Homeschooling Parents/People in General? Would You Let...?? {{PLEASE Answer, WILL pick a Best Answer!!=]}}?

Question

Okay, so I've been homeschooled all my life (from pre-k -till now), I want to go to public high school my Senior year, for a lot of things, to have the experience, cheerleading (if i make the cheerleading squad, I could possibly get a scholarship, I done cheerleading o a little league, and my coach said I could make the high school squad and I was only 11 then!), scholarship, etc. but also so I can graduate the "normal" way, ya' know the gowns, the dress, the hats, and so forth. So would you let your child go to public school her last year before going to college?

Thanks in Advance!!

**Will pick a Best Answer!=]**

Answer 1

Only if I found that I was simply incapable of providing her with a quality education for whatever reason. Those are fairly shallow reasons to want to go to public school, and if you've been homeschooling all through highschool, switching to another form of school now could possibly lessen your chances of getting into a good college. It is possible that while you'd be put in the right grade in PS, all your HS records wouldn't even be looked at by universities, and they DO really like homeschoolers. Also, it wouldn't be as much fun as you think it would. The chances of getting a cheerleading scholarship in just one year of cheerleading on a school squad are slim. And you might not even make the team. You don't know what the competition wouldbe like. Also, the graduating thing is all really trivial. Why do you feel you need to do anything the "normal" way? That's just dull.

If you do have your heart set on cheering, why can't you just find out if the local schools allow homeschoolers to participate in extracurricular activities at the school? You'd be surprised how many schools are willing to do this, and some states even require it. You can also have your own graduation ceremony/party where you're presented with a diploma, you get to wear a cap and gown that your parents order for you (you can even choose color and what kind of tassel you want) and just invite all your friends and family and plan it the way you want it to be so you know the day will be special and memorable. If you want to graduate with a big group and have the attention drawn away from you, there is always the option of joining a homeschool group that holds an anual grad night and graduation ceremony for seniors. If you're in a group already and it doesn't offer this, ORGANIZE IT. You'll get what you want and so will many other homeschoolers in the group, and you can list your involvement in this on a college application or resume to show leadership and organizational ability.

As for scholarships, you should realize that almost every scholarship available to public and private schoolers (with only a few exceptions) is also available to homeschoolers who actually want to put forth the effort required to earn it.

Trust me, you aren't missing anything, and you don't need to go to public school and possibly decrease your "admission value" so to speak for colleges just to enjoy these trivial customs and life experiences. You can still do all the things you listed as a homeschooler, and you'll likely get much more and a higher quality of real life experience and college preparation if you stay homeschooled.

Answer 2

In our area we have a non-school cheerleading training center.  They work on cheers and compete, but I'm not sure if they actually cheer at sports events. You might want to look around.

Would I let my daughter? sure, if she really wanted to do it for the experience; academically I don't think she would need it.

Answer 3

I would, but under certain conditions. She would have to fully explore the schools she could choose from in much the same way she's explore colleges to choose from. She'd have to find out the programs/courses/etc. available, get information about the schools, visit the schools, find out about costs (including graduation costs), etc. She'd also have to make sure that her high school work already done at home would be recognized by the school--while that's not actually a problem where we live, there are plenty of schools in the US that will not recognize homeschooling credits (unless the student has actually done an online public school program).

Each high school can be drastically different from the next. If she wants to make the decision, she'd best have the full information before making the decision.

Answer 4

Making the high school cheerleading squad has probably change alot since you were 11 with all the stunts and dancing. If you are capable of doing those things, maybe just go to a junior college for a year and cheer there, apply for a scholarship after that.  

Truthfully, "WHO YOU KNOW" comes into play around here as far as who gets on the squad, even though supposedly there is an independent judging group that chooses.  It would be difficult for someone outside the loop to break in.  Homeschoolers in our area are not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities with the ps system.

Don't discount the fact that if you go, if you make the squad, that you may have to deal with some people who think you "took" their friends spot.  The drama of high school....

I don't want to put a damper on your dream, just look for alternatives too.

As far as graduation, you can do the gown, hat and invitation and have your ceremony all about you, if you don't have a group/co-op to do this with.  If you don't want it to be at home, ask your parents to find you a good location (a church, a hotel ballroom, etc).  You can put together a slide show of all accomplishments and interests to show your guests or have a display table. You make the Valedicatorian speech!  Let your parents speak.  Have a nice spread of refreshments and collect your gifts!

~ Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

PS.  If your parents agree, you need to find out important dates as far as when you have to be enrolled by for next year's squad, cheer camp or training dates that might well be mandantory, and any other deadlines.

Answer 5

If my daughter came to me with this desire, by all means I would sign her up for public school.  By the time you are 17, you are more than old enough to make this decision.  

