What do you think are the greatest advantages of homeschooling?
Several summers ago my two sons were invited to compete in a full-tuition scholarship competition. There were ten winners out of 108 students. Two of the winners were homeschoolers. Both were mine. I wondered later, “How did that happen!?” I believe it happened because of four great advantages of homeschooling through high school.
The Curriculum Advantage
Many homeschoolers have a very rigorous academic plan. Whether they choose to unschool or follow a classical education model, homeschoolers will succeed when they learn on purpose. They will succeed when they do the “next thing” and keep moving forward. They can invest their money and time in weaker areas, as well as areas of strength. Homeschoolers can tailor curriculum to suit their students. They can make sure students are always challenged yet still understand concepts before moving on. They can provide broad exposure to a variety of subjects.
The Testing Advantage
My sons had great SAT scores because we studied for the SAT test, two or three times a week. It’s not a waste of time to study—students learn vocabulary, essay-writing skills, and get a great math review. In his first quarter of college, my son said “I’m so glad you taught me how to write a quick essay! It really helped on my midterm today!” With test scores, homeschoolers have the advantage. We can use SAT prep as part of our curriculum, and study during school hours.
The Comprehensive Records Advantage
When we applied for admission, I gave the colleges a lot of information. While the minimum information they need is a transcript, I chose to provide more, which really helped. For everything on our transcript, I included a course description, the books we used, and how I graded the class. Homeschoolers have the advantage here—we control our homeschool records and determine how much information we provide to colleges. If you’re interested in seeing my records, you can find out more at
www.ComprehensiveRecordSolution.com.
The Character Advantage
My sons were invited to participate in the scholarship competition because of their comprehensive records and SAT scores, but that’s not why they won. I was nervous about them competing in something so intense, but they had fun. When they came home that day, they both said, “I don’t know if I won, but I had a great time! All the kids were so nice!” Later I was told that the evaluators were looking for character. The students were observed when they walked between events. Were they friendly and kind to others? How did they interact with their peers? When character and socialization are evaluated, homeschoolers have the advantage! We can shape the character of our children while they are at home, instead of them being conformed to their peers.
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