hey everyone, so I have a friend who is 17 years old and four months away from graduating college (long story). she was homeschooled throughout middle and high school via an online accredited homestudy program (and thus has a high school diploma and transcript, but no middle school transcripts). she has never had the chance to be around people her own age as a child/teen and wants to experience that at least once. her last quarter at college only requires her to be on campus 1 day of the week, so she would be able to attend daily.
how would she go about enrolling in high school? her local high school requires transcripts from the last school attended - the only transcripts she has are from a homestudy program which gave her a diploma (i.e. she is a high school graduate) and from her university. do high schools generally accept people w/ hs diplomas who were homeschooled and want to re-do their senior year?
she’s the right age for entering senior year, since she doesn’t turn 18 till 2016.
If there is any possibility of this happening, which is doubtful, the only way to find out is to ask the individual local authorities. No general answer is possible (except for a flat no.) State and local laws, policies, and exceptions are the only factor to consider. Why ask us?
There are probably better ways to achieve her purpose than enrolling in a high school, such as joining clubs, etc. However, technically, it depends on the education code of the state she’s in. In California, for example, the right to public education is based on age alone, as far as I know. There might be special provisions for someone who’s so close to 18 years old. I don’t think you are required to show transcripts–just proof of age and residence and vaccination records. After enrollment, a counselor might ask her about all that, and she can say whatever she wants.
Just go to the local school with whatever documentation she has and ask them. Some high schools have post-graduate programs and account for various needs of students, and if she is not yet 18 they may be required to accept her.
How about taking a couple of classes at a Junior College? She will be around kids her age, and she can work around her other schedule. It’s as close to high school as she can get without going to high school.
Otherwise, her parents can register her at the local high school and explain that she has been home-schooled. I don’t know if her state required her parents to register the home-schooling with the local authorities, but I don’t think there is much documentation with home-schooling. Being absent one day a week will be a big problem. I don’t know what the graduation requirements for the school are, and if she has met them in home-schooling, but the counselor can work that out.
Never having been around other kids in a public school and showing up for senior year sounds like hell to me, but that’s just me. I had a home-schooled kid start public school in seventh-grade so he would be used to it by high school, and he was miserable and actually cried a couple of times. He was much more comfortable by eighth, and has had a wonderful time in high school. The first year was very hard on him, though.
Since she’s already a college student then just spending more time on campus would be an easier way to spend time with people her own age. She’s now only slightly younger than a typical college freshman.
I’m sympathetic to a young person who wants a “normal” teen experience, but I’d also be concerned that someone who was homeschooled and then went to college would find the reality of high school to be miserable. She’s going to have a lot less freedom than she’s used to, the classes will truly be a waste of time since she already has a HS diploma and has taken more advanced courses in college, and the other kids are probably going to think she’s either a freak or a narc.
Feeling miserable, constrained, bored, and being treated like a freak are all fairly “normal” teen experiences, but I wouldn’t be in a big hurry to put myself into that situation if I could avoid it.
Schools will usually let home-schoolers participate in their extra curricular activities like cheerleading, band, etc. She should look into just doing that instead of trying to redo high school.
Well, it’s late now but she just missed a good opportunity: summer camp. All the socialization without the red tape. Now, her best option would be youth groups.
This is your best bet if possible. Matriculating her with zero public school experience into a regular HS senior class would be tricky and I’m not it would be completely advisable. If I was the county Superintendent or school Principal I’m not sure I would be onboard with her doing that.
First, clue her in that high school is overrated, and not much like the movies.
A better bet, if financially feasible, would be grad school, living in a dorm. Not only will she be with kids her age, they’ll have a bit more in common with her being college kids. And the classes won’t be a waste of time. It won’t matter that she’s taking different classes.
She could even be a Resident Advisor, getting a big break on room & board, assuming they still do that.