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Pros and Cons of Earning College Credit During Homeschool High School

Here are pros and cons of earning college credit during homeschool high school.

Pros and Cons of Earning College Credit During Homeschool High School

Earning college credit during high school is all the rage these days. Public schools, private schools and homeschools are all pushing their juniors and seniors to knock out college credits while still in high school. In recent years as I have served as homeschool academic advisor and coach I have had more and more homeschool parents feeling pressured to get their teens into college classes.

Is it the best thing for homeschool teens to earn college credit during high school? What are the pros and cons of earning college credit during homeschool high school?

Pros:

Colleges often give steep discounts to homeschool juniors and seniors taking their classes.
It often saves money in the long run to knock out some college courses early.
It proves your teen can do college level work.
It adds some power to the transcript.
If your teen has interests or specialties that they need to develop but have exhausted the homeschool resources, college can supply that need.
At some colleges, teens coming in with a few credits can register before those that don’t have credits.
If going into a trade, trade classes at the local community college can help your teen graduate ready to work.

Cons:

Grades earned in college courses, even in high school, stay with the student through college. If teens are not ready to buckle down and work hard, they might end up lowering their college GPA before they even get to college.
Not all credits transfer. This is particularly true with 100 level Composition or Math courses. Check local *transfer-to* colleges to clarify what will transfer.
An important part of college is networking with the professors, staff and fellow students. Reference letters, experience/opportunities, connections come out of the college experience. Often teens are not mature enough and/or the teachers feel like their networking energies are more appropriately invested in college-aged students. Teens can feel like “5th wheels”.
Teens who are working on college courses sometimes miss the richness of what high school courses can provide. This is particularly true of Language Arts and History courses.
Teens with multiple college courses each semester often do not have time to do adolescent-appropriate growth and development. Teens need to try on hats, do new things, be involved in various activities and causes. I’ve worked with some of those teens in my job as a counselor who are feeling lost when they enter college senior year- they feel like they don’t know themselves or what to do with themselves because they missed out on their identity formation years by struggling through tough college classes in high school.
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There’s not one right way to homeschool. Every teen is different. Some teens NEED to get college courses under their belts. For some teens it is a waste of time and money. Here are some suggestions:

Pray.
Talk with your teens about pros and cons.
Visit some college admission officers and ask what they are looking for in incoming freshmen.

Of my 5 kids, 2 took some arts-type courses at the local community college during high school. It was good for them. It would not have been best-fit for my other teens, it would have trashed their activities and busy life schedules. Two of the non-college-during-high-school kids either have a PhD now or are working on it. The other one is a junior in college and doing just fine.

Click here to see what The College XPress has to say about the pros and cons of taking college courses while still in high school.

For some encouragement and confidence building, you need to take our how-to course for parents. A well-spent $35.

Wondering what to look for and what questions to ask during a college tour? Click here for some great advice!

You can start with our ebook for parents Homeschool High School: You Can Do It! FREE when you become our 7th Sister by joining our newsletter! Sign up below:

Pros and Cons of Earning College Credit During Homeschool High School

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College-Bound Homeschoolers: New FAFSA Rules- Start Filing October 1

For parents of college-bound homeschoolers: New FAFSA Rules – Start Filing October 1!

College-Bound Homeschoolers: New FAFSA Rules- Start Filing October 1

Just a fun, friendly heads up from your 7Sisters. If you have a homeschool senior OR kids in college, you can file that FAFSA starting OCTOBER 1 (instead of waiting until January).

As you know, FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is an online application that opens the doors for federal grants, student loans and work study opportunities.

When you file your FAFSA this year, you will use prior prior year tax information. You will use IRS’s data retrieval tool to share your 2015 Federal Tax info with them so that they can decide what your student is eligible for.

This is a big change. In the past, you shared prior year tax information and you didn’t file your FAFSA until January.

The date was moved up in order to:

Help families get the FAFSA filed on time (many families must estimate their federal taxes on the FAFSA and then re-do things when the taxes are finally completed in the spring – this can be messy)
Help families make final college decisions (hopefully financial aid packages will be available sooner from the colleges)
Align the college financial aid process and the FAFSA process better (they really were on different time frames which makes a difference to the students who are applying to college)
Help ease the process for the colleges (requiring fewer of the irritating “verifications”- because they have your tax information sooner)

For parents who want to know more, here’s a FAFSA handout and a cute video from National College Admissions Advisors.

