Ok, so now I'm scared...

[learning2gether]

I posted a while back about using NARS or Crossroads Christian for highschool. My husband felt like our daughters would need an accredited diploma. After reading the replies as well as many threads about children going off to college with "mommy transcripts & diplomas" I decided not to go that route and use those funds for some great field trips. I just read the post about getting a GED and some colleges not accepting a homeschool diploma. My oldest starts highschool in a couple months and now I am panicking. Do I need to reconsider using an accredited school? If so would the diploma or getting a GED be a better choice? My plan was to take some CLEPs, an AP Class or 2, maybe some SAT II tests and community college classes her Sr. year. Please help this nevous-soon to be-mom of a high school student.

[Harrison_B]

Hi Kimberly,

 

I'm in the same boat with you. I have been weighing the pros and cons and I decided to use NARS. I have friends who are generating their own diplomas and transcripts, and they are doing a wonderful job. For me, the future is unclear with the changes the government will be making and I don't know if the homeschool community will be affected by these changes (or even my state). I'm just spectulating. So my husband and I decided to be safe than sorry. I wish we could use the money elsewhere, but for me NARS is cheaper option than a private school and my son will be getting an education based on my standards IMHO. I agree it is a tough decision.

[chanda7]

We have had some problems in my state (TN) with certain governmental agencies refusing to accept homeschool diplomas from Category IV schools, even with a college graduate in one instance. We have legislation to help remedy this, but we don't know yet if it will pass.

 

I think *most* students do not have a problem with this, particularly if they have outside verification of their skills (test scores, college classes, etc.). My advice is to play it by ear for the next year or two until she has an idea of where she might want to go to college and find out their specific requirements. According to the NARS FAQ, you can transfer your homeschool credits to their program if you keep the proper documentation. She can always take a GED at anytime if necessary.

[Liza Q]

I think that it may really depend on your state. I am not an expert but every time I have heard of a school not accepting a "mommy transcript & diploma" it has been a public (State/City/Community) college.

 

In NY the public colleges are very difficult about homeschooling. At this point that they do not always accept an *accredited* diploma like NARS as it is not a NY State accreditation! The NY Dept. Of Ed. has a list of ways that a homeschooler can be accepted but our local college (Brooklyn College) would not even accept all of these.

 

My daughter applied to 3 privates schools and was accepted with no fuss with a homemade transcript. But she had to get the GED to apply to Brooklyn College. It was a pain because in order to apply to the Honors College there, she had to get the GED and send it in with her application. I am sure that none of the kids applying from public/private school had to show their diploma *before* they graduated!! :glare: And i is a real drag because she is not even going there!

 

I do not regret not using a program. As I did not feel the need for one to keep me accountable/organized (which can be a great thing!), I would have felt like it was money down the tubes.

 

Anyway - keep researching and find out exactly what would be required in your area. As Chanda said,

According to the NARS FAQ, you can transfer your homeschool credits to their program if you keep the proper documentation. She can always take a GED at anytime if necessary.

 

HTH!

[Guest cleona]

Hi Kimberley,

We have worked with NARS for both of our sons. The oldest is a sophmore in college. The youngest is a senior in high school and has been accepted at Houghton College. We have been very pleased with NARS. We are in New York State also but I haven't had as much difficulty as Liza. Our oldest son applied to both SUNY and private Christian colleges and was accepted at all of the ones he applied to. From what I understand, he would have had to take an English and math placement exam at the SUNY colleges, but I believe that all students do that. I think that having SAT scores that reenforce the GPA's on a transcript or diploma make a difference.

As far as working with NARS, we have had the same teacher/advisor for both sons. She has been very helpful with both of them. NARS is pretty flexible in accepting curriculum and also very helpful in answering questions by email or phone. You are required to keep a log book during the year, but once you become accustomed to doing it, it tends to keep everyone on schedule. It can be expensive, but I have been able to spread payments out over the school year.

This year our youngest son took some classes with The Potter's School. He has been homeschooled since fifth grade so I thought that it would be beneficial for him to take some classes with someone other than Mom. He has enjoyed all of the classes he took and I have been very pleased with the school. We didn't have the option of classes at a community college but I think that this worked out better for us. I would just add that I have learned to be flexible and adapt my plans to what works the best for all of us. I hope that this is helpful.

