Links, Links, and More Links (Resources for the high school years.)
Information is available at our fingertips, but finding (or re-finding), a resource on-line is often time consuming and aggravating. Let me make this a little easier for you by posting often used links for preparing your students for a successful high school experience! Feel free to share these links (or this article) with your friends and/or on social media!
Testing materials: Any test prep will help with all of the college exams to some extent so even if the program is an ACT prep, it will also help with the SAT and CLT in many areas. ACT is the only test to include science, but the student’s scientific knowledge is not being tested, rather the student’s ability to analyze the data provided is what is tested.
Test prep books: Princeton Review (publisher)
Test prep programs:
College Prep Genius (There are many testimonials from parents and students on their FB page. Impressive!)
Use the code bryan to save $3 a month, making the cost only $12 a month! 36U ACT Prep is offering prospective Bryan students a free note-taking guide workbook ($20 value) with their 6 months program ($65) or $10 off a note-taking guide with a monthly subscription ($15/mo). To take advantage of the offer, enter the code BryanLionsNT when you register at 36university.com.
ADA Accommodation information is here. All three college exams offer accommodations for students diagnosed with disabilities.
Books to help plan for the high school years (written by Cheryl Bastain):
Ebook: The Journey is a free ebook with information on transcripts, testing, scholarships, dual enrollment, and more. Scroll down to the ebook inquiry.
Programs to consider:
TeenPact is a four day government class that takes place in the capital city of each state.
STOAUSA and NCFCA are two Christian homeschool speech and debate clubs. Find a club near you and visit. If you can volunteer to be a community judge at a tournament you will not only be appreciated, and fed well, but you will be amazed at what you observe.
FAFSA form (fill this out in October of senior year).
Video presentations:
Last August (or September) the new school year began and everyone was excited and off to a good start. Fall soon arrived, and the cooler weather was invigorating. And then, before you knew it, it was time to celebrate Thanksgiving and then Christmas! (This year, with Thanksgiving being celebrated so late in the month, these two holidays fall almost back-to-back.) After Christmas the fun and excitement wains and the clean-up begins! Before you know it, the new year will begin and it’s time to get back to the books, resuming a regular schedule. For some families this transition is easy and exciting (particularly for those who function much better on daily routine), while for others — well, let’s just say they’d rather stay in bed with a good book, putting things off for another day or two. If you fall into the later category, this article is for you!
Some students know from an early age exactly which college they plan to attend and they never waver! Others are not so sure they even want to attend college. Many students are open to looking at all options and would appreciate help narrowing down their choices. Choosing a college is not a decision lightly made and many agonize over this decision, yet armed with the right questions, the fields can be narrowed down to two or three top choices by a student’s junior year in high school.
your visit.
College visits: The best time to visit a campus is when classes are in session, but try to avoid exam week, if possible. You can visit when classes are out of session, but the visit will be better if that can be avoided. Being on campus while students are on campus and being able to sit in on classes are experiences that weigh heavily on the decision making process. In order to make the most of a college visit, call the department of admissions and find out if the college has a visit coordinator on campus. Ask when the visit days are available (you may be able to find this information on the college website). Ask to attend classes and talk with faculty. Tour the campus. Eat in the cafeteria. Observe current students and, if you have the opportunity, stop and talk to the students. Meet with the admissions office and financial aid. Ask about the application process and scholarship opportunities. Be prepared with questions to ask so you get all the information you need.
Many homeschooled students take dual enrollment classes, earning both college credit and high school credit at the same time. This is a great option assuming your students can handle college level classes, keep up with assignments, and pass the class. However, in addition to student readiness, there are additional facts to consider before proceeding.
to lose. However, that is not the case. If a student fails to pass a class with a certain GPA there will be negative consequences. Many of the states that offer free, or reduced, dual enrollment classes often have stipulations that have to be met in order to continue receiving free (or reduced tuition) classes. These grants are lost if a student does not earn a high enough GPA in the class and, in some states, there is no way to regain the dual enrollment grant. If a student takes a class and does poorly, then losing the opportunity to continue taking college classes during high school for free (or at a discounted price) could be a costly mistake. Not only does the student lose the grant, but the parent could then become responsible to pay for the failed class out-of-pocket.
Academic scholarships for freshmen are often determined by the students’ GPA and earned test scores (ACT, SAT and/or CLT). High school students who have a high GPA prior to taking DE classes could lower their GPA if they perform poorly in college classes. If a GPA is lowered to the degree that scholarships are reduced (or lost), then the “free” classes were not free after all.