Here’s one heads up for you: College admissions advisors over the years have told me that some financial aid is first-come-first-served, so waiting until the last possible moment might not be best practices.

Homeschool High School: You CAN Do It! 7SistersHomeschool.com

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This is one change that I like. I can go ahead and get this stressor out of the way!

Need help planning homeschool high school? Enjoy our parents’ course. It is online, at-your-own-pace and affordable!

Make sure your student’s transcript is going to capture the attention of the admissions counselor. Click here for some hints.

College-Bound Homeschoolers: New FAFSA Rules- Start Filing October 1

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After Homeschool Graduation: 5 Tips for Academic Success in College

After Homeschool Graduation: Here Are 5 Tips for Academic Success in College

Tips for Academic Success in College

One of the blessings of serving as homeschool high school academic advisor for so many years to hearing from the kids while they are in college. A number of the kids will stay in touch and I usually ask them for the tips for academic success in college that they’ve learned either by wisdom or the hard way.

Some of the tips are obvious:

Go to class
Spend time studying
Don’t wait until the night before a big assignment or exam to get started

Others are not so obvious:

Sit in the T-zone in class (first 2 rows or down the middle)
Visit your professors during office hours
Think of questions to ask or ask them if you’re on the right track with papers
Ask for help (professors, TAs, labs)
Volunteer in your major’s department
Join organizations in your major’s department
Find a study group from each class (or create one)
Be the last student out of a class
Never close your computer, binders or books while the professor is still talking
Type up your notes after each class

In this vlog I share the 5 most common tips that the homeschool-to-college kids have given me. Take a listen!

Tips for Academic Success in College

The Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Episode 3 Will My Kid Get into College?

This week on the Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Episode 3 Will my kid get into college? This post is running concurrently on the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network (along with the audio).

The Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Episode 3

Will My Kid Get into College?

Many homeschool parents panic when their kids get close to homeschool highschool years. They sweat over the BIG question: Will my kid get into college?

Not to worry! Your 7Sisters are here. Vicki (along with 7Sister, Marilyn) served at academic advisor to hundreds of juniors and seniors for 18 years and has learned in the trenches how to help teens be college attractive.

In The Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Episode 3 Vicki and Sabrina will share tips that will help your teen to be college attractive. These tips aren’t big, scary, impossible tasks. Not at all! The Sisters share things that normal homeschool highschool families CAN do!

College is within grasp of homeschool highschoolers who want to it. Vicki and Sabrina’s practical tips will help you feel confident about homeschooling highschool!

The Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Episode 3 Will My Kid Get into College?

4 College Skills to Learn in Homeschool High School

Want some homeschool help for basic college skills that your homeschool high schooler can learn now? I’ll tell you!

Four of my homeschool graduates have already finished college and are off in the working world. All of them graduated college with honors. These are 4 of the most important college skills they learned in high school.

4 College Skills to Learn in Homeschool High School

1. Public speaking

College admissions officers are often impressed with homeschoolers who participate in rhetoric leagues, public speaking courses, or debate teams. It shows that they have drive, courage, and willingness to learn tough skills. Our local homeschool support group has Rhetoric League. While my high schoolers have never said it was their FAVORITE thing about high school, they ALL say it was one of the most important things they did.

My kids also use public speaking in many of their classes with presentations and projects. My oldest son earned extra scholarship money speaking as a college ambassador. Once, my daughter was asked by a professor to speak to the board about the effectiveness of their department- spontaneously, no prep time. It went well because she was already comfortable with public speaking. You never know when you’ll need to speak!

2. Leveled-up courses in their major area

High schoolers should invest in higher levels of learning in their specialty areas. For instance, one son wanted to be a history major in college, so his history courses included challenging learning opportunities. My daughter wanted to be a photographer- I couldn’t teach her high level photography, so in her junior year she started taking photography courses at the community college. College-level courses look powerful on a transcript. Learning to work intensely on special subjects is an important skill.

Click here for a post on how to level up.

College Skills to Learn in Homeschool High School

Click the image to view excerpts from 7Sisters “no-busywork” Writing Guides

3. Writing- LOTS of it

Usually in high school, writing is not a stand-alone course. (It is part of the language arts credit.) However, homeschool high schoolers who do lots of writing are better equipped for college. The more they write (both numbers of papers and types of papers), the better they will transition into the rigor and fast pace of the college classroom.

