So, I am a home-schooled senior in South Florida. I technically graduate this summer, although the home school office in my county says my parents ultimately decide the “official end” of my high school career. (Usually, community college folks go to a notary public to confirm they’re finished with home schooling. For documentation purposes, I guess. Palm Beach County is weird.)
This is my situation: my dad’s a single parent, and we’ve been lower middle class most of our lives. I’ve also been home-schooled most of my life. (Not with Florida Virtual School. I learned about FLVS only two years ago, and I didn’t really understand how it could help challenge me academically until now.) To help my family, I have worked to support them throughout my high school years, and I didn’t have much time to study traditionally. I have studied things, but not in a traditional way - I can probably create a transcript / reading list, but I haven’t taken AP courses.
I have passed my home-school evaluations each year despite this(Which are, to be honest, not very challenging anyway), and I have decent extra-curricular activities. I still somehow found time to do really cool things, even though balancing work/family/school has stressed me out at times.
(For example: I became the editor-in-chief of this youth project for the local paper, I have won many awards at Scholastic’s Art and Writing competition, I participated as chairperson for an advocacy/legislation trip, I have published non-fiction works, I have over a hundred volunteer hours, I attend youth clubs regularly, I am nearly done with my first novel, and I’m trying to start up a non-profit. I could list more, but those are the main things.)
I have never taken the SATs, mostly because my family can’t afford them. (I don’t want to get too personal here, but my family can barely afford food to eat sometimes, if at all. So a college entrance exam isn’t always at the top of the list.) I think I’m a first generation student, because my dad has an associate’s degree, not a bachelor’s.
I tried entering the dual enrollment program at my local community college three years ago, but my PERT math test was thirteen points away from the required eligibility scores. (I had high scores in Reading Comprehension and Writing however, and when I went to see the guidance counselor to see if I can do just English classes, she apologized and said I couldn’t do it.)
It was very devastating for me, because I was too poor to get a tutor, and I was losing my mind over not challenging myself academically. (It was funny though, because I asked the instructor if I could sit in on the class I wanted to take, anyway. He kept forgetting I wasn’t actually a student, which was hilarious. I was one of his best students, even though I wasn’t actually registered. Why do technicalities prevent students from going further in life? I don’t know.)
For years, I have tried to study math on my own. No dice. My math abilities are dismal, at best. I have a good grasp of everything except Algebra I and beyond. Even if I can probably afford the SATs now(As long as money doesn’t get too tight), I don’t think my score will qualify me for Florida’s Bright Futures scholarship. Without that scholarship, I don’t think my family will even be able to afford me going to college, period.
(Half of me wants to just get my GED, study for another year at the SATs, and try applying for Bright Future’s as a GED student. I have no idea how that works, though.) I also refuse to accept a ridiculous amount of student debt for my education, because I can already imagine it defaulting. My dad’s nearly sixty four now, no 401k, and his own student loans have defaulted. For an associate’s degree. It’s a nightmare.
Since I was little, I always imagined myself going to an amazing university where I’m surrounded by people who bounce off ideas like madmen, and have the drive to do marvelous things. Not that CC people can’t do that - community college students are great people. But in the one semester where I attended astronomy informally, I felt like the material was very rudimentary. I feel like I might lose my motivation if I’m not being challenged. You know?
I’m in a big mess. I have no idea what I should do anymore. Did I ruin my chances at college? I need some serious advice. If anyone could help me out, I would appreciate it so much. Thank you.
