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How to Graduate from High School Early
Early graduation is a dream for most high school learners. The earlier your child graduates high school, the sooner they can move onto ideal college programs or start their career.
Nevertheless, while early graduation is touted as a common advantage of homeschooling a high schooler, it is hard work.
It’s crucial to understand the benefits and reality of completing high school early. The flexibility of homeschooling does provide wiggle-room for adding additional courses while homeschooling the high school years, but bear in mind: it is double the work. Completing high school earlier is an incredible chance for most students, but it can also feel very draining.
Ensure that you understand what you are getting into.
Still, it is a thrilling idea, and we are here to celebrate the possibility! This article will give you “the why, the how, and the what” for early graduation. You will learn:
- The advantages of accelerated graduation
- Ways of graduating early as a homeschooler
- Graduate early in regard to homeschool high school requirements
The Advantages of Graduating from High School Early
Accelerated graduation is a common option for students who would prefer getting an early start on their college education, particularly if they plan on pursuing careers that need extended years of education.
For instance, if your teen knows he or she is interested in a law career or medical career, jump-starting their college education could be very valuable.
With an accelerated curriculum, students usually earn enough homeschooling high school credits for graduating at least one year early, if not two. It’s popular to hear about 16-year-old homeschool graduates, as shocking as that sounds.
One of the most common choices for accelerated graduation is double enrollment.
This opportunity provides high school learners the chance to earn college credits and homeschooling high school credits simultaneously. These programs are typically hosted by community colleges. The universities and colleges could be flexible and let you choose the courses, while others necessitate participation in a preset program.
Nevertheless, the goal is the same: build both college credit and high school credit during years of high school.
Such credits look pretty great on a high school transcript for future competitive university and college applications. Your child could even earn their associates prior to his or her graduation from high school! Dual enrollment is not for every individual, nor is it available everywhere, but it is a choice meriting consideration if you have the chance.
Here are the major advantages of accelerated graduation:
- Build a focused foundation for their career.
- Get a college head start.
- Possibly be eligible for early graduation college scholarships.
- Stand out in the competitive process of a college application.
- Utilize the last year of homeschooling the high school years for practicums.
- Utilize the chance of already having enough credits to graduate.
Graduating Early as a Homeschooler
There are a few choices to help your teen graduate high school earlier than normal. Again, you will first be required to ensure that a fast-tracked education will work well for them with the heavy course load and rigorous speed.
Common high school paths for graduating early consist of year-round homeschooling, taking the four GED tests, utilizing an online accelerated homeschool curriculum program, taking more credits than usual, CLEP-ing out of courses (testing-for-credit), or pursuing dual enrollment!
For those who are not familiar with CLEP testing, it is a service by the College Board for learners to earn equivalent credit for a college course by passing an examination at a testing center. CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program. For instance, if a learner wants to skip English 101, he or she can pass the College Composition I CLEP exam to earn credit in at least half the time.
Additionally, GED testingis a great way to skip a year or two of high school work. As an alternative, your child will have to pass a battery of four tests: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Math. If they utilize official GED preparation materials, they can ensure they know all the content and feel confident taking the examinations. This could also be the right choice for homeschoolers who did not use an accredited curriculum, especially if they are looking at private or Ivy League universities.
Here is a summary of accelerated choices for homeschooling a high schooler!
- Earn both college and high school credits
- Online programs might provide an accelerated pace
- Pass the four examinations to get your accredited diploma
- Study for the GED exam
- Take numerous credits in middle school + beginning of the high school
- Use an accelerated, rigorous course
- Work through the summer
- Homeschooling throughout the year
Graduate Early as Per Homeschool High School Requirements
As usual, you will need to check with your state regulations for any legal requirements that would affect homeschoolers graduating early. Even if your child earns equivalent homeschooling high school credits for the school board graduation standards in your state, the laws may have to some extent different terms for homeschoolers. For instance, it may be a grey area if the compulsory age for school is 18, and yet, your child has earned enough credits to graduate at 16.
