Home School: Applying to DeVry or the University of Phoenix

Home schooled students are attending colleges and universities and seem to be excelling. While applying to a college goes without difficulty in most cases,  the leap from high school to a university requires predetermined steps. The average home schooled student who transfers to a university after attending a college and completing the prerequisites, finds the transfer fairly routine, with the exception of DeVry and the University of Pheonix (We will explore this point further in this article).

The leap to a university from high school can be accomplished by a home schooled student if they plan and work through the details starting during the high school years. Here are a few things which can help the leap:
1. Research out the possible universities of interest.
2. Call and talk to a counselor from each university, identifying that you are a high school home schooled student desiring to apply to their university after high school graduation.
3. Discuss your desired major with them and find out what prerequisites are required. These college level prerequisites can be accomplished at the local college (making sure they are transferable) during the high school years. Most colleges require the signature of the principal of the high school program in which your home schooled student is enrolled, in order for them to attend as a minor. Some states will allow the parent to sign if they are individually registered with their state.
4.Have your student take the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) or the ACT test during their high school years. The scores from these tests are used by universities to determine academic readiness.
5. Plan in advance the funding of college and university (Steps for planning are found at the end of this article).

Home schooled students who apply to DeVry and the University of Phoenix will be rejected if they have not accomplished one of the four following:
1. Have a diploma/transcript from a regionally accredited high school,
2. Pass the GED test from your state.
3. Have an AA degree from a college.
4. Turn in the following documents to be evaluated for enrollment:

Documents should include:
Course titles
Brief description of content
Duration of study (including dates of completion)
Grades or assessment of performance and credits earned
Information delineated by 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade years

A brief description of the courses the applicant has completed that includes copies of samples of their graded work, such as:
• Assignments
• Test papers
• Projects or research papers for each year (year by year)

 A brief school profile description indicating the following:
• Contact information
• Attendance policy
• Grading policy
• Instructor qualifications, and
• Evidence of fulfillment of any specific state requirements for home school education
Number of teachers and their qualifications. Check your state requirements for teacher qualifications.

Days/Hours of Instruction Annually
What were the hours and days that the instruction was provided? What are your state regulations to ascertain whether the minimum instruction requirements were adhered?
• How many hours a day?
• How many days a week?
• How many days annually was the instruction provided?

Attendance Tracking
• How was attendance tracked?
• A copy of attendance must be submitted.

DeVry and the University of Pheonix will evaluate your portfolio to determine if one can enroll without the accredited transcript, GED or AA degree.

Planning for College Financially.

If your child is in high school, your family may be preparing for the college application process. One aspect of the college admissions process that can feel confusing for some families is financial aid. There are many types of financial assistance for college, including need-based aid, merit scholarships, and grants. For students enrolled in Sunland, we are able to assist you and your parents in navigate the process of applying for financial aid. (check with your home school program for assistance)

Where to begin?

The first step many families take is to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) worksheet, which can be submitted online. This worksheet is an excellent starting point for parents and students to better understand the information required by federal and state governments who determine financial aid. Students who begin planning for college during the first year of high school, by the time they are seniors, they are well-prepared to manage the college application process.

What financial aid options should we pursue?

Students and their families can investigate what financial aid programs specific colleges offer. Private and state institutions have a variety of scholarship options, so it is important for students to understand what financial aid plans may be available to them. One key component of many programs is the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) which is what a university determines that an individual family should contribute toward the cost of college, based on their particular financial circumstances.

How can our family better understand the process?

At Sunland, high school students and their families are fully supported by our school counselors. Sunland is dedicated to offering comprehensive college preparation services to our students and their families. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office for assistance. 1-800-525-4419

When the Going Gets Tough…

The old phrase finishes with “…the tough get going!” However, what many think of as tough is not the kind of character which really can help us through difficult times. Being callous, uncaring, self-willed, bull-headed, is not the kind of tough we need. It usually isn’t the best way to handle difficulties. Loss of jobs, homes, health challenges, kids growing up and trying life their own way, etc. are all a part of life (and challenges seem to happen regularly, if you haven’t noticed).  How can we make it through?

I think the phrase should end with “…the strong keep going!” The basic principles we should live our life by: faith, trust, loyalty, honesty, good communication, etc., should be what we continue to observe when we face tough times. Sometimes we lose focus and the tough times force us to re-evaluate, and then we renew our commitment back to the basic principles.

The pressure we feel during tough seasons causes us to want a quick fix, or we want things to go a certain way. But if we trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not unto our own understanding, and if we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our path! It may not be that God’s way is always the way we think it should be, but if we submit ourselves to His unknown plan (unknown to us), He makes things work out for the good. Many times we can’t see “the good” until we get there, because it wasn’t on our radar.

Being patient, consistent, holding your head up high, having a heart filled with faith, and speaking words which are positive, isn’t easy when it’s tough. It’s easy to become negative, depressed, and want to give up, but those approaches only make it harder, and keeps us from finding ways to enjoy the rocky journey. Worrying, complaining and belly-aching never makes the journey better, it make us and those around us more miserable, when we are already miserable.

What ever you are facing, always remember, “This too shall pass!” You will find yourself on the other side of this season and look back and realize that God brought you through, again! Maybe we can look at our circumstances, while we are in the middle of the storm, and reflect on the fact that God always brings us through! Maybe we can see it as an adventure to discover what new thing God has for us!

Laura and I face tough times just like everyone. We try to encourage each other and remember the past challenges we survived, and discuss how we are hopefully better people today because of the work God has done in our hearts during the “tough times.”

