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How many times should your student take the ACT or SAT? I recommend once or twice in high school.
Hey, Lee- I had a question about the SAT. My son, Evan, did very well on the PSAT this fall (he is a junior). Depending on how well he does on the SAT he could win a National Merit Scholarship. Anyway, we were wondering how often he should take the SAT. He is leaning towards taking it both in March and May then again in the fall of his senior year. His reasoning is that he might have a “bad day”. Would it hurt him to take it more than once in his junior year? Do colleges average your scores or just use your best? We realize that since he has decided he might want to take it in March as well as May we’ll have to pay a bit of a late fee for the March one, but we still have until Feb. 25 to decide. Thanks for any advice.
~ Leanne in North Carolina
Dear Leanne,
It’s fairly normal to take the SAT once or twice, but some people say it looks “desperate” to take it three times. I suggest that you take it in March, and see how he scores. If he thinks he can improve his score, take it again in May or June, but only that one additional time.
In the meantime, have him study with the “11 Real Practice Tests” book each day. Take one section of a sample test every day, and read through the explanations if he gets a problem wrong.
Each college has their own method of evaluating duplicate tests. Some take the highest section from either tests, picking and choosing from the best scores from both tests. Some take the test with the highest overall score. Some take the most recent test, even if it’s a lower score. You can see how it could be complicated if you have more tests.
Check with the first choice college and see if they have any specific policy. They may say “more test scores are better” so it could be worth checking. They may also have a financial aid rubric, demonstrating how much financial aid is awarded for each SAT score. That can help you determine if there is a benefit to taking the test a third time. Here is an example of that sort of SAT/Scholarship chart: UVU Academic Merit Scholarships.
Instead of spending time during senior year studying for the SAT, it’s much better to spend his senior year working on applications and admission essays. That will have a much larger dividend then making an already great score slightly greater. For more information about positioning for scholarships, see “Getting the BIG Scholarships DVD”.
I hope that answered your question fully.
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My girlfriend has children with dyslexia. She tells me the best program is always the THIRD spelling program you try! Because by that time you begin to figure out your child and understand the problem better! She recommends Sequential Spelling – it was the third (and final) spelling program she tried.
Recently I’ve been hearing about a new program that works well with my clients. Have you heard about All About Spelling yet? It might be a good match for you. It is multisensory, approaching spelling through sight, sound, and touch. The lesson plans are easy to use and leave nothing out. Plus, I’ve spoken to homeschool parents that say it works!
In fact, I like this spelling program so much that I signed up to become an affiliate! You can check it out here: www.allaboutspelling.com/homescholar
Do you enjoy our monthly newsletter, The HomeScholar Record? If so, we would love it if you would write a brief review here, so others could find it! Thanks.
Middle School
Learn how to homeschool high school now, so you don’t have a panic attack in the fall. Take my mini-course or get my DVD “Preparing to Homeschool High School.”
Freshmen
Complete your transcript for freshman year now. Plan classes for next year.
Sophomores
Decide if AP or SAT 2 tests are appropriate, and register for them.
Juniors
Register to take the SAT or ACT. Arrange college visits for spring.
Seniors
Order the diploma and get announcements from www.HomeschoolDiploma.com
If you have a junior and senior, it’s important not to drop the ball. If you need some help, consider joining the Gold Care Club and I’ll be happy to guide you through the process of college admission and scholarships. Learn more about the Gold Care Club.
I am now the Seattle Homeschool Examiner. You can read my homeschool articles here.
It’s hard to mix oil and water. Sure they are both liquids, but they really are two completely different substances. When I hear “What she really wants is the peer interaction she’d get at a school,” I think about oil and water.
Mixing peer interaction and school academics is similar to mixing oil and water. They may seem similar. They both involve teenagers who like to talk, right? But they are two completely different things. In school academics, most of the time students are instructed to be quiet, avoid talking. They are shuffled between classroom, with only a 50 minutes per group of peers in the class. It’s often difficult to truly interact with kids in a classroom situation. Even times when kids are working on projects together, or having group discussions they are usually being tightly controlled by a teacher and the clock. Unstructured time to find and make friends at school is very limited.