In terms of the home education components, check with your state or local homeschool association to see if early high school graduation is an option. Additionally, here are some things that can help:
If you have children who are close in age and old enough to understand each other, consider doing a two-year implementation of the curriculum. This will allow the older sibling to go through a full high school experience over two years while the younger one still has time for homeschooling.
During this two-year implementation, you may be able to skip a year or two of math. For instance, it is possible that your child can take geometry in 9th grade and then start Algebra II in 10th grade.
Home-taught students with a natural academic ability or that take accelerated courses may be able to graduate early as well! Finally, homeschooled high schoolers should keep in mind that an accredited curriculum is crucial for higher education admissions and college graduation. If your child will be skipping a year of coursework, it
Is it a good idea to graduate high school early?
Some students, who are homeschooled, may already be thinking about college and how to graduate high school early. Considering that the current average number of years needed to achieve a bachelor’s degree in the United States is roughly four years, with an additional two years for graduate degrees, it can seem like a no-brainer when it comes to graduating early.
What most students might not realize though is the costs associated with early high school graduation and skipping college. Some of these costs include paying for:
Additional years of books, supplies, etc. (college textbooks can be pricey!) Financial aid if your child plans on attending a four-year university, or even community college thereafter. Living expenses if your child moves away to attend college. Extra semesters of higher education. While homeschoolers may be more likely to continue on with their education without a break, this may not always be the case when it comes time for early grads to transition into university life.
If your children are far enough along in their studies and have a good understanding of the subjects they are learning, you may want to start thinking about their college plans. For instance, if your child has finished an advanced math course and is ready for pre-calculus or calculus, it might be time to start looking at top colleges offering these courses.
However, if this seems like too much planning right now, you can take your time and relax. Your early high school graduate will have plenty of time to decide what they want to do after their homeschool graduation day!
What is the best way for me to help my child achieve a high GPA?
A lot goes into getting good grades in high school: study habits, academic discipline, and of course, dedication to learning. With that being said, what can you do as a parent to help your child get good grades while they are in high school?
Homeschooling parents have the power to motivate their children and make even the most mundane aspects of homeschool fun! It is important that parents realize this truth: it is up to them to make homeschooling fun!
When it comes time for studying, parents can do the following:
Provide incentives. This works best if you tie these incentives into things that interest your child. For example, tell your child they will have a few extra hours of screen time when they finish their math book. Have rewards ready for your child when they accomplish tasks that you would like them to do. This helps keep track of each assignment and how many are left to be completed in order for the student to get a good grade.
Teach your children discipline. Discipline is its own form of motivation. If you have a student who isn’t motivated to do their work on their own, discipline can help keep them on track. You can teach your children how to create a study schedule that works for them, and they will be more likely to stick with it if they know what the consequences are when they don’t follow it. For example, if you tell your child that they can’t watch their favorite TV show unless they finish their assignment, this will motivate them to get it done so they can enjoy the reward of their favorite program.
Use rewards and incentives as a teaching tool. It may be hard to realize at first, but when you help your child accomplish goals, you are doing more than just motivating them to work harder. You are also teaching them important life lessons that they can use in the future. For example, if your child wants an extra hour of screen time when they finish their math book this week, you might decide to take an hour away from their time on Friday night instead. By teaching them the value of going without something for a short while, you are helping them learn how to set and achieve goals as they get older.
Can homeschoolers get college scholarships?
The answer is yes! Homeschooled students have won millions in scholarships over the past decade. The reason why homeschool students win so many scholarships is that they have more time to study and get involved in extracurricular activities.
If you would like to find out more about homeschool student scholarships, check out our list of scholarship forums. You can also browse the internet for other scholarship resources that will help your child pay for college.
Is there a way I can teach my kids without all the bureaucracy?
It’s time to get back to basics and start planning how you will teach your children during their junior and senior years of high school. It isn’t always necessary to follow the traditional system of teaching core academic subjects that is most common in public schools.
There are many ways you can teach different subjects at home, but here are a few ideas that other homeschoolers have used with their students:
If you read the articles on our website, you will find more ways to teach your teens while using new teaching methods. You can also ask questions in our forum and get suggestions from successful homeschool parents!