS so fast. When people realize he graduated college at 20 he laughs and tells them it isn’t what it seems- he graduated so fast because he really wasn’t into being a student. 
 

I wish he didn’t need a degree to do what he wanted to do but he did. So I am glad he got it and I am certain that having so many annoying gen eds and a whole year of classes already out of the way made a big difference for him getting through. I normally am in favor of students staying in college for four years and using all that time even if they have de credits going in. But in his case he just had to get in and get it done and having those gen eds out of the way was perfect. The fact that the school he took them at was easier and he was able to build confidence and have a transcript full of As didn’t hurt either. 
 

There are so many paths but I find de was most useful to my weakest student. 
 

 

[Arcadia]

8 hours ago, 8filltheheart said:

I'm debating this approach right not with my 10th grader.  She is my weakest student by far.  She also has no strong desire to go to college.  We are considering having her DE for gen ed classes.

DE for gen ed classes has been wonderful for my teens. Gen ed classes are their weakest area and the small class sizes (about 20) really helped my slower DS16 not fail. DS16 would struggle in class sizes of more than 200 in our state universities for the 7 required gen ed classes. Even though DS17 didn’t get any college acceptance, we would not have changed how he was homeschooled. He could take a gap year and apply for transfer. 

[BusyMom5]

You've gotten some really good responses.  I've got kids in high school and college, and a 5th grader.   I'm not even thinking about anything for the 5th grader- way too early!  9th grade is a good time to start familiarizing yourself with college requirements, testing, and DE or AP classes.  Options can change, so anything you find now may or may not be accurate or available in 5 or 6 years.  Things have changed even from my oldest to #2- just 2 years difference!  

What I needed to know in 5th and 6th grades:  yes, your homeschooled kid can get into college with good scholarships.   Look at your kid, give them a good educational foundation,  and leave space and time for your teen to explore.  

Heading into 6th grade, I'm starting to work more on creative writing, voice, and starting very basic essays. I'm building a strong math foundation and filling holes I find (fractions!).  I'm starting to use a few textbooks for reading comprehension questions and things like vocabulary, and explaining diagrams in history or science texts.  I still use plenty of interesting living books, but I think its a good time to introduce textbooks or a history encyclopedia, and writing brief summaries, diagrams, notes, etc.  My 5th grader needs to continue working on reading harder, longer books.  She's still very much a kid, so it can be hard to balance interest with reading rigor. 

I hope this helps you!  This is a great age to just have fun and dig into their interests!  Fun ideas we've done- Horse Biology in 6th grade, food science, agricultural science, robotics.  This is the age to go a little deeper in science, spark curiosity!  

 

[Eos]

16 hours ago, Ting Tang said:

I wondered if anyone truly 100% homeschools or if students are really doing a lot of graded, online academy work.

Other than DE, we did 100% for my older three since the internet hadn't really been invented 🙂 .  I wanted my kids to do some DE for a variety of reasons: primarily to have a school experience within a student body who were there by choice, learning interesting stuff at the college level. With my last two, I've realized that the DE looks good on college apps, but that wasn't my original goal.  I love that other posters here have had their kids be able to get gen ed courses out of the way, but I was never that smart or as good at planning. I wanted my kids to experience college classes for the intellectual rigor and to realize that they did want to go to college.  I did a year of DE for my own senior year of high school so maybe it just seemed like the natural thing to do.

We are very lucky to have a small liberal arts college nearby that allows locals to take classes for credit very cheaply.  So that has been my go-to for my juniors and seniors.  Junior year is the last year that shows up on college applications so if that is important to you - for outside verification of skills/grades - you can plan ahead that way.

Oldest was heading down a path towards marine biology and outdoor education when he took a DE chemistry class and absolutely fell in love with it and is now a chemical engineer.  Other three have done geology, economics, writing seminars, physics, and dance.  None of them ended up choosing those subjects to major in like oldest, but they have all received benefits from the experiences, and also been able to transfer credits.

Youngest has been the only one to do online classes and a couple of APs, though she is also doing DE (two this year, three next year as a senior.)  She is very bright and organized, but if I had to do it all over again I would not choose this path.  I see a different level of capacity in my three who did no online classes. There could be many reasons for this, but that's my sense.

