[Free Class!] The 12 Keys to High School Success

Homeschoolers, and families that are forced homeschoolers, are faced with canceled college admission tests and colleges have closed their ca...

Are Apologia science textbooks rigorous enough for college-bound students?  Sure, they are popular with homeschoolers, but how GOOD are they as science books? Are Apologia science textbooks fairly rigorous, for college-bound students?  I've heard a few conflicting reports...~Jill in SeattleApologia is a very rigorous college prep series.  I don't usually recommend specific curriculum, because I know it's all about "fit" more than a textbook.  When it comes to science, though, I had such success with the...

Is your child's transcript up to date?  Even if their transcript looks great on paper, it can be confusing to figure out how to submit a homeschool transcript when you are filling out college applications during the fall of senior year. Let me give you a few quick tips to make your college admission process easier. Homeschool transcripts aren't hard to make. They do, however, take time to make. And, it is a good idea to...

Mary Jo emailed asking for advice as to whether a public-schooled high school junior should consider homeschooling for only her senior year of high school. Here's what I said. My best advice is this;  "Know your child and trust yourself."  If you know that homeschooling is the best fit for your child, then trust yourself and do it.  Don't avoid homeschooling out of fear. Senior year can be busy with college applications. Get 75 application essay...

An active learner, or kinesthetic learner, often learns best by moving. Even when they are high school age. And you can use their movement t...

May 1st is the 'National Candidate Reply Date' for deciding on which college you will attend and the day you must say no to college offers. It's true that some of them will be great offers and will be hard to say no to. Each college you have applied to will give you directions on how to announce your decision. Some have an online form, others will want an email or paper letter. How, exactly, do...

Do you continue homeschooling during a crisis? Can you or should you? As waves of COVID-19 ebb and flow across the country, homeschooling during a cri...

Dual enrollment. It can be such a sticking point for homeschool families making a homeschool transcript. Follow the 6 steps below to put dual enrollment on your child's transcript.This post will tell you how to put dual enrollment on a transcript. Want to see what a scholarship-winning transcript actually looks like? Click to download The HomeScholar Record Keeping SamplesYou can count college credits in high school. Below are the specifics of converting college credits to high...

When your child has taken homeschool AND public school classes, it's best to create a homeschool transcript that is a summary of ALL educational experiences. As I explain in my book, Setting the Records Straight you want to be the clearing house, so that the sum of all your child's education is in your single homeschool transcript document. Here are 7 steps for putting public school classes on your homeschool transcript: 1. Choose an acronym Create...

Every person has to decide for themselves how much college debt is worthwhile. I can tell you what my debt boundaries are as you begin your research. Ultimately, that will be a family decision that you'll have to make.For me, I think college debt may be worthwhile only if you can pay it back within one year. Estimate how much your child could make at a minimum wage job while living at home for one year....

Finding a college is like trying to find the "love of your life." When you have narrowed down your selection of colleges to a few candidate schoo...

When deciding whether or not you'll have your student do a 5th year of high school, or a Super Senior year, you'll need to weigh the desires and maturity of your student against their age and abilities. It's normal for a child to graduate high school between the ages of 17 and 20. For many parents, that means that you can provide a 5th year of high school and still graduate your child on time. Although graduating...

Letting go is tough. It's even tougher when you are a homeschool parent. Being with our children 24 hours a day provides its struggles, yes, but it provides such great joy, as well! There can be success along the way. Joyce and I have worked together for years as part of my Gold Care Club, getting all her homeschool records tidy. It was by far one of the most challenging situations I've seen. Her daughter had...

Scholarships come in waves.  They don't all come at once and they don't all come when you receive college admission. And, unfortunately, they don't all come by the time you have to decide on your college, either.  To say the least, they certainly don't come when it's convenient, that's for sure.Three Waves of Scholarships Scholarships come in Waves - 3 waves, actually.  The first wave is scholarship money based on application numbers.  That means the score on...

There are challenges with homeschooling teenagers. A resistant 16-year-old can certainly have an attitude, at times, that makes you want to throw in the towel!  It's hard to be a Christian parent homeschooling a resistant teen who doesn't want to homeschool anymore.  It may seem like an uphill battle, but there are ways to find the right path for your family. The biggest factor in success of homeschooling is when the child WANTS to homeschool, you...