OPTIONS ALLOW FLEXIBILITY
I never make plans without building in alternative pathways and considering alternative results. Planning for college is no exception. Having at least two options allows for flexibility when new information comes to light or when providence has a say. I find that options reduce stress. If a student is unable to maintain one option, ideally there’s a viable backup option waiting with open arms.
TWO PATHS
The first path is the traditional plan of entering a four-year college as a freshman. A second path is the transfer path. College credit is earned at a community college during or after high school and then transferred to a four-year school as a freshman, sophomore, or junior. The two paths can work together. Working on a transfer path still allows a student to enter as a freshman. Yes, a student with 30+ college credits can still enter college as a freshman. Read my post Maximize Early College Credit: Enter as a Freshman.
ENTER A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE AS A FRESHMAN
Most parents prepare their children for this route. That’s how it worked for my husband and me 30 some years ago. We assumed that this would be the way for our kids too but then we learned about different options. Ideally the child would get excellent grades in high school, high ACT scores, and then get accepted into a great four-year school after graduation with scholarships. This path may not fit all students, however, and that’s probably why the first- year college drop-out rate is 30% and the overall undergraduate college drop-out is 40%.
THE TRANSFER PATHWAY
In North Carolina, high school students have the ability to attend community college during the 11th and 12th grades for free. The college credits earned during high school will help a student become a transfer student into a four-year college. Thirty or more transferrable credits can place a student at the sophomore level, while 60 or more credits can place a student at the junior level.
A STRATEGIC APPROACH
During high school we planned for the transfer route because it would be more affordable. But we still had our sights on the possibility of entering as a freshman with lots or early college credit and significant scholarships. Before my first child graduated from high school, I had no idea that students with an associate degree or who had lots of early college credit would consider applying as a freshman. But this is done frequently by families in the know because of the advantages. Read my post Maximize Early College Credit: Enter as a Freshman.
ADVANTAGES OF ENTERING AS A FRESHMAN WITH EARLY COLLEGE CREDITS
One advantage is scholarship money. The student who won the top scholarship at my daughter’s college was a homeschool graduate who had earned two associate degrees before high school graduation. She entered as a freshman. My daughter also earned an associate degree before high school graduation; she received a generous four-year scholarship which made starting as a freshman an affordable option. Although their associate degrees could have placed them into the junior year, they both chose to enter as freshman for the scholarships and for a true four-year college experience.
Another reason that students with substantial college credit apply as freshman is because they are choosing a major that is skill based. Some majors like music and art require four years of skill-building instruction. I became aware of this fact as my daughter was considering music performance. If she entered as a junior, she’d still be competing as a freshman.
A third reason has to do with college pathways. Substantial early credits can allow a dual degree program or double major in shorter period of time.
CHOOSE THE PATH OF PEACE
There are many pathways to career success. Homeschoolers have more options than students in traditional school. Isn’t that why we chose this route? The best way to reduce stress about the future is to pencil in a plan for your student and be willing to consider alternatives as your student learns more about himself and discovers new options. At some point, your student should make important decisions about his or her future. You, the parent, can create the pathway you think is the best fit early on but build in off-ramps to different and equally exciting places. Make the effort to learn about alternatives.
While your student is in the 8th or 9th grade, learn about trade schools, adult education programs, community college programs, transfer programs, dual-enrollment programs, computer bootcamps, internships, apprenticeships, CLEP exams, and early military. Be ready and be open-minded. That is how you can support and love your student no matter what path he or she chooses.