Some kids that want peers, friendships, and socialization more than anything. What I often recommend is that they separate socialization from academics. In other words, look for friends within ACTIVITIES, rather than within school. Try to find classes for art, dance, sports teams, debate, youth groups, etc.
It’s not as much fun to mix academics with socialization as it may sound!
Finding friendships can be difficult. It’s especially hard when friends stop homeschooling, and begin going to public school. I do have an article that may help: When Friends Stop Homeschooling
As homeschool parents, remember that real socialization doesn’t have anything to do with “school.” Real socialization is as normal and easy as having fun!
When I was homeschooling, we didn’t meet other kids at co-op classes. We got together with other kids to have FUN! We went on field trips, went to park days, met at support groups, and had show and share evenings. There is so much fun to be had! If you are looking for an opportunity for your children to find new friends, don’t get stuck in the rut of looking for a classroom setting. Look for a youth group, a volunteer opportunity, math or science club, musical group, or a job instead. Remember the priceless friendships of sibling, family, and church. Form a group of your own that meets for games, teen activities, fun at the park. Friendships happen when kids are having fun together, not when they are sitting in a classroom together. So search for activities that might interest your child, perhaps something they specialize in – or maybe just WISH they specialize in! My sons loved soccer, baseball, swim team, chess club, and youth group. They helped at Vacation Bible School, and taught classes (chess and charcoal drawing) to other homeschoolers.
Finding fun is finding friends!
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Other parents feel the same fear that you do. I have shared my own fears before, and I know I’m not alone. Fear of failure is inherent in parenting. Please read these words and tell me if you have ever had these feelings: overwrought, fear creeps in, meltdown, wonder about my own abilities, doing a lackluster homeschooling job, becoming more and more nervous, need moral support, family is NOT supportive, fear failure and future bitterness from children.
Now it’s true, we don’t ALL feel this way ALL the time. But I’ll bet that MOST of us feel this way SOME of the time. You’re not alone. I felt that way and I succeeded. Other parents had those feelings and they have succeeded. You may feel that way now, but you can succeed too! Read about Heather’s feelings to know that you are not alone.
Lee,
I’ve just found you and am trying to be encouraged by your newsletter, etc., but fear creeps in whenever I read success testimonies of homeschooling families and former homeschoolers. I do cheer each of them and even let my kids know about the testimonies, but they also cause me to wonder about my own possibly lackluster homeschooling job. I’m a single mother (of children with no involvement from a father), so I am in it alone. I don’t even have a support group. (There’s just not one anywhere near me, sadly.)
We even dedicate our school to God and pray for Him to take His rightful place as the head of His homeschool, and still I am more and more nervous about whether I can lead my children–especially my engineering-aspired son–through their college-prep educations. I fear failure and future bitterness from my children.
I know I shouldn’t worry, but the time is growing so short. My children are 15-1/2 (10th grade) and 14-1/2 (9th grade), and this is our third year homeschooling. I don’t know how to get enough information about “where they are” and “where they should be” to feel confident that I’m at least on the right track. I hope something you’ve written can help.
Don’t worry. The biggest thing I hear from parents when they are done is Shock and Awe. With a 10th and 9th grader, there is nothing you could have done that would make you “behind.” Instead of thinking about everything you could be doing, think about it one step at a time. Read this blog post for encouragement: Homeschool High School: A Step-by-Step Guide. Then watch a short video called “How do you know you can homeschool high school”
I just wrote a blog post about a mom who was CONVINCED she had messed up – until she saw her homeschool transcript. I do have another few posts that might encourage you, though. Encouragement from The Other SideHomeschooler Wins Full Scholarship – Plus Some More! (By the way, this Renee didn’t even think her daughter would get IN to college, must less get ANY scholarships.) Those blog posts should give you some encouragement for right now.