It's a very personal choice.  The reasons you list are very legitimate.  You want to have this experience, then you should go for it.  

Good luck :D

Answer 6

How can you be a senior in high school when you say in another question you are only 13?

Answer 7

Try it honey; you can always go back to homeschool if it is not right for you.

Answer 8

My parents did! I am glad they homeschooled me up til now, but i am also glad to have the chance to go to school. Just tell them "if I'm not mature enough to handle highschool now, I will never be!"

Answer 9

Me?  I wouldn't homeschool a kid in high school at all.  You need the experience of a classroom and learning to get along with the wide diversity of your peers.  I feel that homeschooling at that age is overprotective, and while I understand why parents do opt for homeschooling, they aren't going to homeschool after high school, are they?

Answer 10

I would not let my daughter go to high school just so she could be a cheerleader.   If any of my children want a graduation ceremony we can do that, so I wouldn't let any of them go to high school for that reason either.   There may be reasons to let them go, but these are not good reasons in my opinion.

Answer 11

Honestly, how do you know that the school will accept you as a senior?  Many high schools don't - they could make you register as a 17yo freshman.  (Several schools have the policy.)

I do allow my son the choice to go to ps, but he has no desire to do so.  I would, however, bring him around to visit it before he decided he wanted to enroll, as ps is a far cry from anything he's used to.  I think you'll find the same - it's not what you're envisioning.

If, after a lot of thought and a visit or two, he was truly convinced that that's what he wanted (and we had a guarantee from the school district that he could enter at grade level), then yes, I would consider it.  I know him to be very mature and level-headed for his age, and he thinks things through before he does them.  

I don't know whether that's true of you or not, as I don't know you.  Your parents do, however, and that will impact their decision.  Please know that high school is not all it's cracked up to be, and that your parents really are looking out for you.  If they decide "no", then you need to stand behind that decision and understand that they're doing what's best for you.  (You can still have a graduation with the cap and gown, and high school cheering is a far cry from what you did in little league.)  There are things in life that go way beyond the "high school experience" (whatever that is) that your parents likely have in mind for you.

Anyway, as a homeschool mom, that's my honest answer.  Hope it helps!

Answer 12

It would depend, in some states and districts, the school could refuse to recognize you as a senior, then none of what you said would happen anyway... you wouldn't graduate that year... you wouldn't get a scholarship... you probably wouldn't be a cheerleader because you would be trying to get 4 years worth of credits and would be too busy for cheerleading. So in that circumstance you would be better off to just graduate from homeschool.  However, if the school IS willing to give you credit for your work done at home, then I probably would allow it, as long as the reasons you gave were the actual reasons and you seemed mature enough to handle it.

Answer 13

If I were your parents, I would certainly visit the high school now with my daughter, and discuss the big picture with the guidance counselor. For all the hard work you have done so far, you fully deserve to have a chance at all the trimmings that will make it a memorable year for you. Just remember that nothing is guaranteed, not the cheerleading squad or the scholarship. But why hold yourself back just because some of your dreams MIGHT not come true? If you don't even try, they DEFINITELY won't happen. As for cheerleading, maybe go to cheerleading camp this summer to be ready?

This is a perfect chance for your parents to see how well they have done with homeschooling before you go off to college. There are resources available there that might be just what you need to start you off on the right foot. I say go for it. If you change your mind, you have your good alternative ready to fall back on. They have trusted you so far. Why should they pull back now?

Answer 14

Would I? no.  But I am not your Mom.  

I can tell you that cheerleading is probably not going to happen.  Public schools are very cliqueish.  You have been homeschooled.  I really wouldn't expect to be a cheerleader.  It's more about status not talent.  I'm sure you are very talented, but that is just not how the ps system works.

Answer 15

Yes I would.... but I think you will be disappointed...but that is part of life.  

Let us know how it turns out.  It  will be a learning experience for you whether it is as you have dreamed it will be or not.

If you were my daughter, I would let you go to public school.  I work in the public school and our cheerleading squad do competetions with more gymnastics than cheering.

Our homeschool association for the state has the "normal" graduation but that doesn't mean much to our homeschooled son.

Edit:  I agree with Carrie in the above answer about it is 'who you know' in our school's cheerleading, football, basketball, etc.   It's a shame that it is that way, but that's also part of life.

Answer 16

I would never homeschool my kid period unless I had to (For medical, or problems in school).

But yes, I would if I was a parent, life's to short to regret not doing something you wanted to do, or at least try....

For me though, I see no reason to go back for my senior year.

What's the point really? One year of doing it, and basically starting from scratch, when everyone else is ending high school? So, I figure I've gone this far, might as well realize that these years are, "going, going, gone"....

But, I would let you go....Your life, you're old enough to realize what life is, and what you're doing....

=)