[Clemsondana]

18 hours ago, Ting Tang said:

but I wondered if anyone truly 100% homeschools or if students are really doing a lot of graded, online academy work. Some of those schools are just so expensive, and even right now, I feel like I would be micromanaging that experience, lol. 

We know a lot of our homeschool friends through our co-op, so it's a group that is taking at least some outsourced classes.  Most don't do a lot of completely online work, although I do teach online classes to students who do take a lot of their classes that way.  I'm particular about what we choose to outsource.  When I had a freshman, they took Latin, English,  and part of the fine arts credit (music theory and ballroom dance) at co-op.  We took 1/2 credit of coding and the required 1/2 credit of econ online from a co-op teacher, but chose to do the 1/2 credit of government at home.  We also did chemistry (with AP exam), PE, Bible (1/2 credit required by umbrella), and Algebra 2 at home.  As a sophomre we did English, US History (with AP exam) and health at co-op, mostly because kid wanted to take them with friends and they are good classes.  Latin is a 1:1 online tutorial with the same t3eacher that kid had at co-op.  The reamining 1/2 credit of fine arts, and Bible, Precal, a horticulture elective, and a 1/2 credit science fiction elective were done at home.  Biology with AP is a little wonky since kid worked through my online class but we also modified it since we could do some things through discussion rather than assignments.  Next year, as a junior, kid is doing their last year of Latin, again with an online tutorial, and English, Bio 2, and a 1/2 credit public speaking class at co-op.  They'll do DE psych, and everything else (calc with AP, a computing class that spouse is designing, world history, Bible) will be done at home.  Depending on difficulty, we may add another DE class in the spring.  They will probably do more DE their senior year, but we'll make that decision when we get there. 

Older isn't interested in finishing college in 3 years, but seems interested in possibly double majoring, doing research, or finishing with a BS and MS, so we are choosing AP and DE classes that will cover requirements at the schools that they are interested in, and they can make use of the freed-up time however it makes sense once they are in college.  But, we also aren't making choices that conflict with our goals for high school.  

The details don't matter, but I wanted you to get a feel for the flexibility of it.  My kid's co-op classes were chosen for specific reasons - particular teachers, content that I don't know (kid is translating Vergil in Latin...I'd have no clue), classes that are more enjoyable with friends, classes that require a group (like ballroom or public speaking), broad exposure (I had thought the music theory class was box checking, but the variety of music they explored was a game-changer for my kid) or box-checking (I wasn't going to get worked up about where we did health, but the nurse who taught it was great).  Online is for the same reasons.  We do at-home classes because we want specific, often unusual, content, a specific approach or pacing, and because we like doing classes together.  We could have shifted either way - entirely outsourced or entirely at home - but we found the balance that works for us, and it varies between years and kids.  

Edited April 23, 2022 by Clemsondana

[Ting Tang]

Thank you all for more great information and responses!  I don't think anything here is free.  Our public high schools have some options for dual enrollment, but as I recall, it was very limited.  The schools here are very "behind" compared to what I experienced just living 90 miles away as a child.  

I think we do need to focus on the here and now.  I was all set for him to take pre-algebra (he *could* be ready for it, depending on the program) but he grumbles and I suggested doing a more conceptual math at 5th grade level.  He said, "isn't that what I am SUPPOSED to be doing?"  So he will be covering a lot of material he's already had over the next two years in a different way if we go that route.  When I was his age, I was already very studious.  He is very bright and was in the "advanced" groups in public school (no gifted program), so I do generally dislike that he has the potential to accelerate his learning but would rather not.  My daughter is also very bright (not gifted), and even at her young age, she wants to keep moving forward.  

But I also know some paths you take affect the later on---I read on these forums about so many kids studying far ahead.  But maybe those are different kinds of kids.  I am going to keep all of this information in mind but try not to fret so much.

Edited April 23, 2022 by Ting Tang

[kokotg]

Just want to add that AP classes are a potentially free (except for the cost of the test) option for advanced high school classes. I know a lot of people outsource them, but we've done a ton of APs on our own successfully. Both of my first two have done a combo of AP and DE, but my current senior leaned more heavily on AP classes for various reasons; he did 3 DE classes and will graduate with 8 AP classes. 7 of those we did completely on our own; for one we paid a relatively small amount for self-paced course material.

