Home school-diplomia?

Question

I Home school and have for the past 10yrs ( I'm 16 now and supposed to be entering 11th grade). My mom has always done it the old way, with books and pens, not computers (obviously because they didn't have the technology back when we started). My mom send samples of our work to a credited teacher and she checks and confirms the work and decides what grade we get put into. I plan on doubling up the work and finishing a year early. (as in the summer of 2008). The only thing is, with home-schooling, as far as the teacher and my mom know (and i have googled it before) you just get your GED. Does anyone know of some type of home-school diplomia that gets treated as if it were an actual highschool?

Please do not give your opinions on how hard it will be to get by on a GED. I have heard about it for the past 5 years. Unless you can provide me with information that will get me something like a high school diploma, i have to settle on a GED. Thanks

Answer 1

If your work is sent to an accredited teacher, most likely you are using an accredited program and *they* will issue you the diploma when you finish all your course requirements.  

The other answers are correct - there are currently NO states that require you to take the GED to graduate from homeschool.  Either your parents create/buy one, you get one from the accredited school, or the state issues one after you pass their exit exam.

Answer 2

You do not need a GED.  Your mom, or the certified teacher can make you a diploma.

More importantly, you need a transcript.  Here's a good place to make one free, or inexpensively:

http://teascript.com/

If you plan on attending college, then you will need the transcript in addition to taking the ACT and/or SAT tests.  Some colleges may also want to look at a portfolio of your work, again that your mom, the teacher, and yourself can do.

Another way to get into college is to take community college classes while still in high school.  That way you build up credits and may be at a sophomore or junior level by the time you wish to go to a university.

If you use an "umbrella" school/organization, or enroll in an online or correspondance curriculum, then you might possibly receive a diploma from them.

Again, you do *not* need your GED.

Answer 3

No GED, just a transcript and your ACT scores will get you into most colleges.

You have a computer now, whip out the old Word program and get busy! I think someone already provided you with a link to the sample ones....you can google for more if you like.

Answer 4

In California you can take the California High School Proficiency Exam at age 16.  This is a diploma equivalent and my two oldest home schooled children passed the exam and then went on to community college.  As far as I know the only negative is if you planned on going to a university from high school.  This is harder than a GED and if you are ready to graduate and get on with life it's a great option, that is if your parents agree!

Answer 5

Our son just graduated from homeschool high school with a diploma. We also did the books-and-pencil thing, so we identify with you.

We used a curriculum from Alpha Omega Academy for the last year of school. Earlier we had to prove to them the work he'd done for the first three years, so they accepted those credits.

We're waiting for the dilpoma to arrive in the mail now.

We'd done the same thing 5 years ago with our older boy and he's had no problem getting the dilpoma accepted by both the Army and, I would a assume, now a college.

Hope this information encourages you.

Pressing on,

Ed  ><}}}>

Answer 6

I was home-schooled from 8-12th grade and I did exactly the same thing, I doubled up on my work and worked through the summer.  I finished high school when I was 16, mostly b/c I hated home-school and private school got expensive for my parents, lol, but then I didn't want to go to public school lol.  Anyway, In CA there's a high school proficiency exam that you can take when you are 15 I believe if you have your parents permission.  If you pass then you're done w/high school and it can be used like a diploma or GED.  A friend of mine took it, but I decided not to because my mom always kept records and transcripts of our grades and when I completed everything that was required by the state and then some, she gave me my diploma.  I went on to a community college and then Cal State LB.  I have a BA in English now.  

I'm sure your mom has records of your grades, so all she needs to do is make transcripts, which my mom did on the computer in Word and when I needed them for college I presented it to them and if I needed my HS diploma for a job, I just presented them with a copy.  

P.S.

I didn't know getting your GED was hard, I just assume it was like taking HS classes and your done.

Answer 7

Like nearly everyone else has said, you don't need a GED or an accredited diploma.  Your mom can issue a diploma and your Mom and the teacher can both sign it to certify that you completed the program.  They can also issue you a transcript.

Investigate a little on this and you will find that we are correct, colleges accept homeschoolers with home issued diplomas and transcripts.  Do take the SAT or ACT test though.  And do put together a transcript with grades, and grade point averages.

Go to http://www.donnayoung.org  to find a transcript template.

Go to http://www.hslda.org  to find out more about parent issued diplomas.

Just for an Example, the University of Washington has policies regarding homeschoolers.  The policies are that the homeschooler should have a transcript showing their course of study, and that course of study must meet the same standards as every freshman (4 Years Math, 4 Years English, 4 Years Social studies including 1/2 year each of government and economics, 2 years foreign language, 3-4 years science) and they should back up their foreign language study with an AP exam.  They also must take the SAT.

Answer 8

I GED may be the only way.

There is also the SAT and your homeschooling credentials.

Many colleges make room for homeschoolers.

Most homeschooler are 1-2 grade ahead of public schoolers.

Answer 9

HS Mom is quite correct.  Your mother or credited teacher can issue an official diploma.  For more information about this, making a transcript, and information about applying for college check out the various articles and links at this website:

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/olde...

Good luck!

Answer 10

You don't need a GED. You don't need an "overseeing" teacher.  All homeschool diplomas get treated like they are private school diplomas.  They are. Your parents issue them in the name of your home school.  Our homeschool is called Good Shepherd Academy.  I issued 8th grade diplomas to all 4 of my kids and High school diplomas to 3 of them. My youngest is your age and still studying.

HSLDA has absolutely beautiful diploma blanks you can buy and have calligraphied with the graduate's name.  They are gorgeous, much nicer than public school ones. When you want to go to college, just take your Homeschool Diploma.  By law they have to treat it like a regular public school diploma. By law they have to let you get any of the same scholarships available to public school kids.

Public schools are not God.  They have no diploma better than the one you will get from homeschooling.  GEDs are not necessary. In fact, if you were my kid, you would be taking college classes at least one or two nights a week right now instead of wasting your time studying for a GED. By the time you reach 17-18 you can already have in 20 hours of college credit. You don't have to waste time bowing at the throne of public education teachers or GEDs.

I am just curious as to what program you are using that you send in work?  Clonlara? CLASS?