Senior Year: The End of the Homeschool Journey

It happened. Everyone told me it would.

They said the years would fly by, that the days would be long, but the years would be short.

It’s hard to notice or take those remarks seriously when you’re in the thick of homeschooling.

Tasks like choosing curriculum, planning lessons, teaching, grading, running your household, schooling your other children, co-op days, driving to activities, attending field trips, crying because they’re not getting it and then celebrating because you were there when they did finally get it all lead you to the last semester of their senior year. Gulp. How did we get here so quickly, and what do we do now?

If you’re anything like me, you are entering this last semester of homeschooling your senior with mixed emotions. One moment you are so impressed with the person your child has become and cannot wait to see what they will accomplish in the upcoming season of their lives. The next moment, you have a lump in your throat and are holding back tears as you realize they will soon leave the nest. Your family will be forever changed once this kid graduates.

Not only do you have this roller coaster of emotions going on, but now you’re questioning if you’ve done enough. Are your records detailed enough? Does the transcript tell a clear story of all that your student has accomplished? How will you celebrate graduation? All of these questions are running through your head, but you just want to find a cute photo memory to post on social media for “Senior Sunday."

Friend, you are not alone! Everything is going to be okay. You have done enough. You have devoted your resources, time, and effort to training up this child. Although that “launch time” is drawing near, you still have some months ahead to get everything in order. Use this checklist to make sure you are organized and ready for the graduation celebration that will be here soon.

• Complete transcript and course descriptions from all courses completed in high shool

• Have your student create/update resume (Google Docs offers some basic templates.)

• Decide on college, trade school, or direct-to-career path

• Apply to Arkansas Honors Society, if desired. (This can be valuable on college applications.)

• If your student is planning to play sports at a D1 or D2 college, ensure all necessary requirements for NCAA have been met.  Follow checklist for senior year as listed on NCAA’s Homeschool Toolkit.

• Sign up for Dual Enrollment courses if desired - NWACC Concurrent

• Register to take CLEP or AP exams if desired. Use this link to receive free CLEP tests - Freshman Year Free

• If pursuing trade school, check out Northwest Arkansas Community College’s (NWACC) trade school programs.  (Or check your local community college/nearest trade schools for options.)

• Check Transferology.com to see how student’s DE/concurrent classes would transfer to select colleges

• Consider volunteer opportunities for your student to accumulate community service hours. For service ideas, visit JustServe.org

• Take or retake ACT/SAT (if needed)

• Create student & counselor accounts on Common Application if pursuing college

• Write/polish application essay(s) if needed

• Complete FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online.

• Apply for Arkansas Academic Challenge scholarship if attending college in Arkansas

• Set up job shadowing or internship for fields of interest

• Apply to colleges and order SAT/ACT scores to be sent to each college

• Compare financial aid packages

• Register for Graduation Ceremony with the Education Alliance, if desired

• Schedule senior pictures if desired

• Complete official transcript

• Graduate and celebrate!

If you need help organizing your records or completing other tasks on this list, we are here for you. Just reach out to schedule your one-on-one advising meeting.

We will help you reach the finish line of this homeschooling journey. You've got this!