Homeschooling the High School Senior
By the time the average homeschool student reaches their senior year, they are ready to wrap things up. That’s true for the homeschooling parent, as well as the student. This happens to public school students and their families, too. Coasting is a bad choice for the senior year, though, particularly for the homeschool student, and there are a couple of reasons why.
Often, the degree of course difficulty in the senior year can make the difference for a homeschool student. It’s in the senior year that students can begin to move past the crowd in terms of the math and science courses that they take. These two areas, math and science, are where academic distinctions are most noticed by college admissions officers. Homeschool students who push on in their senior year in their core subjects, moving into such courses as Trigonometry, Calculus, Physics, Advanced Chemistry, etc., can show their strengths in ways that set them apart academically. These advanced-level courses will also help their scores on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, and the benefits gained from going beyond the minimums are well worth it for homeschool students when it comes to both their transcripts and their test scores.
Secondly, coasting in the senior year is a bad idea because it contributes to the shock of college adjustments. College, no matter where a student goes, will have quite a few adjustments to make from academic challenges to social ones. This happens for all students, even the very best ones, but homeschool students are often at the greatest risk for adjustment. Spending the senior year in a rigorous course of study will help the homeschool student to easily keep up the academic pace in college. Keeping up the pace and higher skills, not to mention keeping core facts fresh in their mind, make the senior year an important time to “press on” rather than relax.
English and Government are excellent starting courses for dual credit options. Besides the obvious credits earned, taking a couple of dual credit courses also validates the homeschool student’s ability to perform academically. This is helpful for college admissions officers to see.
The senior year is a great time for homeschool students, and there is a lot to enjoy at this age for students.