[catz]

34 minutes ago, Ting Tang said:

 

I think we do need to focus on the here and now.  I was all set for him to take pre-algebra (he *could* be ready for it, depending on the program) but he grumbles and I suggested doing a more conceptual math at 5th grade level.  He said, "isn't that what I am SUPPOSED to be doing?"  So he will be covering a lot of material he's already had over the next two years in a different way if we go that route.  When I was his age, I was already very studious.  He is very bright and was in the "advanced" groups in public school (no gifted program), so I do generally dislike that he has the potential to accelerate his learning but would rather not.  My daughter is also very bright (not gifted), and even at her young age, she wants to keep moving forward.  

But I also know some paths you take affect the later on---I read on these forums about so many kids studying far ahead.  But maybe those are different kinds of kids.  I am going to keep all of this information in mind but try not to fret so much.

I had a kid that hit algebra at 10.  I also have a math degree and have tutored advanced math students.  I would follow his lead on this.  There are some real downsides to racing through high school math and it's much better to have deep conceptual understanding that cursory plug and play understanding.  For higher level math you also need a level of patience with writing out involved proofs, proving solutions for many step problems, etc.   Taking math through DE is an education for a lot of kids due to pacing and expectations.  The other thing to remember about DE is the grades count and will follow you.  It's better to start your child in DE late than early.  I know different parts of the country have different DE experiences.  Our DE here as been excellent but we're in a dense metro.  Some of my kid's CC teachers teach at local privates and the university too. The content and syllabus align with our state universities. 

My son ended up spending 2 years in AoPS Algebra.  We did a lot of dancing around.  He could have done an accelerated math program through a unversity or DE classes free.  BUT he also had a bunch of extracurriculars he was loving so scheduling a class that met daily in person  was next to impossible.  Anyway, we danced around and did broad math coverage at home slowly through calc, he did DE in other classes that were easier to schedule.  He is a college junior now, has done higher level math in college and has always had A's in those classes out of an engineering program that is known for weeder math classes and one of his degrees is a STEM degree.   My son was always academically advanced but did have a couple air head years between like 11-14.  Just because your kid isn't showing initiative now doesn't really mean anything for down the line.  And some kids get excited about academics when they hit on a goal or path, my 2nd kid is more like that.  

Getting through math shouldn't be a race.  There are really good deep and broad problem solving sources and curriculum available.  So anyway, long story short,if you child doesn't feel ready to move on,I think that is totally ok.  The middle school years have a lot of other development going on.

[Ting Tang]

1 hour ago, kokotg said:

Just want to add that AP classes are a potentially free (except for the cost of the test) option for advanced high school classes. I know a lot of people outsource them, but we've done a ton of APs on our own successfully. Both of my first two have done a combo of AP and DE, but my current senior leaned more heavily on AP classes for various reasons; he did 3 DE classes and will graduate with 8 AP classes. 7 of those we did completely on our own; for one we paid a relatively small amount for self-paced course material.

Oh yes, thank you so much.  That is definitely an option I will keep in mind for him. One of the issues my husband and I were discussing was sometimes he just wants to be one of the adults.  He doesn't see the need to do the academic work to actually get there.  He absorbs a lot of the world around him and always has.  I have to keep telling myself he is 10, though, and I know I shouldn't be too critical.

[Ting Tang]

1 hour ago, catz said:

I had a kid that hit algebra at 10.  I also have a math degree and have tutored advanced math students.  I would follow his lead on this.  There are some real downsides to racing through high school math and it's much better to have deep conceptual understanding that cursory plug and play understanding.  For higher level math you also need a level of patience with writing out involved proofs, proving solutions for many step problems, etc.   Taking math through DE is an education for a lot of kids due to pacing and expectations.  The other thing to remember about DE is the grades count and will follow you.  It's better to start your child in DE late than early.  I know different parts of the country have different DE experiences.  Our DE here as been excellent but we're in a dense metro.  Some of my kid's CC teachers teach at local privates and the university too. The content and syllabus align with our state universities. 