In high school my teens write research papers (MLA and APA style), essays, short stories, poetry, and specialty writing (resumes, lyric writing, sermon writing, script writing). The point is to write so much and so varied that they are desensitized to the stress. They use the 7 Sisters writing curriculum because my kids can’t stand busy work or pretentious textbooks.

4. Social skills

This also is not a stand-alone course. (We include social skills in health.) In high school, we review the 10 basic skills they learned as children. The confidence they renew as they practice these skills helps them at college interviews (and job interviews), as well as making new friends and meeting new professors. The cool thing is: if your teen knows social skills, he/she can practice them in any situation!

Help your homeschooler prepare for college early by practicing these 4 skills!

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Here’s my vlog on The Perfect Homeschool Transcript.

4 College Skills to Learn in Homeschool High School

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Homeschool Transcript for a Special Needs High Schooler: 7 Areas to Capture

How does a homeschool high schooler with special needs develop a good transcript?
7 Things to Capture on a Homeschool Transcript for Your Special Needs High Schooler

Transcript for Special Needs High Schooler

A homeschool high schooler with special needs should have a transcript that reflects a rich education full of experiences and gift-development. The transcript for special needs high schoolers should also be honest about academics- a child who is not capable of doing Algebra II, should not have some cheesy version of it appear on the transcript. (Simply note in the legend/key of the transcript that he was educated according to his abilities and suggestions given by his diagnostic testing. I recommend that testing be attached to the transcript at graduation, so that helping agencies, like community college or vocational rehabilitation are adequately informed.)

Here are a few tips for developing a great transcript for a special needs high schooler:

1. Concentrate on strengths- find an area or two and level up or show as specialty course.

Lean into them for a leveling-up experience or a special course. Why not have a full credit in Civil War Studies or Auto Mechanics? Click here to find out how to level up or earn an alternate (specialty course) credit.

transcript for special needs high schooler

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2. Compensate in weak areas

Homeschool high school is the time for your special needs teen to remediate where there are academic Dedicate some time to:

-Writing skills

7 Sisters is can be helpful to some special needs homeschool high schoolers because there are daily, short lessons. Your teen may need supervision or may need to discuss and dictate, according to his/her abilitieis. Start with our FREE whitepaper on writing research with reluctant teens. Then follow up with story writing or essay writing.

-Inferential reading skills

Build inferential reading skills (Edcon’s Bring the Classics to Life are great at this. Btw-ignore the alleged grade levels).

-Literature-reading skills

7 Sisters Literature Study Guides are no-busywork and clearly understood by many high schoolers. You may work together in a discuss/dictate format. Try our FREE Anne of Green Gables Literature Study Guide for starters.

-Math skills

Try Pearson Education’s Pacemaker Math series

-Science skills

Try Westfield Studios. Their courses are delightful but be sure to follow the syllabus.

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3. Have LOTS of sparkle on the transcript: community involvement, appropriate competitions, service opportunities

This is where your special needs homeschool high schooler can shine. Plow into those talents and strengths. Volunteer at church- nursery, sound system, worship team/choir. Get involved in local homeschool organizations or in the case of spectrum teens- look into local autism/Aspergers support groups. Play a sport. Join a music group.

Look into competitions. There are lots of online opportunities- looks at Scholastic, local college sometimes sponsor science fairs, Poetry Outloud, Lego Robotics Leagues, National History Day, etc. Your teen doesn’t need to win- just have the experience for his transcript.

Volunteer at local food banks, libraries, missions organizations.

Show these appropriately on the transcript for a special needs high schooler, not as credits, but as extracurriculars.

4. Try some apprenticeships

Discuss with your special needs homeschool high schooler good work ethic skills: promptness, politeness, industriousness. Then let him/her try his skills with a time-limited apprenticeship. Look at local farms, florists shops, libraries, offices. Record these on the transcript under Career Exploration. Sherri Seligson has a great book on Interning.

5. Teach interviewing skills

Practice with your high schooler some interview skills. Even if your homeschooler has special needs, he/she will need basic skills: dress business casual or business, sit straight, hands on knees, look toward/at interviewer, answer in complete sentences, have some questions to ask the interviewer. Record this as Career Exploration.

