Patrick Henry College, a college founded by the same people who founded the HSLDA is now offering high school Juniors and Seniors the opportunity to earn dual enrollment credits online. This is a smooth move the HSLDA as more and more homeschoolers get cautious about paying for “insurance” that is actually being used to fund agendas that we may or may not be crazy about. The college level/ AP classes made available to homeschoolers can be used at Patrick Henry College for credit and at other colleges as well. However, homeschoolers should double check to make sure that that credits … Continue reading →

Homeschoolers especially do not like teaching for the test, or even taking tests, but it is hard to avoid the SAT if you are college bound. The SAT is probably the most important test a homeschooler can take so teaching for this test can take a full year of concentrated study. If you have several years to go before taking the SAT, however, there is a much more laid back method you can use. The college Board Website the same site that will compile your children’s test scores and report them to schools, and will help you make a college … Continue reading →

An email in my in-box this morning called for alarm over a rash of free college programs that promise tuition to anyone to graduates. This email suggest that such programs which are growing at an alarming rate are a threat to homeschooling. While one would think the purpose of such programs is to get more kids to graduate, which it has, others believe that the goal is to keep students from using online school at home programs because the free scholarship programs are generally district based. The email used the following GA example to help prove its point: The idea … Continue reading →

I got this tip from a young lady that recently graduated from public school. I was inquiring at what age she started taking SAT II subject tests which are equivalent AP exams. Because my son is finishing his first high school math course and is starting college in the fall, I wanted him to take the corresponding standardized test to put in his homeschool portfolio which we are beginning to compile for college admissions. Her advice to me was to go to Collegeboard.com and sign up to get access to test dates and locations. She also informed me that the … Continue reading →

Most homeschool parents award students a GPA based on the same scale that they remember from high school. The thing is, however, that this is not your GPA. It’s not yours either. GPA rules have changed and schools are now awarding students GPA’s that approach 5.0 and 6.0. For a homeschooling parent with a child nearing college, this can cause alarm and even make the homeschooler decide to also award weighted GPA’s. Weighted GPA’s are awarded by many schools to prevent students from taking classes that ensure easy A’s and to coerce them to take courses that are more challenging. … Continue reading →

As another school year comes to a close, another group of homeschoolers and their parents draw the homeschooling experience to an end. It is time for homeschool graduation ceremonies. Many homeschoolers prefer to graduate in groups of 10-20 in joint ceremonies with other homeschoolers they have socialized with over the years. Students who participated in Co-ops and other homeschool programs together like to graduate together. Others like to go solo and graduate as an individual. Here are some homeschool graduation ideas for homeschoolers who want to “graduate” individually. Have an Un-Graduation Ceremony: If your homeschoolers were actually unschoolers, living and … Continue reading →

This year has been tougher than every for high school students competing to get into college. Students have to apply to numerous colleges and hope that one of their favorites sends an acceptance letter or at least puts them on the waiting list. According to saycampuslife.com, college rejections are at an all time high this year. Reasons for increased rejections by schools include that the fact that online application processes have made applying easier, and that colleges seek a greater demographic pool of students from which to choose. Harvard, for example, rejected 93 out of 100 applicants and Yale rejected … Continue reading →

Nextstudent.com is a website dedicated to helping students pay for college. They are primarily a student loan lender. As the homeschooler count in the U.S. tips one million, they are turning their marketing efforts to homeschoolers. If you have a student looking forward to college, you may want to visit the nextstudent.com website. Meanwhile, they took the time to survey colleges about what homeschoolers should do to prepare for college admissions. There will be homeschoolers who do not agree with this approach. There will also be homeschoolers who have gotten into college without taking these steps. Still, here are some … Continue reading →

Good News for Georgia Homeschoolers: House Bill 152 in Georgia passed 43-2 allowing homeschooled college-bound students to receive the Hope Scholarship should they score in the 85th percentile on the SAT or ACT standardized test. The bill is expected to be signed by Governor Sonny Perdue. The Hope Scholarship (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) is a program in the state of Georgia that gives Georgia students financial assistance in achieving college degrees and post high school certificate programs. To receive the scholarship, students must go to an eligible Georgia public or private college, university, or technical college. The Hope program was … Continue reading →

I have noticed over the years that people I know who have stopped homeschooling for whatever reason have become distant and have all but disappeared from my life. A recent conversation made me think that they were worried I would judge them for their decision to stop. If my feeling is correct, and they really do feel that way, they have nothing to worry about. Just as I expect my friends with children in public and private school to respect my decision to homeschool, I also respect the right of anyone who chooses to enroll their kids in public schools. … Continue reading →