My son ended up spending 2 years in AoPS Algebra.  We did a lot of dancing around.  He could have done an accelerated math program through a unversity or DE classes free.  BUT he also had a bunch of extracurriculars he was loving so scheduling a class that met daily in person  was next to impossible.  Anyway, we danced around and did broad math coverage at home slowly through calc, he did DE in other classes that were easier to schedule.  He is a college junior now, has done higher level math in college and has always had A's in those classes out of an engineering program that is known for weeder math classes and one of his degrees is a STEM degree.   My son was always academically advanced but did have a couple air head years between like 11-14.  Just because your kid isn't showing initiative now doesn't really mean anything for down the line.  And some kids get excited about academics when they hit on a goal or path, my 2nd kid is more like that.  

Getting through math shouldn't be a race.  There are really good deep and broad problem solving sources and curriculum available.  So anyway, long story short,if you child doesn't feel ready to move on,I think that is totally ok.  The middle school years have a lot of other development going on.

Thank you so much!  Yes, that is something I really need to take to heart, that it isn't a race.  I think he could benefit from doing a potentially deeper curriculum, even though I didn't learn math that way and want to make sure I have something I can teach.  I want to make sure he is ready for what is required at those levels.  I told my husband the same---if he decides he wants to do algebra in the 7th grade instead of 8th, then he can put in the extra work to get there.  Thank you also for the information about DE.  I definitely don't want it to end up being a detriment---I would need to be confident he is ready, to even encourage that.  

[Arcadia]

4 hours ago, Ting Tang said:

 

I think we do need to focus on the here and now.  I was all set for him to take pre-algebra (he *could* be ready for it, depending on the program) but he grumbles and I suggested doing a more conceptual math at 5th grade level.  He said, "isn't that what I am SUPPOSED to be doing?"  So he will be covering a lot of material he's already had over the next two years in a different way if we go that route.  When I was his age, I was already very studious.  He is very bright and was in the "advanced" groups in public school (no gifted program), so I do generally dislike that he has the potential to accelerate his learning but would rather not. 

My DS17 started algebra in 4th grade in public school while doing AoPS pre algebra on his own pace. He did linear algebra and multivariable calculus twice as his wish. My teens take after me and are not studious. Just because we are “gifted” in particular areas doesn’t mean those are our love/passion where we want to learn more or work as in the future.
 

On my side of the family, we just want kids to get to be kids regardless of their IQ. If they want to study something, we would pay if need be. My late mom was talented at languages and she chose to be an NICU nurse. My nephew went into engineering and is now working in corporate banking, just like his dad.  My strongest subjects were math and English, and I thrived in engineering (I was only fully engaged during labs). My teens strongest subjects are physics, chemistry and economics but they are going to stay as personal interest and not what they want to major in.

My husband and I met in engineering school. He saw that I was thriving much more working in and managing  large scale projects as an undergraduate than as a student. He is book smart while I had to be street smart. He partially understand that being gifted doesn’t mean someone would want to be academically accelerated.  My dad thinks its a waste of talents but our happiness is higher priority to him. 
 

ETA: Bear in mind that for dual enrollment your child is treated like an adult. Your child may not give you access to their grades. You can’t talk to your child’s teachers or guidance counselors. The guidance counselors would generally allow a parent to sit at the back of the room and be a silent observer while he/she discuss course of study with your child. 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Arcadia

[Ting Tang]

5 hours ago, Arcadia said:

My DS17 started algebra in 4th grade in public school while doing AoPS pre algebra on his own pace. He did linear algebra and multivariable calculus twice as his wish. My teens take after me and are not studious. Just because we are “gifted” in particular areas doesn’t mean those are our love/passion where we want to learn more or work as in the future.
 

On my side of the family, we just want kids to get to be kids regardless of their IQ. If they want to study something, we would pay if need be. My late mom was talented at languages and she chose to be an NICU nurse. My nephew went into engineering and is now working in corporate banking, just like his dad.  My strongest subjects were math and English, and I thrived in engineering (I was only fully engaged during labs). My teens strongest subjects are physics, chemistry and economics but they are going to stay as personal interest and not what they want to major in.