I think the thing that will help you avoid panic in the future is learning more about high school. It’s the unknown that we tend to fear. If you learn more about high school, you’ll be the resource that other parents turn to for encouragement! You might want to get my video for beginners, Preparing to Homeschool High School, or join my Gold Care Cluband watch the video online over four months. You can read about all the ways I can teach you here: http://www.thehomescholar.com/parent-training.php
Take a deep breath. And take it one step at a time.
Blessings,
Lee
Lee,
I can’t thank you enough for your encouragement (and KNOWLEDGE!) Yes, you may use my name and question. Hopefully, you will feel the need to edit it, as I was a bit overwrought when I wrote it and probably rambled.
Thank you for all of the links. I will visit them all. And I will visit Facebook too. (I’m pretty sure I “liked” you just yesterday.) I sure wish I had found you 3 years ago, or 4 actually, when I was seriously researching and considering homeschooling. I’ve downloaded or ordered every free thing I could get my hands on.
I think one of the meltdown catalysts for me was my thinking back to being a straight-A student all through school (until college, when I went crazy) but when I graduated, I did not receive one academic scholarship! (Nor did I receive help from parents to find any money, or even colleges, for that matter.) I was even vice-pres. of National Honor Society, in Y-Teens, volunteered a lot, had job experience since age 11, had lots of creative experience, etc., etc. and nothing! I was never awarded a scholarship. Last night, I was thinking ahead to next year (when my son will hopefully be taking a college course in chemistry at a comm. college) and wondering if there were scholarships for that (dual credit/early college credit), and then I just jumped into fear about his college entrance being so near (as well as my daughter’s).
I also know that if I were in a support group, it would help, but there just isn’t one near me. I really need moral support, especially because my family is NOT supportive, to put it mildly, and I don’t have a husband. But thank YOU so much for YOUR amazing help. (I’m sorry I made this so long. I rarely do that.)
Have a wonderful day and SHALOM,
Heather
Dear Heather,
A lot of my clients consider the Gold Care Club to be their personal support group. I remember one member said “Hey, it’s cheaper than therapy!” If you’re asking about college admission, that’s one of the biggies that I help homeschool parents with. I also have two DVDs that may help. You can find them all on my Parent Training Tools page, but look specifically at Finding a College and Getting the BIG Scholarships. Hang in there! You’re the best high school guidance counselor for your children, and you CAN be successful!
There are certainly some challenging things that can happen to homeschoolers. One of the biggest challenges is a child that wants to go to public school. Nobody will have the answer for you, and nobody can solve this problem. It’s something you just have to work through – and pray over. If you are in the midst of the struggle, I can consult with you on the phone if you are a Gold Care Club member. This is a topic that does best with conversation, so I can understand the situation and the child better. Sometimes I surprise myself with the things I will recommend once I get to know the situation better. However, I can suggest some things to consider.
Kids are who they are, and homeschooling will not force them to be unsocialized anymore than public school can force all children into becoming out-going socialites.
Is homeschooling working for you? I’m not asking if it’s perfect, because no school will ever be perfect. I’m only asking if it’s working! Are your kids progressing through subjects, learning things, doing things?
Don’t ask yourself if something else MIGHT work better, because you don’t know for sure if the grass is really greener somewhere else. You only know your own homeschool. Is it working? If it’s working, don’t stop!
Parents make decisions, not children.
Children don’t change completely when they change schools. They are still the same person with the same weaknesses and struggles.
When a child grows up, and becomes adult, sometimes changes are needed. This may be a situation where an alternative may be appropriate. Read my article on the Community College Fad and learn about CollegePlus! Although neither option is perfect for everyone, one of those options may be helpful to you now.
Involve your child is planning the year. Include delight-directed learning, and make sure curriculum choices fit your CHILD rather than you, the teacher.
If he feels stifled, the solution may be work. The best way to experience the world is to WORK in the world, not go to school with age-segregated people. That’s not at all what the real world is like. Can your child get employment and have a real job with others?
