Distance learning (homeschooling) or private school? Which better for college?

Question

Hi, I am a 7th grader that does a distance learning program. I complete a week's worth of work and send it in to my teacher by mail. I teach myself through textbooks. I am very worried about college. I know several students have gone to Ivy Leagues by doing the program. I am a huge tennis player, but I have a dream to go to an Ivy League. The school program that I am in now only has Honors classes, not AP courses. I do not know if I should go to a private regular school next year. I have straight A+. I do not know what to do. Please help me as soon as possible. Thanks!

Answer 1

The deciding factor in which is better is: you.
As long as you are in an accredited program, and you are doing your best (and A+'s can be considered your best) then you will be fine.
As for distance learning being for lazy people, that person simply does not have any understanding of what distance learning is all about.
The distance program my daughter is in is also used in our public highschool to help students gain credits. The counselors will not even sign off for a student to take a distance class unless they are working a light load (less than three core classes in a semester) because the work load is intense. This same program has 98% of their students go on to colleges across the world.
Public schools cannot touch that stat.
So, do not let people drag you down and try to make you think you are doing something wrong, or you are lazy or amything like that.
If you are concerned, either you or one of your parents should contact your school and ask them how many of their students go on to Ivy League universities. If you do not like the answer, then find one that has the statistics you want.
Education is there to serve you sweetie, not the other way around. You have choices, and you know what? You CAN do it your way and achieve YOUR goals in YOUR timing.
Don't ever let anyone tell you it's not possible.

Answer 2

Is your distance learning program accredited? If it is, then it would be fine to stick with it. If it isn't, either find a different distance education school or a private school.
Many colleges actually seek homeschoolers, but they also like private school.
Really, it depends on you and your program.
You said that you know several students who have gone to Ivy League colleges through your program. If they have, then your program is probably accredited.
It is good that you are also a tennis player. That means you get the socialization aspect that so many people (who don't know anything about homeschooling) claim homeschooling lacks. Ivy League colleges do like extracurriculars. They will also like your grades.

Answer 3

I don't know if you need AP courses or not to get into Ivy League schools, but there are ways to do them through homeschooling. I know Sonlight has materials. There's an online school here (I'm in Canada) that has AP. You might be able to find a distance program where you live that has AP, too, or try to do it on your own. If you want to be sure about this, check the first question/answer here: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about_faq.html

and then explore the site further.

If you are happy at home, there's no need for you to go to a 'regular' school. You can still get the education you want.

Answer 4

Try this tack with your essay. All the advantages can be disadvantages if you don't take advantage of them. School or homeschool is individual and kids that are homeschooled don't take equal advantage of its potential. Neither do schooled kids for that matter. Advantage: You get to choose your own curriculum. Disadvantage: If the homeschooling family is rigid about what their child studies, they may not be exposed to important ideas which their parents disapprove of. Advantage: You can move through your studies at your own pace. Disadvantage: You might not even realize you're behind because you've made an incorrect assumption about where the public schools are at academically. Advantage: Homeschooling takes less time than traditional school. You'll have more time for extracurricular activities. Disadvantage: Homeschooling takes less time and you don't make an effort to get out. Advantage: Homeschooled kids are exposed to fewer negative influences. Disadvantage: Homeschooled kids don't always learn to resist temptation with those negative influences when they're older if they're overly sheltered during their school years. Advantage: A closer relationship with your child or parent. Disadvantage: A closer relationship with your child or parent. There is little "me" time for mom. There is little away time for parents. It can make for bored and boring people. Another disadvantage that doesn't come with an advantage: It's sort of like the social disadvantage myth, only it can be true. You can become overly self-absorbed with your decision to homeschool. Case in point: Annoying parents who are raising the next homeschooled Einstein who is destined to become the next entrepreneurial Steve Jobs. Their child is way too special be compared to those lowly schooled kids who are stuck in the box, so they look down their noses and respond sarcastically to a serious question like yours, because their choices are much too good to come with a disadvantage for someone else. Parents who judge other parents and question their choices, even though they believe they're above the same treatment. Or homeschooled kids who tell you how much more polite, mature, courteous and well educated they are, without realizing that they inadvertantly just PO'd you by announcing that you're inferior, and they're therefor superior. A course in humility and the golden rule can eliminate these disadvantages. It's just not always on the course list if it applies for some schooling families and kids. Read through this thread for a bit. You'll find them.

Answer 5

There are plenty of distance learning programs that offer AP classes, so you may just want to switch programs. There is www.k12.com highschool or APEX. For talented students you might check out Stanford EPGY at http://epgy.stanford.edu/ohs/ It is very expensive, but they offer very generous financial aid, so don't rule it out without checking it out.
You can take classes through many universities such as : http://cdis.missouri.edu/MUHighSchool/HShome.htm
There are tons of sites out there, you can google online AP classes for many suggestions. You can also study for the AP exams without taking the classes. As long as you take the exams before you apply for college, you can list your exam results on your transcript. Your class won't have the AP designation but the AP score will still carry weight.

You sound like a gifted student, you might check out www.hoagiesgifted.org. Search their site for distance programs with AP options, they list a ton including some free resources.

If a regular school will be difficult with your other goals, don't give up on a distance program. Just look at some others!

Answer 6

You'll have to go to a regular school for the AP classes there's no way around that since I think distance learning is the lazy person's way of avoiding the time to invest in sitting in a classroom to earn a degree or diploma.

Answer 7

First, your home school program should be accredited and you should receive a diploma, not a GED. If so, you should be okay with applying to college. However, most universities would rather that you attend a private school and have extra curricular activities.