Check my Homeschool Career Exploration Pinterest board for posts on interview skills:

6. If needed, update diagnostic testing if he/she will need compensations at college level

Not all teens need to go to college, but if your special needs homeschool high schooler feels led to go- it might be time to get some diagnostic testing. Look at a local educational psychologist or psychological testing service. The test results will include a list of needed compensations, if applicable.

Include a summary in the transcript legend/key and attach the testing.

7. Pray

You know this, anyway. Does your teen know how to turn to God for help and guidance? Record Religion on the transcript.

What are some suggestions you would make for homeschoolers with special needs?

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Transcript for Special Needs High Schooler

High School Career Exploration: Our Experience, Part 2

This is the second in a 2-part series. For the first part, click here – High School Career Exploration: Our Experience.

high school career exploration

High School Career Exploration

High School Career Exploration: Our Experience Part 1 left us ready to look seriously into three career fields:

* Chef/Restaurant Industry

* Architecture

* Fitness/Personal Training

We found people we knew who were working in these fields or had connections to people working in them, and picked their brains. One of the most powerful of those brain-picking sessions was with a friend of my older children who had just finished chef school and loves working in his field. He came to the house and shared glowing stories about his time in culinary school, about what he loves about the restaurant industry, about all the various special disciplines you can study. It was great fun, and as we were winding down I figured visiting some culinary schools was going to be added to our calendar. Gordon asked Jonah, “So what thoughts do you have, now that I’ve shared my experience? You’ve asked lots of specific questions, but what’s your gut feeling? Think you might want to go further with this?”

With no hesitation, Jonah said, “I feel bad saying this because I can tell you love it, Gordon, but no. I actually think I’m definitely taking this option off my list.”

I was so surprised! I asked him why.

He said that it had never occurred to him how fast-paced/high-pressure the restaurant environment would be (he’s a pretty laid back guy) or how much his nights and weekends would be totally dominated by his work if he pursued this career. His time with family and friends is very important to him, and the schedule in this field would not mesh well with others who work more traditional daytime hours. He said he thinks he’ll keep his cooking for fun and entertaining his friends, but culinary school was off the list.

What a valuable opportunity! Finding out you definitely DON’T want to pursue a career (and why) is just as valuable as making your choice to settle on one that you DO want to pursue.

Our investigation of Architecture started with looking at the required courses for this major at several universities. Jonah quickly decided that these required courses did not interest him enough to warrant the time and money needed to go this route.

Our investigation of school options in the Fitness field revealed that several options were available. Everything from independent intensive programs (less than one year) to prepare for the National Certification Test from 4-year Bachelor degrees in Exercise Science could be had…with several variations in between.

We met with people working in the field and learned of the need for perseverance in building personal client lists, excellence in people skills, a teaching mindset as each client has different needs and unique learning styles (remember the personality test and Keirsey report that indicated he was a natural teacher?), and flexibility in work schedules. All of this was really sounding like a good fit to Jonah!

He has made his choice and just graduated from high school. He begins his 1-year Certificate Program at our local college (very affordable option) with plans to extend for a 2nd year to complete his Associate Degree in Exercise Science. After that, he has the option to transfer those credits in to any of the state universities to be an incoming Junior in an Exercise Science Bachelor’s program if he wants to.

His very intentional decision to work on high school career exploration in 10th grade resulted in him learning a lot about himself, ruling out several careers he thought he might enjoy, and educating himself on the various ways he could pursue the field he’s chosen to go after now that high school is over.

Do we know for sure that this career will be “successful”?

Of course not! Life doesn’t offer those kind of guarantees.

But we do feel confident that he is starting in a wise direction, taking smart steps after high school graduation.

And we hope sharing our experience may encourage some of you to be intentional as you look into high school career exploration!

Jonah’s journey started with Vicki Tillman’s Career Exploration Workbook. Download here for $6.99.

High School Career Exploration

Explore Careers That Don’t Require College

College is a wonderful next-step for many high school grads, homeschooled or otherwise. But what about also exploring careers that DON’T require a college degree?

Explore Careers That Don’t Require College

I am the child of a university classics professor. My first full-time job was in an office on that same campus. I have a step-son who just finished his dental residency after many years of hard work on his undergraduate and professional school degrees. I have a step-daughter who earned her RN after completing a two-year Associates Degree nursing program. I have a daughter who is about to begin her final semester of student teaching so that she will graduate with her BA in Elementary Education and Deaf Studies. I have a son who finished high school homeschool a year earlier than we originally planned because he is so motivated to get started on his college classes this fall.

