Rising Senior, Needs Info on Homeschool

Pre-College Issues Home Schooling and College
1

<p>I'm going to be in the 12th grade this September. I attended a public high school for 3 years but this summer my living situation might change. My parents are depending on me to make the right decision, and I have to choose one of four choices: -1) live with my mother and continue attending the public high school
-2) live with my mother and attend an online private school that requires around $2,000 for the school year
-3) live with my father and attend public high school
-4) live with my father and attend a free public online homeschool </p>

<p>The most unlikely decision is #2, since it will cost my family extra money. I am curious about being homeschooled, because I know of some people my age who are being homeschooled, and I thought it would be a different experience that I don't want to miss out on. I never wanted to attend my public high school for three years, or any amount of time, but I was selected to go there. It may seem like a positive thing for me to be chosen to attend that school, but I only applied as a safety school and the school system here in New York City is unusual. For the most part, if any school chooses you, you must attend. I don't like my high school, and I do not feel like I am a part of the student body. The school doesn't house all my interests, and the classes bore me to death. Also, I have gone through some experiences when I was not able to physically travel to the school and I think that if I went to online school, I'd have a better chance of succeeding because it won't really matter if I can't get to school, because I'd be right at home. Also, I wouldn't mind receiving more attention, because I feel as though my high school teachers don't really focus enough on my progress.
What information can you give me about homeschooling? Are there any good ones that you recommend? Do you think that attending homeschool would have a negative effect on my college application (which I must send in this fall)? Also, how do homeschooled high school students apply to college? Who do they ask to write college recommendations? If you could answer any of these questions, you'd be a great help!</p>

2

<p>My son never attended any online homeschools, but I don’t know that you would get extra attention from them; any that would give you attention would have to cost money for the pay of the teachers. There are umbrella schools, and free resources for learning. </p>

<p>If you’re doing it on your own, you need to make sure you don’t just slack off into not doing anything. As far as applying to colleges, it shouldn’t hurt you IF you can present homeschooling as a choice that gave you the ability to do things you couldn’t otherwise do at school, such as taking college classes, volunteering, teaching yourself a language not offered by your school, etc. </p>

<p>Homeschooled students apply to college more-or-less like other students; they send in transcripts and letters of recommendation, and create an application package that makes the school want them. Write your essays about what makes you special - which doesn’t have to be “cured cancer”. You are special because you take your grandmother’s friend soup every Tuesday, or because you have a hobby of origami, or because of whatever interests you have that your school makes difficult but you will now be able to pursue because of your homeschooling.</p>