If your’ homeschool student has expressed a desire to go to college or wants to be in a career that requires a degree, then you need to start thinking about the requirements before they start high school. There are some steps that can be taken in middle school, but the majority of work will start in 9th grade with each year including a new task to help them prepare for the admissions process to the college of their choice.
The first step is making sure you partner with an accredited online homeschool program as universities look at transcripts to see if the school has this component. Accreditation means that a school has gone through a thorough review from one (or multiple) of many agencies that govern this standard. The teaching, curriculum, administration and every aspect is reviewed to ensure that specific requirements are met, and the accreditation must be renewed every so often or else the school loses the designation. When colleges see that the transcript is from one of these schools then they immediately know that the student took courses that will meet their minimum standards and the classes are accepted as credit.
A quality online homeschool program will have a guidance staff which is the best resource for a high school student and their parent. Preparing for college can be a challenging and overwhelming process from knowing which tests to take, how to get the scores to the right schools, dual enrollment or AP courses only and other tough questions which can be answered by this professional. Homeschool students entering 9th grade should have their initial meeting with the staff so they can discuss interests for electives, building a course schedule that will apply to their future career and scheduling exams like the SAT and ACT in the appropriate grades.
Some accredited online homeschool programs can offer these directly or, at a minimum, prep courses to get the student ready. Many homeschool students develop self-study and self-discipline habits that work well with online college programs but it always a good idea for the parent to encourage the high schooler to be involved and leading the process. This ensures that they are satisfied with the results and reminds them that this is their future goal not mom or dad’s. The parent’s online portal will track the student’s progress and provide easy access to transcripts and other documentation that may be needed for the admission application.
There is nothing more exciting than watching your student receive the diploma they have worked so hard for and knowing that your choice to homeschool with the best online homeschool program has put them in a great starting position for the next steps. Whether you child is still in elementary or getting ready to start high school, take time to talk with them about their dreams and see how you can help them start planning, developing skills and working with the program to ensure it can deliver what is needed to get to the final objective.