My husband and I met in engineering school. He saw that I was thriving much more working in and managing  large scale projects as an undergraduate than as a student. He is book smart while I had to be street smart. He partially understand that being gifted doesn’t mean someone would want to be academically accelerated.  My dad thinks its a waste of talents but our happiness is higher priority to him. 
 

ETA: Bear in mind that for dual enrollment your child is treated like an adult. Your child may not give you access to their grades. You can’t talk to your child’s teachers or guidance counselors. The guidance counselors would generally allow a parent to sit at the back of the room and be a silent observer while he/she discuss course of study with your child. 

I do not think any of my children are necessarily gifted, but he does do well in certain subject areas.  Yep---those are also not his passions, lol.  He loves to be outdoors, helping Dad, etc.  Thank you also for that information about DE.  That seems like a huge responsibility, and it seems like something for students who are mature enough to handle all the responsibilities of college-level work.  I just wondered if it was the norm for homeschoolers and if it was a direction we should take if they were not attending a regular school.  My nephew is 18 and a senior in high school.  He got an offer of 75% of his tuition and room/board covered at a smaller school.  He is a varsity baseball player.  He does another student activities at school.  He works part-time.  He is also required to do community service hours, all while doing well in school. His dad said he wasn't "hitting well" lately.  And I said, the poor kid is burned out.  I definitely do not want my kids to have more than they can handle on that note too soon! 

Edited April 24, 2022 by Ting Tang

[Arcadia]

16 minutes ago, Ting Tang said:

 Thank you also for that information about DE.  That seems like a huge responsibility, and it seems like something for students who are mature enough to handle all the responsibilities of college-level work. 

My teens both started DE in 10th grade when they were 14 years old. They felt they were ready to advocate for themselves. At 9th grade, they weren’t confident about advocating for themselves yet. 

[Ting Tang]

10 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

My teens both started DE in 10th grade when they were 14 years old. They felt they were ready to advocate for themselves. At 9th grade, they weren’t confident about advocating for themselves yet. 

That makes sense, especially if it is something that is going to follow them.  I do hope my oldest son will one day be interested in furthering his education, whatever that means.  This is all great information, and I thank you.  With our bunch, there might be many scenarios to consider!

 

[chiguirre]

5 hours ago, Arcadia said:

ETA: Bear in mind that for dual enrollment your child is treated like an adult. Your child may not give you access to their grades. You can’t talk to your child’s teachers or guidance counselors. The guidance counselors would generally allow a parent to sit at the back of the room and be a silent observer while he/she discuss course of study with your child. 

I think this is state (or possibly college) specific. I had to sign my dd's forms each semester as her "High School Official" not as her parent. If she had been a student at our local early college high school, it would have been her guidance counselor signing the form. I had to certify that her high school (aka me) would give her high school credit for the classes she was taking in order for them to be tuition free. High school students were also required to sign the FERPA permission to give parents access to their grades (this applied to homeschoolers and public schoolers).

OP: Community colleges vary so much in the classes they offer and their academic rigor that it's hard to generalize. It is worth checking out what's available in your area a year or so before your kids would consider dual enrolling. Our local CC has an Honors College that was an excellent experience for dd. She got to take some really cool classes, do several independent projects and participate in Model UN. If you live near Houston, I'd highly recommend dual enrollment. But that  doesn't help you decide if you're in Kansas or Wyoming.

Kids change so much over the course of high school. It's good to have a plan, but you need to be flexible. Dd surprised us all by deciding to enlist in the Navy with a job in IT systems admin instead of finishing up a business degree. The CC credits she had meant that she entered the Navy as an E-3 instead of an E-1 which translates into $400 more a month and quicker promotion to petty officer. It also means we no longer have to worry about college costs. She'll be able to finish her BS and get a master's degree courtesy of the GI Bill. It's hard not to worry, but there are lots of paths out there to get to college. I wish I could have told myself that when dd was in 5th grade.

[NittanyJen]

Your experience will really vary with location and goals. The main thing to focus on now is your plan for the logic stage years, rather than high school or college; it is really important to let them enjoy learning, rather than thinking of it as some type of rat race, even (especially?) for those of us who are very academic homeschoolers.

