@thumper1 I just like to make sure I am prepared for everything.
@Sweetgum Thank you for the information!
For me and my parents, this whole thing is very new territory. We have no idea even where to begin, so it’s not really working in our favor.
Seeing as I am supposed to graduate in May 2022, 4 months from now, I feel like it is now too late for dual enrollment.
But I will be taking my SATs at a local public college before graduating.
We just have no idea where to start
The idea that taking college classes will make me lose my Freshman status just makes things even more complicated. I’m not sure what to do now. As we didn’t know this before, we had planned that I would take community college courses to get a start before going away to college. Does this count even if I take a gap year after one year of community college?
And we haven’t even talked about the budget yet… my parents are more “last minute” kind of people, which just adds to my stress of feeling like I have to have it all figured out on my own.
I thought it was more simple, like… Good grades (especially on SAT)= a good college
But this whole thing is even more complicated than I had imagined
Yes. Any community college classes you take after graduating from high school may affect your status as a first year college student. It is possible that it may vary by the specific universities and colleges you are applying to, but it is common to lose that first year status and consequently lose eligibility for some scholarships, so research that now!
@parentologist I had planned to get a job and take classes at a community college. And I do need to get my driver’s license. I feel like all of those things would help. But with community college classes making it so that I lose my Freshman status, taking a gap year for a job seems like the next best way to start towards independance
Yes, it is very complicated. Your parents will have to act as your guidance counselor when you fill out the Common App, too, so there is a lot to know. I know there are some homeschooling parents on here who may be able to advise as well.
@Sweetgum thank you. It helps to know that maybe, taking a year to get a job will help me out more, if it helped someone else with similar problems
I wasn’t even sure what to concentrate on, there is so much to consider.
I feel like keeping my first year status may be better, but I also want to get some college experience before going away. I guess I should do some research on that first
I am in Tennessee, but a college in a different state is completely fine with me and my parents, so long as it’s a good college
My parents have no idea what to do, seeing as I am their first and they haven’t really researched too much of it, when I ask them, they don’t know too much more about it than I do. Neither of them have ever been homeschooled and I’m not sure how much they remember about when they were in college. It’s more complicated now too
What does a guidance counselor do exactly?
And I don’t even know exactly what I should focus on
@CollegeMamb0 What college in Alabama were you referring to here exactly? Alabama is not too far from my state (we’ve been there before)
So I would maybe like to look into whatever college you were referring to here. I’m not completely sure what colleges I even want to apply for, so I’m exploring options
I’m going to tag @Creekland here because I believe she homeschooled her boys and she may have a better memory than I do for the other CC parents who have homeschooled.
On the Common App there is a section for the student applying to college to fill out and then there is a section for the Guidance Counselor to fill out, since you are homeschooled your parents will be acting as your Guidance Counselor and will need to do that part with your transcript and letters of recommendation and I really don’t know what all else because as a non-homeschooling parent I can’t see that. For kids, like mine, who go to school the school guidance counselor does it.
Also, do a search here on CC on “homeschooling” and you may pop up some good resources, too.
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Thank you. I’m hoping we’ll be able to get it all figured out soon. There is so much to consider here that I am completely not sure of
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It is a LOT. It can be pretty complicated for sure. Good on you for posting and asking questions.
Berry College in Georgia might interest you and your parents if it is affordable. It is religious. Here is their page about applying and what kind of student you would be. Note that first year students can’t have taken any college classes after graduation: Berry College - How to Apply
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I like the idea of delaying graduation and taking them as a homeschooling high schooler. Most community colleges and colleges will allow a high school senior to take one course per semester for free, or just charge you a registration fee. My daughter figured this out, and took THREE a semester in senior year, but registering for one each at each of the three colleges near us. This way, you maintain your status as a high school grad applying as a freshman, you get to try out several different college classes at several different colleges (assuming that there are several within driving distance of you), and you establish a standardized record that would reassure whatever colleges you apply to, that you are very capable of doing college level work.
What I’m afraid of, if you just work next year and delay college, is that you could lose your academic momentum, get sidetracked, never go, or not go until years from now.
I think delaying graduation should definitely be on the table as an option. Where I am in North Carolina it is really common around here for homeschoolers to take dual enrollment Community College classes. We are not limited to just one class. Homeschoolers can take as many as they want.
I homeschooled my oldest for junior year of high school and we did dual enrollment one semester and then went back to high school for senior year. Dual enrollment allows the colleges to see that you are a serious student and don’t just have “mommy grades”. If you have taken the SAT or ACT and scored well that could also work to show that.
The delayed graduation would really be the same as your ‘gap year + take community college classes’ idea with the exception of just not declaring you graduated yet. That would preserve your first year status.
Alternately if you want to do two years at Community College and get your Associates and then go to a state school in TN you might save a bunch. Also check out the Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Hope scholarship programs.
Hopefully your parents have a community of other homeschooling parents they can turn to with questions, but if not reach out to your local community college. They have counselors there who can advise you. This website might be useful on the Tennessee Transfer Pathways: https://www.tntransferpathway.org .
Here is the website for Chattanooga State Community College (just the first community college on the list alphabetically): High School (Dual Enrollment) Students | Chattanooga State Community College . I would consider calling or emailing them and asking about the transfer pathways for homeschoolers. When we homeschooled with dual enrollment for the one semester that the community college counselor was very helpful.
