5 Steps from Homeschool to College

This is a special week for my family.  My dear daughter, who is 18, is starting college this Wednesday! She will be commuting to a nearby four year state college.  We are so excited and proud of our homeschool graduate at our house! And it seems it was only a few years ago that we flew to China, to meet and adopt her, so tiny and beautiful, at 8 months of age. Children are a gift from God.

Betsy 2

When my daughter was 3, an active, happy, and energetic preschooler, my husband and I both felt a calling to homeschool her. We wanted to provide the 1 on 1’s and the nurturing spirit of learning at home.  We have been able to homeschool to college, and are really glad that we did!

Homeschooling has offered many benefits to our family and has helped to build strong relationships, that have continued  through the teen years as well.  And it also enabled us to teach her our family values, day by day.

Her high school years at home gave her a solid foundation, academically, and personally, helping her to build her confidence and discover who she was as a person.  We were able to continue our own eclectic style of homeschooling, even during the high school years.

Are you homeschooling high school?  Is your family considering the college option

We decided to plan for that possibility, and followed a step by step approach.

Here are five steps that we took to get started on our homeschool to college journey:

1.  Researching on the web

Each college will show their admission requirements with just a click of the button.  This information is easy to find, just by looking at college websites, under freshman admission requirements.  Be sure and check for any special homeschool applicant requirements as well.

2. Making a Plan

Having an overall plan for the high school years, helps to make sure you fit in the college requirements.  We were able to do this and still keep nurturing homeschool style, with plenty of time for electives.

3. Record Keeping

There are so many resources for high school transcripts, record keeping and writing course descriptions.  Our favorites are at Let’s Homeschool High School, which offer free downloads as well as plenty of additional helpful downloads, and the Home School Legal Defense Association, which has tons of helpful forms and advice.

Betsy 1

4.  Have Fun with Electives

Making time to explore your teen’s interests in one of the great advantages of homeschooling high school.  And homeschooling can happen everywhere!  Here’s a picture from one of my teen’s favorite activities….

My teen got involved in Youth and Government, volunteered at a local museum, and developed her special interest in film production.  (Most states have a Youth and Government program, which is run through the YMCA)

We as homeschoolers, know just how to encourage and support our teens as they explore their interests. Through activities, my daughter learned speaking skills, leadership, and all about state government.  And these activities can count for high school credit, too.

5. Test Practice

We began including test-taking in our homeschool to allow my teen to build up these skills for use in college. This  helped her to develop confidence in test-taking, a handy skill to have.  It was easy to do, by just choosing a curriculum that included tests, such as Switched On Schoolhouse, or Time for Learning, or many more.

So, this week at our house, we are doing last minute preparations for my daughter to start college.  I am so glad that we were able to homeschool to college with her!  It has been a full and wondrous journey, with a few challenges and so many joys.  And tons of wonderful memories for my family…..

I can’t wait to hear all about her first day, when she comes home on Wednesday!

Happy Homeschooling!

Betsy


Betsy is a writer and blogger, who offers homeschool help, and most importantly, is mom to her 18 year old, who was adopted as an infant. She blogs at BJ’s Homeschool,sharing Our Steps to College, News from the College Front, and all the fun of homeschooling the early years as well. Follow her on google plus at +Betsy Sproger