I’ve always gone to a public school (in elementary school I was in a dual language program and in middle school I was part of a rocketry and technology magnet school, now just a regular high school student), but I have been considering taking high school online. I am not choosing to do it because it is “easy” or because I just don’t want to get up and go to school. I want to homeschool so that there is more flexibility in my schedule for me to pursue extracurricular activities (like being part of a dance company), volunteer, and work on individual projects like designing a video game. I will also attempt to finish school early so that I can take a gap year (but still start college with my peers) to get an internship and a part-time job to save money for college.
As of right now I am a high school sophomore with the highest test grades in my class and I am in GT and AP courses. I also regularly take dance classes and I am in JROTC. If I did go to school online, it would be a fully accredited Texas online public school where I can still take standardized exams and AP courses. I would also have extracurricular activities and I would be attending live video lectures where I could speak to the instructor and other students through a microphone.
MIT is my dream school and I have wanted to go there for two years now. My question is will beginning to homeschool as a sophomore hurt my chances of getting into schools like MIT?
Online public schools have their pluses and minuses. Most homeschooling families I know tend to drop them in favor of pick-and-choose the best fit classes from different vendors. However, you will need to look at the offerings and rigor of the particular school you are choosing. Ask what colleges graduates have gone on to. If your new school is easier than your old school, it is still a step down in rigor, whether you chose the school for that reason or not.
MIT, like all selective schools, definitely cares about your ECs, though academic preparation is the first thing adcoms tend to look for. Dance is likely not a recruiting priority there, but I have no inside information to that effect.
MIT doesn’t discriminate against homeschoolers. I know several who were admitted in the last couple of years. Other colleges do look at homeschoolers unfavorably. Harvard and Brown come to mind although they might be more receptive now so think carefully before coming to a decision.
Homeschoolers get into MIT all the time (not that it’s common place). My eldest son graduated from MIT in 2016. He was homeschooled from start to finish (though he was dual-enrolled from 7th-12th grade part time).
I’m a college consultant, and have worked with a number of homeschoolers who’ve gotten into schools such as MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Caltech, etc. It’s not the homeschooling so much as who you are, what you do, and what you’ll bring to a wonderful place like MIT.
Can you mix it up a bit, and not just do online classes? Maybe take a few community college classes or some local homeschool classes? Homeschooling will definitely give you flexibility to follow your passions, but it’s also nice to work with other students in person if you get the chance (and some homeschoolers have more opportunities for in-person interactions than others)
I like the idea of JROTC and dance. You sound like a pretty cool young person. Hope it works out whatever you choose!