So here you are, looking at homeschooling high school. So many people outsource these best and most important years of homeschooling because they feel inadequate. They think they might fail their child. And while that is technically possible, every diligent homeschooling parent can succeed with all the fantastic resources available these days.
One resource that homeschooling parents of teens should check out is a book by Lee Binz, The HomeScholar Guide to College Admission and Scholarships. In her usual encouraging way, Lee shares her Homeschool Secrets to Getting Ready, Getting In and Getting Paid. Yes, there’s a lot to learn from this book, but Lee prides herself on being ‘the homeschool consultant who won’t make you cry.’ Even though she shares a lot of practical information, she manages to comfort and encourage at the same time.
So here’s what’s in this guide for parents:
Lee discusses preparing for college, from planning curriculum to encouraging specialization and extra-curricular activities. These high school years are fundamental for college preparation as well as for life.
The next step, of course, is finding a college. Perhaps it is the difference between Canada and the US, but I here have not heard people making a really big deal out of choosing one university over another. Here most universities offer the common undergraduate programs, so it makes less difference where you study. On the other hand, in the United States choosing a college seems to be a whole lot trickier, perhaps because US colleges tend to be so much more expensive. Lee provides lots of advice and encouragement for students looking for the perfect college.
Applying to college comes next, and it is certainly a big deal. Again, in Canada it’s a much more streamlined process, but with all the hoops that US colleges seem to require, it’s good to have a helping hand. Lee gives information about records, letters of recommendation, application essays, and admission policies.
And then, of course, there’s paying for college. Scholarships are available everywhere and apparently very few students pay the stated price for their educations. That’s why applying for scholarships and ensuring your teen has something to put on an application is so important. Lee has lots of scholarship advice for homeschooling families.
As we all know, life is about more than academics. Homeschoolers need to face reality. Life happens, teens are human, not all kids can learn easily, college can be dangerous, and sometimes teens need to take time off. Lee discusses these scenarios as well.
Two of my five children have finished their homeschool journey. With them I used Lee Binz’s Comprehensive Record Solution (link to my review). Both my son’s scholarship and my sanity during the past years owe something to her excellent advice in that program. This book, a whole lot less expensive than The Comprehensive Record Solution, has much of the same encouragement and advice. It will help you guide your teen successfully through the end-of-high-school maze without too much worry and anxiety and with far fewer tears.
I enjoy reading about Lee’s family; I am empowered by the things she teaches; and I am encouraged by her supportive, common-sense attitude. Yes, I sometimes still get uptight about homeschooling high school, but Lee is a very calming influence, both in this book and in her newsletter.
If you’re homeschooling high school, you owe it to your family to check out this book. I’d also recommend signing up for Lee’s encouraging newsletter at The HomeScholar.
This is yet another book in the in the 2013 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge and is also linked to Saturday Reviews and Trivium Tuesdays.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Lee Binz, the HomeScholar, for the purpose of this review. A positive review was not promised, and no compensation was received.
I surely haven’t thought this far ahead yet, but this looks like a great resource! Thanks for sharing it at Trivium Tuesdays!