Colleen

[Liza Q]

Colleen, I have hears that the SUNY system upstate is more relaxed about homeschooling than it is here downstate. And the CUNY (NYC) system is even more temperamental - sigh.

 

But I have also read of problems like this in Georgia and Ohio so I think it really depends on where you are!

[Cedarmom]

Do you know which schools your student might be planning to go to? If you do, you can see what their policies are. My son will have a diploma issued by me. He is however taking a couple of college classes in math and science (subjects he will major in) This will give him some outside experience and grades. The University he wants to attend also requires homeschoolers to take a subject test in foreign language.

[Janet in WA]

My advice is to play it by ear for the next year or two until she has an idea of where she might want to go to college and find out their specific requirements. According to the NARS FAQ, you can transfer your homeschool credits to their program if you keep the proper documentation. She can always take a GED at anytime if necessary

Yep. And of course, you could also take the opposite approach and start out with an accredited program and drop it if you find after a while that you don't like or need it. That's what we did.

 

If there's one thing we learned while homeschooling high school, it was to be flexible and keep our minds open to changes as opportunities and challenges presented themselves. It can be paralyzing to think that you must make one choice NOW and live with it for four years.

[Laurie in CA]

I have been going back and forth on the accrediting issue as well. I have a 9th grade daughter and am trying to decide if I will enroll at our local Christian school and take advantage of the accreditation they offer to homeschoolers. I have graduated 2 without accreditation so far. The first went to CC got an AA and transferred to a university, no problems there. The second didn't go to CC and has recently applied to a private technical school where a GED was required if homeschooled without accreditation. I was a little disgusted at first especially after reading the negative articles about it on the HSLDA web site and talking to a person at HSLDA. Then I just decided to have my son take the dang test and get over it. (Sometimes I just get tired of defending what I do....) The GED test is super easy and he has a transcript proving he is a high school graduate. I have just told him not to put on a job app. he has a GED but a high school diploma. The people at the technical school are quite helpful and very nice about him being homeschooled and the GED is the way in. I took the GED test myself after a year of college (I skipped last year of high school, took ACT, couldn't take GED till my hs class graduated) It had no negative effect on me whatsoever. I was known at my high school reunion 2 years ago as the "smart one" who went to college early....LOL.

[learning2gether]

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply. At this point she wants to attend Lane College (small, private, christian) or Kentucky State University (small, state school). I will put in a call to their admissions office tomorrow. She is only 14 so she may not even be interested in these schools by the time she is actually ready for college. I am just relieved to realize that we are not "married" to whatever we decide to do for now. We can start on our own and make changes should the need arise.

[kiana]

With regards to New York: My two homeschooled brothers matriculated at NY colleges. Brother A got in without difficulty, having transferred in a year of credits from out of state. Brother B had some difficulty, but they ended up compromising that he would have to take placement tests before registering for courses, which he had planned to do anway.

 

Edited: Neither of them had any formal documentation beyond a mommy-transcript, except brother A had standardized test scores. Brother B didn't even have that. This was upstate NY.

Edited May 4, 2009 by kiana
adding information

[kate in seattle]

Alex got into the Air Force Academy and the University of Washington with mommy grades (USAFA insisted on them). I have never made a diploma for him, but I guess I could. He does have two years of CC as outside validation.

[Jean too]

I suppose it depends on the university you are applying to. My dd had no problems with our "mommy transcript". Maybe it helped that she has had several classes at our local cc.

[Piano&ViolinMom]

We have had some problems in my state (TN) with certain governmental agencies refusing to accept homeschool diplomas..., even with a college graduate in one instance.

Wow.

 

She can always take a GED at anytime if necessary.

 

In our state, kids can not take GED unless they are 18 or older.

[Sandy in Indy]

I, too, think it must depend on where you live. Both of my older dc have been accepted to both private and public universities **with no questions asked** based on my transcript. I honestly never even considered that it might be a problem.