I am a HUGE FAN of college for young adults who should go to college.

I am also a college drop-out myself. I’m married to a college drop-out who works in industrial chemistry as a lab technician and has done very well providing for all of us with a career he truly finds deeply rewarding. I have a step-son and a son who work full-time in different applications of the banking industry, and neither of them earned a college degree. I have a son who earned his barber license while still in high school who works full time in his field.

College or not, your teen needs to explore career options. This workbook can get you started!

What can be learned from all of this, besides the obvious fact that I have a large family?

There are solid careers that don’t require college.

Exploring these career options while your teen is still in high school may save a lot of money and stress that can be wasted on a poorly-chosen college enrollment.

Not long ago, iHomeschool Network hosted a hangout, and you can see the video of it, “College Alternatives for Homeschoolers” on their YouTube channel. It was full of insightful discussion, and their special guest was T.K.Coleman from discoverpraxis.com. This was my first look at Praxis, and while I have no personal experience with them, I was very impressed with their vision and with T.K.’s helpful participation in the hangout. (Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. I have no connection to Praxis or T.K. Coleman. I am simply passing along a resource some homeschoolers may find interesting.)

Here are some careers that provide a true living-wage and do not typically require college education. (Trade school is helpful in some of these fields.) This is by no means a comprehensive list! Can you add to it and help us all have more options to explore regarding careers that don’t require college?

Dental Assistant
Paralegal
Heating/Cooling
Web Developer
Medical Transcription
Surveyor
Industrial Machine Repair
Wholesale Sales Rep
Electrical Technician
Construction Equipment Operator
Sewage Plant Operator
Cosmetologist/Hair Designer
Receptionist
Heavy Trucks Driver
Carpenter
Bookkeeper
Virtual Assistant

Here’s a short video about options after high school – for kids of ALL types!

Does your non-college-bound high school student get bogged down in literature analysis? Or do you have a student, college-bound or not, who LOVES movies? Try Cinema Studies for Literature Learning – a great way to learn literary concepts!

Literature Analysis, Literal Thinkers and Movies

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Click here to learn about some high-paying blue collar jobs.

Explore Careers that Don’t Require College

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Homeschool to College: 5 Tips for Making Friends in College

Going from homeschool to college: 5 tips for making friends in college.

Homeschool to College: 5 Tips for Making Friends in College

Got a homeschool senior who is planning on college? My homeschool graduates who have gone off to college have shared some tips they used for making friend in college. Here are the top 5:

1. Keep your dorm room open when you are in the room

An open dorm door is an invitation for a visit! Even new students say “hi” when there is an open door.

2. Join 2 groups or organizations

The value of this is what we call “proximal play”. If you participate in activities together, friendships naturally form over time.

My kids have participated in choir, orchestra, praise team, outreaches to the poor, slow-food alliances, nature groups, history clubs, missions trips. You don’t have to be passionately interested- you just need activity!

3. Make ritual/routine events

Human beings tend to love ritual. Here are a couple of fun friend-making ideas various kids have used:

– lunch table (Invite students who are sitting alone to join you and/or kids from your dorm floor and classes. Over time, everyone will know to meet at a certain time and certain table. This gives great opportunity for talking and laughing together.)

– bedtime stories (My daughter and her friends periodically had read-alouds at night with favorite old stories like the Chronicles of Narnia. It attracted a good crowd!)

4. Join department excursions

This is a good chance to make friends within your own major. Time and experiences help friendships to form. Go- even if you are not all that interested in the topic!

5. Participate in dorm activities

Dorms often have activities for the students. Some may seem silly, but go. If it is one of those events where people just stand around and chat (like ice cream socials), find someone who is standing alone and introduce yourself. Keep your shoulders back, chin up, and SMILE! Ask about their major and where they are from. Automatic new bud!

Don’t waste your time during senior year. Make sure your homeschooler’s writing skills are college ready. Download 7Sisters Senior Year Writing which covers topics your teen will need:

Professional Writing Guide
Chicago-style Research Paper Guide
College Application Essay Writing Guide
Creative Chronicle Guide

Senior Year Writing 7SistersHomeschool.com

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Check out Academic Success for Homeschoolers in College.