Here are some other resources for applying to college as a homeschooler. Hope they are helpful:
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Just finished reading this thread thanks to @Sweetgum . Yes, I both work in my local high school and opted to homeschool my own for a few years. Oldest it was 9-12. Middle (medical lad) was 7-12. Youngest was 5-8 because he really wanted to return to high school - and he wasn’t into the “higher academics” I wanted, so our school was fine. (My school wasn’t up to snuff for what I wanted for my highly capable boys.)
Still, different people homeschool for different reasons - no biggie there. Both homeschooling and my job in our local high school have given me a bit of knowledge about heading off to college, so I’m happy to help with whatever questions you have - either on here or feel free to send me private messages.
I’m not familiar with TN specifically, so others can chime in there. I’m in PA.
To set a baseline, have you taken a practice SAT or ACT yet? If not, can you do one at home selecting one that used past “real” tests and then give us your scores? It’ll be incredibly helpful giving us an idea about your schooling foundation. You can find books with these older real tests in your local library I expect. Also, BIG NOTE, this score won’t tell us how smart you are, but more of a pure foundational level for math/English compared to others starting college soon. The ACT has a science section on it, but it’s more reading graphs and science info - not really science knowledge.
Once you give us scores we can better decide if community college is the right start for you. If so, YES, delay your high school graduation and call next year your senior year. It will be less expensive and leave all your college options open for 2023. It will also give you some “real” grades from someone outside your family (my homeschoolers took cc courses for the same reason) and that’s helpful for admissions. Have you taken any online classes?
In the meantime, if you can get your parents to find a free FAFSA estimator online (someone here might provide a link), have them fill out their info and get an idea of how much the federal gov’t expects them to pay for college. Beware they may faint after seeing the number. Many parents are unaware how much colleges cost these days. If so, don’t worry. I believe in TN there are less expensive options that can be helpful. If the FAFSA number is low, other colleges become options to consider as they help more with financial aid. I’d have your international friend ask their parents to fill out a college’s NPC (Net Price Calculator) to see if they are still willing/able to pay as well. FAFSA won’t help them unless they are US citizens.
The fact that you are looking for 2023 is great - it gives us time to give you some choices.
Don’t worry about the anxiety. Where I work a lot of students are also anxious about heading to college. That’s normal. In a dorm a good RA (Resident Advisor) will help newcomers get acquainted and some colleges have specific programs set up for students. I’m positive you can find friends quickly. There will be plenty of clubs you can join too. One common misconception is that you are the only one scared and not knowing what to do. Don’t believe it. Pretty much everyone is new. Some just hide it better.
If your parents insist upon a religious school, let us know. That happens even with public school students. There are nice schools out there. I have a few I can recommend based upon what you’re interested in.
What are your favorite subjects? You’d mentioned art and design. Is there anything else you like - or intensely dislike?
Rooming with a friend is super common at colleges, so no worries there. It can be fun exploring together when/if the time comes. Any idea what they are interested in majoring in?
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I would prefer not to go to a religious college. To me, it feels like religious colleges focus alot more on religion than actual studies, frpm what I have seen. Making it more difficult to get ahead and get a good job
I think mainly my parents only like that idea because that is what they did, but we haven’t talked about it much in like a year, so maybe their views have changed
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@Sweetgum Thank you. But I am wondering though… will delaying graduation make it necessary for me to take more school courses as well as regular college courses?
I have not taken the SAT yet, but I plan to take it soon, at a local public college and before graduating.
My parents do not have a community of other homeschoolers as of right now, and have always just done it mostly on their own, just having me take classes that are necessary and to graduate.
Although I do plan on, if I do classes at a community college, one that is a bit closer.
I’m not sure about transferring, or dual enrollment. I’m not sure about anything right now
Thank you for the resources and advice
Here’s the FAFSA EFC estimator that creekland mentioned. Have your parents complete this (filling in all the details) and let us know the result:
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Actually, they’re available for free online on the College Board website
@Starr4, you can find great (and free) SAT test prep at Khan Academy. They’re an official test prep provider for College Board.
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@Creekland thank you for all the information! This could be really helpful, especially with the fact that you have homeschooled and worked at a school. I will definitely be reaching out to you for more information if you don’t mind 
I have not taken an SAT or ACT yet (not an official practice test either, but I have taken small exams from websites that let me know what I need to work on) but when I do take an official practice test, after studying some more, I will most definitely let you know
And about delaying graduation, I am mainly worried about if I did, will I have to retake more senior year classes as well, rather than focusing mainly on college courses?
Alright, I will look into the cost estimater. Although I do believe it depends on the college, which I am not sure yet which one I would like and would be best for me.
It doesn’t really matter if I go away to a college in Tennessee or just a nearby state, so long as it’s a good college for me.
Thank you, I need plenty of choices for the next year (2023 or so) so I can get a good start and know exactly what to expect
I do know that most students worry about heading to a new college, but for me, I think it’s worse. I feel like most people can settle in, but for me, it’s like it goes beyond just the basic worry. I maybe will try to join some clubs and get out of my comfort zone. I just need a safe place where I can unwind once I head back to my dorm, such as experiencing this whole thing and exploring it with my best friend, if possible.
I am not sure if my parents still insist on a religious school, this was a long time ago when they said that, and I think it is only because that is what they are used to. I feel like as long as I find one that is a good college and a good fit for me, I can quite possibly convince them that I’ll be ok in a non religious college as well.
I do like art and design, I don’t know what else.
I am not completely 100% sure what I want to do yet even being in my senior year
(another reason for me taking a gap year)
And yes, I know that my friend is interested in majoring in things such as English and/or Music (or majoring in English, minoring in music)
So we are both into more “artistic” type things
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