Poor God!?

We could never assume to understand everything about life and any comparisons we make about life and God are nothing more than a feeble attempt to try and improve life here on earth. With that in mind, there is a slight comparison between the role God has with us and the one we have with our children. Lets summarize what we know about God’s parenting us humans.

First, in the Garden of Eden, God gave mankind everything they needed, but they weren’t satisfied and went against his advice to try and make it better. This resulted in mankind’s fall from the garden to experience human life without God’s direct, divine provision. Man had to work by the sweat of his brow. He whined and complained to God, and God still decided to bless them and gave them guidelines concerning His blessings.

Second, man continued to turned away from God’s love and direction and found themselves in captivity to their enemies. They cried out to God, and in His love and mercy, He delivered them from the hand of their enemies, only for mankind do it their way, again. Time after time, man went against God’s direction, and God would reach out in His love and mercy and rescue man.

Finally, God provided a means for man to continue in a relationship with Him, despite man’s continuous fallen nature and gave them the opportunity to receive a new life within their heart. And again, in spite of what God has done for us, man continues on his journey to do things his own way.

Parenting is fairly similar. We provide our children with what they need in life, give them advice for their future and discover they still have to find out for themselves. Many times it hurts as parents to see them fall, or travel down a wrong path, but we still love them and try to help them when we can. As they grow and develop a life of their own, is seems as if they have forgotten all that we have done for them, or taught them. But as their parents, we usually find a way to help, because of the love God has shown us and given us for our kids.

Just as we do not mean to disrespect God or what He has done for us, our children are trying to find their own way in life. Let’s continue to give them the space, support, guidance, love and help they need, and trust that God is bigger than we are and can step in to help guide our children along their way.

Public School Exodus

Family after family contacts our office expressing their dissatifaction over the public school system and are looking for an alternative.

Homeschooling gives families the opportunity to avoid having their children subjected to the “dis-functional socialization” which seems to occur on public school campuses. It gives parents more control over nurturing their children’s character development and study skills.

Students can focus on their studies and progress at an accelerated pace or slow down to a remedial pace, depending on their need. Homeschooling gives parents the advantage of discovering their children’s weak areas in order to strengthen them and help them work through challenges that would have otherwise been ignored or overlooked.

Have questions about homeschooling? Blog us your question.

Summer – Relief or Panic!

Most families who home school are in it for the long haul. However there are many who just started or used homeschooling for an interim period of time.  Then Summer came!

It may be a relief that the school year is over, but anxiety raising wondering what one is going to do for the summer. Now that there is no specific school agenda, or work to be done, what’s a family to do?! And in the background are thoughts about being prepared for next year.

Sometimes putting your concerns on paper helps work it through. Make a list for preparing for the fall and indicate some possible dates for accomplishing them. Such as, what courses should the kids be taking next year, what curriculum should I use, when do I need to purchase the curriculum in order to have it on time, when will the school year start? Once you put these thoughts on paper and pick some possible time frames, you don’t have to use your brain to constantly be thinking it through. Put the items on your personal calendar, or on a board you use for upcoming events, and deal with it when the time comes. You will find yourself coming up with thoughts you can add to the list as summer progresses.

Now let’s look at summer! Break down the summer calendar into weeks and note items already planned (vacation, vacation Bible school, day at the local theme park, etc.) Make a list of possible ideas to do as an activity, both day activities or weeklong projects (clean out the garage week, paint a bedroom, visit Grandma and Grandpa, let your children have friends over for a day, etc.) Keep a list of things you can do when you are at the end of your rope (go to the beach, park, lake, play kickball, rent a video, etc.). And for some, there will be some schooling to integrate into the schedule. All work and no play make for a stressful summer. All play and no work make for irresponsible children! 

Try and plan a general balanced schedule for the summer, and plan activities periodically throughout with down time in between the activities. You don’t want the children living on an adrenaline rush all summer (or expecting you must provide it), because that is unfair to you and unrealistic for the children.

As children get older, summer jobs, church camp, activities with friends, all begin to become the driver of what occurs. Make sure you plan time together as a family, because they will be grown up and gone before you know it!

Be creative, talk together as a family, get ideas from others, and enjoy the summer!

Terry Neven

Homeschoolers – graduating from high school!

It is exciting and sad as I watch families graduate their last child or only child. Exciting for them and their future, but sad because it represents the end of a 1 to 24 year relationship as we complete our task of helping them homeschool their children. Some families we have worked with for up to 24 years (they started with their oldest when they were 6 years old, then had more children when their oldest was a teenager, which they then homeschooled as well).

Laura and I grow close to families and students as they have worked through the challenges and joys over the years. We watch the children grow up and the parents gain a greater understanding of how parenting works. Many families confide in us over years of personal challenges they face and their personal hopes and fears. Some face children with life long needs while others are challenged by their children growing up and moving on.

Homeschool moms possible face a greater intensity in the “empty nest syndrome” then the average mom, because they have poured out their hearts in raising their children in a way that is different than the average parent.

Our hearts go out to parents who homeschool and care for their children’s development and education beyond the call of duty! Keep up the good work and let God help you enjoy your life when you have completed your task and the kids move on!

Terry and Laura

Hello!

Welcome to Home School USA!  We hope this blog will provide insight and discussion about real life events surrounding homeschooling. It is intended to be open hearted, objective, encouraging and helpful. We will not post blogs of a derogatory nature, containing inappropriate language, but do desire to support differences of opinion.

We look forward to receiving participants and encourage you to forward this blog to your friends and family. We hope to continue to see the home school movement grow and value your input!