In a previous post, I discussed that college education may not be right for everyone. For some, both parent and teen know with certainty, that college is the right choice and that’s wonderful! However for those who aren’t so certain, there’s another option that homeschool graduates my want to consider – The Gap Year.

Sadly, I’ve spoken with many college graduates who, after graduation, found very lucrative jobs, lamenting, “I hate what I’m doing!” Many confess they would like to quit but can’t because they are up to their eyeballs in student loan and/or credit card debt. Some consider going back to school to study something different, but still don’t know what they want to do. One recent college grad I spoke with, just up & quit her very big-bucks job, because she couldn’t stand it. Would a gap year have helped these students? I don’t know. Would it have hurt them? No, I don’t think so.

The gap year concept – taking a year off between high school graduation and college – is a growing concept in this country. Many high school advisors and counselors are now recommending it to their students. Furthermore, high schools have begun having “Gap Year Fairs”, showing and promoting the many opportunities available to a high school grad during their year off from formal education.

According to an article in USA Today, as colleges’ witness more and more “gappers” arriving on campus with sharper focus, motivation and maturity Read the rest of this entry »

Not according to a December 19, 2007 article published in US News and World Report, a publication read largely by college graduates. Surprised?

The post-WWII era was a very different place than the world today and a college degree was accepted by most Americans as the safety net to job-security and personal success.

“If you want to get any where in this world, you need a college education” insisted most parents who remembered living through the Great Depression. Understandably, they wanted their children to live lives better than their own. It became the accepted norm: college equaled prosperity, no college equaled a life of “barely getting by”.

In my opinion, although I’m the first to confess, Read the rest of this entry »

Why include transcripts under the series of “Distance Learning Options for Homeschoolers” and not under “college”? It could fit under either category because it is “the” document colleges are interested in, but the record-keeping and documentation for transcripts is done while your student is in highschool.

I chose to include it in this series, for the latter reason plus if the thought of doing a transcript paralyzes you, it could be a deciding factor in your choosing a distance learning option, simply because most distance learning schools will take care of the record–keeping and provide you with a completed transcript at graduation.

On the other hand, you can do your own transcript and there are a number of ways you can make it look “professional”. The downside is the additional record keeping you will need to do. You will need to document all the activities your highschooler does that shows that the learning took place, keep track of hours so you will know how much credit to award and assign a grade, which can be a bit of a challenge if you’re not doing the traditional textbook/test routine.

Having said that, it’s worth noting Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll tell you what….Homeschooling has come a long way! Oh yeah, baby! Sincere, heart-felt thanks to all of you who fought so hard for the freedom to educate our children at home, paving the way for the rest of us! Thank you!!!

Next time we’ll look at some of the various types of private distance learning options for homeschoolers – their similarities and differences. But, before we get into the specific options available, let’s talk about a common consideration in any of the private distance learning options, accreditation.

Accreditation means that the school has been evaluated by and determined to meet the standards of the (private) accrediting agency. Two such agencies are National Association of Private Schools or National Council for Private School Accreditation.

Is the distance learning school you’re considering accredited or not? How important is accreditation? Read the rest of this entry »

Be sure to check out the new High School & College Prep Books page for some great recommended reads for homeschooling high schoolers and for college prep!