How Many Electives Should My College-Bound Homeschooler Have?

How many credits approximately should a college-bound homeschooler have in electives?

~Kitty

Dear Kitty,
Thanks for the question!  There are two answers to that:

1. College bound students should have as many electives credits as it takes to add up to 24 or more total high school credits when combined with their core classes.

OR

2. High school students should have as many electives as they WANT to have based on how much time they spend on their favorite activities.

Think of “Electives” as another word for “delight directed learning.”  It sounds more like educationalese when you say “electives” though!  But to successfully negotiate college admission, electives should really have the interests of the child at heart.  There may be some electives that parents mandate, but most of it should be things they learn for fun.

There are unlimited electives when you are homeschooling high school.  In a public or private school children are limited to the kinds of classes and AP courses that are offered.  Not true with homeschooling!  We can provide almost any course imaginable!

So enjoy the process of gathering up elective credits in high school.  They are often the most fun to do and may last with your student the longest!

My CD, “Gifted Education at Home” talks a lot about delight directed learning.  Get your copy here!

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