Because I homeschooled my students for 32+ years I have many friends who finished their homeschooling adventure long before I finally finished. One of the often heard regrets has to do with allowing high school students to attend college classes on a secular campus. The environment that students will be exposed to on a secular campus will be far different than the environment of a Christian campus. Yes, I am well aware that there are students on Christian campuses who do not live Christ-like lives but, hopefully, that will not be the norm. Not only should you be careful about the curriculum used on secular campuses (especially the literature assigned), but the worldview of the instructor could make a huge impact on your student, especially if he or she is an atheist with a pronounced agenda to debunk Christianity. Parents should not be sheltering their students 24/7, but they do need to be careful about putting students in certain situations before they are mature enough to handle those situations. Taking online courses may be preferable to on-campus classes, but if the courses are taught at a secular campus, then the material might conflict with your beliefs (depending on the class). Most homeschooling families have been so careful about making wise academic choices that it is surprising at how quickly many enroll their students in secular classes simply because of financial considerations. Please do not think that I am saying a parent should never allow students to take classes at a secular institution. Several of my children took both dual enrollment classes at secular campuses and two earned degrees from secular campuses. This is not a black-and-white, always do this or never do that conversation. You know your child better than anyone so prepare, plan, and pray that you will have the ability to steer your students on a course that is best for their future.
The largest college scholarship amounts awarded to students are generally academic scholarships. In light of the that, having your students do whatever they can to increase their academic scholarship is a worthy goal. In addition to college scholarships, there are often additional grants, programs and events that come with funds for college. Below are a few suggestions to consider in order to make college affordable.
earned. (You will see the words “generally,” “usually,” and “often” because this information may vary with each college.)
for admission, as well as for scholarship awards, are Christian colleges, but not all. This exam is the 
is 
scholarship money is first come, first serve so being in the pool as soon as possible is a definite advantage. If your student is a senior and you have not done this, do it soon!
with a 3.5 GPA can then earn their masters degree tuition free. That’s a huge advantage and one that will end up saving a student a lot of money. Every college is similar in many ways, but no two are exactly alike so be sure to find out everything you can about the colleges your students are pursuing.
high as possible. Scholarships are tied to the GPA as well as to the college exam score.
also offers a tuition-free Master’s degree to students who come to Bryan after high school and graduate with a 3.5 GPA. And, of importance to seniors, Bryan College hosts two scholarship events per year (one each semester) for qualified seniors who have been accepted to Bryan, allowing them to earn an additional $500 to a full ride for attending and participating.
After homeschooling my nine kiddos for 32+ years, one of my regrets is not getting involved with a speech and debate club until my 5th child was in high school. We homeschooled co-op style, using unit studies, and we required our children to give presentations weekly and, as a consequence, my children developed public speaking skills. My oldest daughter even won a state-wide speech contest in high school and received a $1,500 scholarship. But debate? We didn’t include debate until a Christian, homeschool speech and debate conference came to our town and I attended a session on the importance of teaching debate skills.
If you have never been involved in speech and debate then I would highly recommend you either visit a club or volunteer to be a community judge at a tournament (or both)! If you live in an area where there are no clubs near by, it may be worth traveling to find out more so that you can start your own club. Becoming a part of a speech and debate club became a non-negotiable parental mandate in our home. As mentioned above, I did not not require my children compete unless they wanted to, but if had to do it over, I would probably make competition a requirement, at least for one year. (And, from what I hear, most students who compete, rarely discontinue competing.)
Previously I wrote a 
college. Discovering 2 or 3 colleges of choice should be done before the senior year so that students can take every advantage afforded them as prospective students. It is recommended that they visit the campuses and ask pertinent questions in order to find out what all needs to be completed in order to be accepted at the top colleges of their choice. Yes, I put colleges – plural. It is not unusual to apply to several colleges in order to receive financial aid packages, allowing you to compare apples with apples. Also, it is important to find out which college exams each college accepts, if they want to the writing portion included, if dual enrollment hours will transfer, and/or if the college accepts CLEP or AP credit.
earn a full ride to Bryan.) This is an affordable test that 9th and 10th graders can take, but the score that counts is the score earned the junior year. There are four different types of scholarships: Federal, State, college and independent. Do your research. The more a student earns in scholarship funds, the better!! A student in Tennessee can earn at least three different grants from the state if qualified! Bryan College has scholarships for homeschoolers, music, theater, Martial Arts, honor students and more! Our athletic and academic scholarships stack (and we had the #1 fishing team in the nation last year). Bryan College hosts two scholarship events each year (one per semester), and each student who attends receives a minimum of $500 in additional scholarship funds up to a full ride. Don’t miss out on scholarship opportunities! There are two highly recommended affordable prep sites that many homeschooling families use for these exams. One is 
there are states that offer college tuition-free to students. However, a free education could be quite costly depending on the out-come. One regret I hear often from Christian parents is sending a student to a secular campus. That is not to say that some students won’t do well on a secular campus, because they can excel there as well (three of my nine will graduate from a secular college). As Christians, we want our students where the Lord wants them. Oftentimes, decisions are made simply on financial concerns without even pursuing enrollment at a private college. I understand! If you had told us (as parents of 9 without spare change) that any of our children would attend and graduate from a private college we might have laughed, but that’s exactly what has happened with several of our children and they have graduated (or will graduate) without student debt. The scholarships offered by colleges can be quite large, especially if they have scholarship events (such as the ones Bryan offers) that include additional scholarship awards!!
