I know its a little late, but as a junior I want to start "homeschooling". Is this possible and how do I start

Question

I mostly want to volunteer, learn subjects that have always interested me but aren't thoroughly taught in school, and take some college classes. I have gone to a private school and am much more ahead than most students. I have a 4.2 GPA average and am tired of our school system, it is unmotivating and ineffective. What time commitments will my parents have to make? Will it affect me going to college? Anyone with knowledge or experience in this subject would be MUCH appreciated.

Answer 1

1st, if you wouldn't put quotation marks around public school you wouldn't do it at round home school.  It's just as real.

2nd, about your question:

As long as you are responible you can really homeschool yourself with your parents only giving a few signatures here and there.  People get this mistaken notion that homeschooling is just like a public school classroom- with the parent right there teaching you all the time even into highschool.  Some people do it this way but most are much less involved because their kids shouldn't need them to spoon feed all their learning.  They should be able to read a book and answer questions and take a test by themselves just for the sake of learning.  Yes it will effect you going to college...in a good way.  You'll probably be on top of your class and be more prepared for it.  You can graduate earlier than with public school as well.  Homeschooling is just an all around good thing.  Smart choice! Good luck!

Answer 2

It is possible to begin homeschooling as a junior.

The first step is to find out how to legally homeschool in your state.  The Home School Legal Defense Association has this information, along with information on how to get started in homeschooling; the link is below:

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

In some states, you would need to be homeschooled under an "umbrella" school, while in other states (like Illinois), home schools are considered to be legal, private schools.  If I decide to homeschool my child through high school, the diploma I would issue to him would be as valid as any diploma he would receive from a public or private school.  It would be my responsibility to keep transcripts and school records.

It seems as though you know what you would like to do, and it is possible to do all of this via homeschooling.  At your age and with your academic background, the time commitment on your parents part should be minimal; you can, essentially, teach yourself.  The purpose of education is to become a lifelong learner and to teach oneself new things.

Regarding college, some of the best colleges/universities in the country are accepting homeschooled students.  I belong to an online group here in Illinois, Homeschooling Gifted Students, and the daughter of one member was just accepted to Yale.

I hope the above is helpful.

Answer 3

my daughter is in the 11th grade and after the first 3 weeks of school, we had a talk with the principal and she suggested my daughter do school online. and she still graduates with her class and can join the ceremony. and this has worked for her. she does have to do the work, if she doesn't do any work at all for 3 whole days, I-her mother gets a phone call and asked what happened, 2 nd- 3 days no work the school calls the truant officer and we go to court. and then possibly taken off of this program. daughter's high school has 16 students on this program. my daughter works 30 to 35 hours a week, till 2 in the afternoon and then can do the school at night. she loves it. I have also talked to a couple of colleges and they say as long her grades are good then college could be no problem. so being a junior is NOT too late to go to homeschooling the next years. but your parents do have to sign up for this class, IF YOUR school offers it. parents don't have anything to do with, you do the work just like at school. let me know what you decide to do, ok?

Answer 4

Check hslda.com.

This is a Christian site but even if you aren't a Christian, this site is very well-informed and will have info about legalities in your state as well as info for college-bound students.  Spend a little while perusing.

Your ability to attend college classes may vary according to your state's laws, but many do allow you to dually enroll and earn college credit while still technically a high school student.

The time commitment required by your parents can be as little as a few hours per day, plus the driving you around to do your volunteer work and attend college if you are not driving yet.

Many colleges, even in the Ivy League, actively RECRUIT homeschoolers now.  Look for more info about that on the website I gave you.

Best wishes!

EDITED TO ADD: you could go ahead and get your GED now too and go on to college right now, possibly.  Many homeschoolers get GEDs and it does not affect your college admissions, assuming your SAT and/or ACT scores are adequate.

Answer 5

Find out about the laws where you live, especially about how it works for you to get a high school diploma. You may need to contact some homeschool support groups for that information. If you can be self-directed, the most your parents will need to do is to pay for resources you've picked and just have a look at your work--give feedback on essays and the like, make sure you're doing what you need to to get into college.

It shouldn't affect your chances of getting into college; you just have to work a bit harder to know what they want from you for admission.