There are good books written about college success, particularly those which address the importance of the junior year of High School. Many parents and students do not know if college will be on the agenda, but planning for it leaves doors open. Those doors cannot necessarily be opened if suddenly at 18 yrs old your student wants to go to a university. Starting to think about college at that point is too late if you want to optimize opportunities and results. (Don't despair if you are later to the game. God is ultimately in control of the lives of His children and can still bring results that glorify Him.) That said, preparation is ideal and honors Him, and it means scholarship opportunities that can otherwise be lost. Count the cost and plan what you wish to build...leave the results to Him, but do your best for success!
When to Prepare?
The time to start preparing mentally for college, as a homeschool family, is well before high school. That might be true for those with kids in other schools as well, but the amount of control a parent has is different, so this is geared toward families who are fully responsible for their student's education.
Where Do You Want to End Up?
What I recommend is that at the start of your homeschool journey, consider where you want your student to end up by 12th grade. You want to particularly think of math and science. Do you and your husband consider Algebra I an 8th gr. class or a 9th gr. class? Is Physics going to be the goal for 11th grade or 12th? These things will likely shift a little as you see your students' aptitudes, but that will mostly be once 9th grade is underway or completed. Is reading the classics important to you? You will find that there just isn't time for everything, sadly, so think and pray about what you really believe your kids need to learn before they leave the homeschool nest. Learning won't stop here, but what do you need them to know while under your care?
How Soon Can We Know What Our Student Will Do?
It is a good idea to take Logic in middle school as it will help clarify areas your student may be interested in for a career. If they have a good grasp of Logic and understand it, introduce them to a computer class in 8th or 9th grade. Rhetoric could also give some ideas as to natural aptitudes for speaking and arguing...law? Students who write well and do well for foreign languages will readily show that by this point in their education. Start researching professions that pull from those skills. We encourage our kids to consider the gifts God has given them and see if college is needed for what they will do with their lives. Help your student identify their strengths and weaknesses. It is ok to not know for sure what one wishes to do in college in 9th or 10th grade, but often there is a general idea, so chart their courses in a way to help solidify what they are thinking so that if there is a change, it is when it is just high school, not college where the stakes are higher financially. For these reasons, all your students will likely not take the same upper level math or sciences. After Alg I, Geometry and Alg II, there is room to adjust to meet the needs of your students based on what they plan for college.
What About CLEP Tests?
It is worthwhile to get a few CLEP tests underway in 9th and 10th grade, not only to give students exposure to testing in different situations, but it can reduce the number of courses needed in college. Chemistry and Biology are CLEPS we have gone with since our crew is geared more toward B.S.'s. If you are a more liberal arts oriented family, the English CLEP could be ideal, but science is usually needed and the CLEP takes care of those lower level courses at some schools. You can check colleges you might be interested in to see what CLEPS they accept and what scores they accept. For example, Liberty University will take a CLEP that is scored 50 or over but Grove City College and Cedarville University will not. Again, the reason is to get practice but the fringe benefit is that it can reduce the course load, which can matter for programs requiring 16 or 17 credits per semester.
AP Classes?
AP classes are easy to obtain for homeschoolers. There is a group, PA Homeschoolers, and they have numerous AP courses. Likewise, The Potters School, a live online school, offers numerous AP courses. It is good to have your student take at least one of these to demonstrate their seriousness as a homeschooler. Having outside testing sources legitimizes what your student's GPA reflects on their homeschool transcript.
Does SAT/ACT Matter Nowadays?
They say many schools are moving away from just considering the SAT or ACT score. Whether that is accurate or not, we still recommend taking a prep course in 10th or 11th grade (fall) to prepare. Either do an online prep course or get the book and really work through it. We have our kids' schedules worked out to include time for the SAT prep. For homeschoolers, it is important to have as many outside sources as you can to back up what the transcript says. A 4.0 GPA followed with a 1050 SAT could legitimately raise some questions.
Dual-Enrollment, What is the Deal?
In recent years, dual enrollment has exploded for homeschoolers. It has become very easy to do this at nearly every college, whereas even 5 yrs ago it was much more difficult. Community colleges in my area are well versed with homeschoolers attending classes starting as early as 10th grade. We don't go that route that young due to the fact adults are in those classes, but for some kids, 11th grade is a good time to tackle classes like Anatomy and Physiology through the CC. If there is a subject your student wants to be done with like history, dual enrollment could be a great way to check that box. It is possible for kids to graduate high school with their Associates of Applied Science or their regular Associates Degree at the same time they earn their high school diploma. This is why I think there must be great thought given to what route you take for high school with 11th and 12th grade. Don't stick with a predetermined program without a lot of though. These dual enrollment courses can save your family a great deal of money. Your student will still start at a 4 yr university as a Freshman, which keeps doors for scholarships open, but they will graduate sooner. Even if they can't graduate early (some colleges are more rigorous than others), you will be able to reduce their course load, possibly making a tough school with an excellent program more within reach.
To determine how tough a school is, one way is to specifically look at your program of interest and get the list of all the courses needed to graduate with that degree. See how many credit hours are needed per semester. Schools with more credit hours are harder, those will fewer are easier. This doesn't mean every class is easier or more difficult, but let's be honest, having to take only four 3 credit classes IS easier than having to take five 3 credit classes each semester.
Summary
College success starts with planning that begins before kids enter high school. Think about what your student will want to study. If it is something like engineering, you know they will need a lot of math and should do Calculus before graduation. Plan accordingly and realize not all math classes are equal. Invest the money in a live online course or a dual enrollment course if at all possible so they have experience with someone other than mom/dad as the teacher before the big leagues of college. HSLDA has great resources for college bound students. I recommend reading through those and carefully considering what classes your student will take to best set them up for success. Nothing is sadder than students who have been limited by what they can do because they were not adequately prepared in high school. Strive to keep all the doors open as best you can so that whether your student enters the work force, military, or college, they have been well-educated during their high school years.
No comments:
Post a Comment