Congratulations! You have a student in high school and you are approaching the end of a journey! You want your students high school years to end well and, in order to do that, you need to be aware of available options. Even if your student does not plan to go to college, that could change, so it is better to be prepared for college, and not go — rather than to not plan for college and then find your student has changed his mind! Do not wait until the spring semester of the senior year to make post-high school plans (especially if your student will attend college). Waiting too long can cause stress, failed plans, and a loss of scholarship offers.
having your students participate in opportunities that will help them figure out if they, in fact, love a particular interest or, as is often the case, are not as enamored once they gain experience. For instance, if your child is interested in journalism, find a journalist that they shadow or intern with in order to see firsthand what all is involved with this career. If your student knows ahead of time (before college) what he wants to do career-wise, it will help you plan the high school years in such a way that they gain experience before heading to college. If your student has no clue, then taking career assessment tests may be helpful. The Career Services director at Bryan recently conducted a workshop on how to help students discover their interests. A summary of his workshop is found 
than others. Ask for referrals from your friends. When my daughter wanted to gain experience as a videographer I asked our homeschool support group for suggestions and my daughter ended up with two internships, both of which provided invaluable experience in her field. To read more about the varied paths my nine children have taken since high school, go 
Step four involves narrowing down your college choices to 2 or 3 schools. Look for colleges that have majors that interest your students. Yes, I know, this may change. It often does, but start out with current interests. Personally, it is important to my husband and me that our children attend a college that teaches classes from a biblical worldview when possible. For this reason several of our students attended Bryan College (which happens to be where I am the Homeschool Specialist). Of course it would make sense that I highly recommend Bryan College if we have the major your student needs. Begin your search by looking on-line and by asking for referrals from friends. Visit the colleges of choice in person when possible. Most colleges have specific visit days, but many encourage you to visit at any time that is convenient to you. Visiting while classes are in session is the best time to visit because if your students are allowed to sit in on classes, they will gain a first-hand experience. If you are going to be in the area of a college of interest at a time when classes are not in session, it is still worth scheduling a visit so that you can tour the campus and talk to admissions and financial aid counselors. If your student is a senior then check with the colleges of interest to see if they offer special scholarship events for seniors in high school. Bryan College hosts two scholarship events each year, one per semester. These are for seniors who have been accepted to Bryan College. The events are free and are by invitation according to college exam test scores. Each student attending receives an additional scholarship between $200 and $2,000 based on an academic interview. Students can also participate in an essay contest and one winner receives four years tuition! Additional scholarships are offered for music, theater, martial arts and more. You are not limited to how many colleges your student can apply to and, in fact, it makes sense to apply to your top 2 or 3 choices so that you can better compare apples with apples once the financial packages are awarded. There are times throughout the year when application fees are waived (applying to multiple colleges can get costly) so check with the colleges of interest about this. Colleges often offer incentives for applying (or depositing) that reward the student with free products such as t-shirts, mugs, etc. Plan to attend college fairs that are within driving distance to your home. Do some research to find out about virtual college fairs as they are gaining in popularity. Ken Ham, with Answers in Genesis, has a free college fair every November and each high school student receives a free ticket to the Creation Museum and a chance to win a $500 scholarship. The FPEA, in Florida, hosts a homeschool college fair in November. Many homeschool curriculum fairs include vendors in the exhibit hall who represent colleges. HEAV has a separate college vending area at their annual conference in Richmond, VA, as does the NCHE conference that takes place in Winston-Salem, NC. One more word of advice, find out if a college you are looking at offers something unique to that college. Students who attend Bryan College after high school and graduate with a 3.5 GPA can then earn their Master’s degree tuition 
there are multiple scholarships and grants that can be awarded or earned. Dual enrolling while in high school is one of the best ways to save money and cut costs. In some states dual enrollment is totally free, but be careful because dual enrollment is not without dangers. I wrote about that 
of students. Now there is a third option, the 
Homeschooled Students for Bryan College 