Do know that if your kids take classes in areas they enjoy in high school, they ARE still doing school to become educated and not to just check off boxes, yes, even in dual enrollment classes and definitely in higher quality AP classes (it’s a myth that AP classes don’t leave any room to explore— maybe in poorly designed ones, but good ones leave room to wonder, ask questions, and have some fun). And you don’t need to jam-pack your schedule with them or make them your entire schedule— pick and choose. One of my sons took a ton of dual enrollment classes in high school because he sincerely enjoyed them, and he focused on political science and economics, his passions at the time (he now majors in compsci lol). My other son took some dual enrollment classes, but not as many as his brother, but he did some really creative things on his own and took more local classes and online classes. Some classes I considered to be an excellent investment, because they were so motivating, and they learned so much. 

You will have time to figure all of this out as you get closer to the time. You can plan— know the general arc your homeschool should be taking. Have ideas for what things have wiggle room and what things are pretty much set. But the specifics are genuinely best left for later, because there will be options later that might not even exist today.

I’m a big believer in planning— but there is an art to planning while remaining flexible enough to deal with life.

 

[Dmmetler]

The fact is, homeschooling high school is like homeschooling younger kids. Teach the kid In front of you, and do what works for them.

 

S homeschooled through high school, and we delayed graduation for a year because she just wasn't ready. We did some DE the last year, and she had been on a community college path until health issues hit. 

 

L started college classes in 7th grade, and then graduated high school an extra year early with about 70 credits. Took a lot of classes simply because they were interesting (lots of psychology, sociology, philosophy, history, graphic design, journalism, literature, etc.) Picked a private college that gives placement vs credit and is on target to complete a dual degree.

 

The plan for M had been to homeschool high school with some online classes, some college classes and an online/internship based vet assistant program, however COVID and divorce pushed first to an online school and now full time PS. We may end up trying to homeschool with mostly CC classes because M has been so miserable that even non-credit leveling classes at the CC would be preferable at this point, but neither her mom nor I really can do more than be a guide on the side, and we know online was a complete failure. 

 

C isn't to high school yet, and the jury is still out on whether he'll go to high school or whether we'll try to piece together something. It seems entirely possible that PS high school will be the best choice for him. 

[Ting Tang]

16 hours ago, chiguirre said:

I think this is state (or possibly college) specific. I had to sign my dd's forms each semester as her "High School Official" not as her parent. If she had been a student at our local early college high school, it would have been her guidance counselor signing the form. I had to certify that her high school (aka me) would give her high school credit for the classes she was taking in order for them to be tuition free. High school students were also required to sign the FERPA permission to give parents access to their grades (this applied to homeschoolers and public schoolers).

OP: Community colleges vary so much in the classes they offer and their academic rigor that it's hard to generalize. It is worth checking out what's available in your area a year or so before your kids would consider dual enrolling. Our local CC has an Honors College that was an excellent experience for dd. She got to take some really cool classes, do several independent projects and participate in Model UN. If you live near Houston, I'd highly recommend dual enrollment. But that  doesn't help you decide if you're in Kansas or Wyoming.

Kids change so much over the course of high school. It's good to have a plan, but you need to be flexible. Dd surprised us all by deciding to enlist in the Navy with a job in IT systems admin instead of finishing up a business degree. The CC credits she had meant that she entered the Navy as an E-3 instead of an E-1 which translates into $400 more a month and quicker promotion to petty officer. It also means we no longer have to worry about college costs. She'll be able to finish her BS and get a master's degree courtesy of the GI Bill. It's hard not to worry, but there are lots of paths out there to get to college. I wish I could have told myself that when dd was in 5th grade.

Thank you, that is good advice not to worry so much!  I will wish your daughter all the best and thank her for her service! 

[Ting Tang]

12 hours ago, NittanyJen said:

Your experience will really vary with location and goals. The main thing to focus on now is your plan for the logic stage years, rather than high school or college; it is really important to let them enjoy learning, rather than thinking of it as some type of rat race, even (especially?) for those of us who are very academic homeschoolers.