If you are dealing with a young man, you might enjoy my husband’s article on Raising Men. We also have a YouTube on the topic of Raising Men.
I hope that helps! If you want some support, consider becoming a Gold Care Club Member so we can talk together for 20 minutes each week when you have concerns.
February is a difficult month for homeschooling. The days are long and dark, and the weather may not always be cooperative. Public schools often plan breaks and vacation days for this time of year because it’s SO easy to get burned out.
Hang on! Don’t give up! It will get better soon, and spring is almost here! What you are doing every day with your children is so important. One day you will look back and be SO glad you did this.
Look at what Julie wrote to me recently:
Hi, my name is Julie and I purchased your wonderful transcript product. I was so grateful for the product I purchased. Your product on how to make transcripts really works. My daughter not only got into her first choice college but won a scholarship as well. Thank-you so much for using the talents and giftings God gave you to make it possible for me to do such a great transcript. So grateful for your program it’s amazing and I will use for my other kids when time comes. It looked amazing and the college loved it! Can’t believe she won a scholarship! May God bless you and your efforts and I will be recommending to every homeschooler I know this wonderful program. Thanks again and I will be posting link on my Facebook page for all my homeschool friends! This would have never happened if it hadn’t been for your amazing transcript helps and templates. Thanks again!
~ Julie in Ohio
This could be YOU soon! YOU can be the homeschool parent getting admission and scholarships! It’s not just me and my kids, there are LOTS of parents succeeding beyond their wildest dreams. Sure, “results not typical” and “your mileage may vary” but at the same time, if you focus on what you’re doing now, you could be the next success story.
And please, when you get those admission letters and scholarship offers, keep me posted, because other parents need to feel that love from colleges, too!
Many parents hold firmly to Proverbs 22:6 as they raise their children. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
That’s a wonderful promise. It’s great motivation to work hard as we train up our children to know right from wrong, and to make good choices.
But it says “When he is old…” What happens before he gets old? What happens when the child grows up, and is no longer a child that you are training, but he is also not yet old enough or wise enough to receive this blessing?
That, ladies and gentlemen, is when you TRULY learn about faith, and leaning on God.
In the sad news recently, we learned about a distraught and mentally unstable man who killed many people in an unexpected slaughter. The conversation in the media quickly turned to the parents, as if they were to blame. It’s possible they did not train up their child in the way he should go. But it’s also possible they DID, and he chose the path of sin instead.
Is the parent at fault when their offspring decides of their own free will to disregard what they were taught?
It would be easy for a parent with younger children to become indignant, and think it will never happen that way. But older parents know better. Read this article and notice a small comment from a 70 year old parent: Parents of shooting suspect ‘deeply sorry’ for victims . The 70 year old neighbor spoke to the media and said, “I told them they didn’t fail. They taught him everything about right and wrong,” Smith said. “We all know you can teach someone everything and have no control how it works out.”
If you are dealing with an adult child expressing free will, this book may help. When Our Grown Kids Disappoint Us: Letting Go of Their Problems, Loving Them Anyway, and Getting on with Our Lives by Jane Adams provides warmth, empathy, and perspective. It’s not a conservative Christian book, but it does provide support for parents in heartache.
Don’t blame the parents for the actions of their adult children. Blame sin nature that allows each individual the free will to choose right OR wrong.
Even though it is Valentine’s Day, winter is weighing heavily upon many homeschoolers, like snow on the roof.
Are you tired of it? Turn this winter into a fond snowy memory. Have some fun in the snow, after you do the schooling you can do. Read aloud wintery books to your younger children, like The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Maybe one day your children will write their own novel about our own long winter!
This long winter will end, just like it did for Laura Ingalls. And one day you’ll be done homeschooling too! So look ahead to the future – a BRIGHT future for parents that homeschool through high school!
Interested in learning what a successful book of course descriptions looks like. Check out myComprehensive Record Solutionhere.
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