12 Steps to Homeschool Graduation (Even if it is Last Minute)

Graduating your homeschool student can seem very intimidating on the outside. But, with all of the right information and correct steps, your student's homeschool graduation will be perfect! Even if you find yourself in a panic because you realize it's senior year and you haven't really done anything in getting ready for them to graduate or your student has changed their mind and has decided to graduate early, you'll have all you need by reading the steps below.

If you find yourself in a 'change of plans' situation, you haven't planned well, or you just don't have a clue about college admissions and your child is in the midst of senior year, it's very difficult to quickly regroup in order to experience success. "Second best" success is also possible. I have an emergency 12 step plan for families who haven't started preparing for the admission process prior to senior year. Here is a quick checklist to homeschool graduation, a panic plan just for those hopelessly behind parents of seniors. 

1. Drop all school and activities and work on college applications
2. Watch my free class, Super Scholarships for Humble Homeschoolers if possible)
   
3. Locate a college fair, put it on the calendar, and commit to going
   
4. Register for the SAT® (if not already taken) and put it on the calendar
   
5. Determine if you have all the classes colleges require (see the list below to find out the credits your student will need to graduate)
   
6. Drop unnecessary classes and replace with missing college preparation classes
   
7. Take the SAT® or ACT® (if not taken junior year - see my video here for recent testing information) 
   
8. Apply to 2 public and 2 private universities
   
9. Write for college applications as required
   
10. Complete your course descriptions and homeschool transcript
    
11. Turn in application as soon as possible, transcript and test scores can follow
    
12. Return to your regular homeschooling
    

Hopefully, you haven't waited until Senior year to start thinking about what classes your student should have to graduate. Ideally, during 8th and 9th grades, you'll want to be sure you know your state's homeschool graduation requirements. Using those you'll be able to plan out classes for your homeschooler to take during high school to make homeschool graduation a breeze. Be sure to look over your plan at least once a year to make sure you're on the right track. Below are the number of credits your student will need to graduate.

• Four years of English (reading, and writing at your child's level)
• Four years of math at your child's level.
  
• Three to four years of social studies, including world history, U.S. history, economics, and government.
  
• Three years of science, and at least one science with a lab.
  
• Two to three years or more of foreign language instruction.
  
• Physical education is rarely required, but some colleges want two years, or half a credit per year for four years.
  
• At least one year of fine arts: music, theater, art, dance, or a combination.
  
• Make sure your child has plenty of electives. Electives can be anything required by state law, required by parents, or any delight directed learning your child engages in. They could include Bible, driver's ed., keyboarding, logic, computer science, or your child's specialization.
  

 Don't forget to celebrate your graduate! Graduation brings many different ways to celebrate your child! My book, Graduate Your Homeschooler in Style will help you make your homeschool graduation memorable!

If you need more personalized help, please consider joining me for my Gold Care Club. You and I can talk every week and I'll walk you through all of the steps to homeschool graduation.

** SAT® is a trademark owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this post.