Do know that if your kids take classes in areas they enjoy in high school, they ARE still doing school to become educated and not to just check off boxes, yes, even in dual enrollment classes and definitely in higher quality AP classes (it’s a myth that AP classes don’t leave any room to explore— maybe in poorly designed ones, but good ones leave room to wonder, ask questions, and have some fun). And you don’t need to jam-pack your schedule with them or make them your entire schedule— pick and choose. One of my sons took a ton of dual enrollment classes in high school because he sincerely enjoyed them, and he focused on political science and economics, his passions at the time (he now majors in compsci lol). My other son took some dual enrollment classes, but not as many as his brother, but he did some really creative things on his own and took more local classes and online classes. Some classes I considered to be an excellent investment, because they were so motivating, and they learned so much. 

You will have time to figure all of this out as you get closer to the time. You can plan— know the general arc your homeschool should be taking. Have ideas for what things have wiggle room and what things are pretty much set. But the specifics are genuinely best left for later, because there will be options later that might not even exist today.

I’m a big believer in planning— but there is an art to planning while remaining flexible enough to deal with life.

 

Thank you!  Yes, I do feel they should explore, and sometimes it seems like there is box-checking for college. Better they explore then rather than accumulating debt in something they decide they didn't really like all that much after all. 

[Ting Tang]

5 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

The fact is, homeschooling high school is like homeschooling younger kids. Teach the kid In front of you, and do what works for them.

 

S homeschooled through high school, and we delayed graduation for a year because she just wasn't ready. We did some DE the last year, and she had been on a community college path until health issues hit. 

 

L started college classes in 7th grade, and then graduated high school an extra year early with about 70 credits. Took a lot of classes simply because they were interesting (lots of psychology, sociology, philosophy, history, graphic design, journalism, literature, etc.) Picked a private college that gives placement vs credit and is on target to complete a dual degree.

 

The plan for M had been to homeschool high school with some online classes, some college classes and an online/internship based vet assistant program, however COVID and divorce pushed first to an online school and now full time PS. We may end up trying to homeschool with mostly CC classes because M has been so miserable that even non-credit leveling classes at the CC would be preferable at this point, but neither her mom nor I really can do more than be a guide on the side, and we know online was a complete failure. 

 

C isn't to high school yet, and the jury is still out on whether he'll go to high school or whether we'll try to piece together something. It seems entirely possible that PS high school will be the best choice for him. 

Thank you so much for sharing.  It seems lots can still change.  The other day I thought the kids should all go back to public elementary school, lol.  

[Miguelsmom]

So I screwed up got scared of highschool and tried virtual school. 7-9th grade he spent more time getting dropped from classes then in classes. That's not how my son learns. He needs no busy work. So he made it miserable. With learning nothing those three years I finally told him he had to sign up for an associates of science degree through dual enrollment.

He passed into honors but didn't want to do it so he signed up for regular classes. We started doing 6 hours of productive work a day and paying him $30-40 per class for a B or A. So he could do anything productive in that time but only got paid for dual enrollment classes. He struggled with not switching majors and ended up getting an Associates of science degree and a certificate of programming. He had a high 3.x gpa. We also gave him credit for the classes he took outside de too. He ended up graduation with 89 dual enrollment credits. So by the end he had a good grade a career degree. So we spent less than $1200 over his last three years.

Then he went on to transfer 60 of those credits into the university. He lived at home and went mostly online (which one of those years no one went on campus). He liked his major but wanted to expand with a minor. So he did that. It took him 2 years to graduate.

He required a transcript for university and none of those grades were questioned even though he had a mix of virtual school, de and traditional homeschooling classes. And SAT scores.

The reason we decided he needed to do dual enrollment was financial and so he could have a career right out of highschool. Dual enrollment is free here.

He ended up getting a full cost of attendance scholarship from the local university. He finished his bachelor's in 2 years. At the beginning of this month. So he's 19 looking for a remote career and moved out a week ago. 

I would keep the lab books, table of contents, and reading list.

Trust yourself 

Figure out what your minimum requirements to graduate and work back from that.

Oh and virtual school did not predict his grades in college. He did an AS degree vs an AA degree because an AA front loads the general education classes and the AS has only 15 general education credits and 45 career specific credits.