Homeschool with Confidence

I just had to write to let you know that my daughter received the Regent's Scholarship for Pepperdine University! This is a $40,700 annual award. I am still in shock daily. We found out a week ago, and it has taken this long for it to actually sink in.

Of course this is after hours and hours of work on both of our parts, my daughter writing countless essays and filling out applications, and me writing course descriptions. But we figured out that even if we spent 100 hours in the process, we were actually making about $1600 an hour!

I cannot thank you enough for all the direction you have given me over the past few years. Honestly, the college application process has proven to be one of the most challenging things I have ever done. It challenged my faith and sanity. I cannot imagine trying to do it on my own.

Thank you for choosing to spend your post-schooling years helping others! The prospect of home schooling high school IS scary, but looking back, the blessing of intimacy I now share with my daughter by having spent these past four years together was worth it. Thank you for helping me to feel the fear and do it anyway!

I started reading your books and attending your classes when my son entered ninth grade. How did you know us so well when we had never met? As a Gold Care member, I couldn’t wait for Wednesday to talk with you because you helped me feel confident and capable. You were more than just a high school coach, you were like a best friend, only better.

It was difficult to believe my kids would even be ready to attend college but it was my dream that they would. I agree, whole heartedly, that every student deserves a rigorous high school education so they can attend (or not attend) a college of their choice. I could never have provided that education if I had not been encouraged by you.

As a stay home mom, my husband and I did not have the finances to help our son even consider anything but a local college. We have always taught that debt for college was something to avoid at all cost. It was you who prompted us to send an application to the most expensive engineering school in the State. I thought we were out of our minds but did it anyway. Crazy for sure, but it worked. This fall our son will be attending University with full tuition paid for the next four years. It’s still too amazing to comprehend.

The Home Scholar, you have given us such a gift. I am still pinching myself because it doesn’t seem possible. My son is heading to the college of his choice and only has to cover room and board for the next four years. He is starting to receive outside scholarships as well.

My husbands family was not in favor of me staying home to school our kids. Even recently, my sister-in-law said I should have been working outside the home and homeschooling simultaneously. Ouch!!! When we received the financial package I couldn’t wait to tell my husband that I had just made $200,000.

Of course my son has worked hard and his Senior grades, as a running start student, were amazing. His transcript was amazing. His course descriptions took me months to write but I am so proud of the results. I graduated him last month with a beautiful homeschool diploma. We had a huge party at the park and he felt so special. All because you showed me how to do the hard things well. You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.

God told me homeschooling was in my future and I doubted. He said He would walk beside me and give me the people I needed to do this task. He never once let me down. The day you decided to help parents like me, was the best day of my life. You’re a blessing to our family. How can I thank you enough for your mission to help parents homeschool high school. My daughter thanks you in advance as she prepares for college admission.

Thanks for being my hero The Home Scholar.

I ran across a story in an article that referenced how much The Home Scholar had helped the author with homeschooling high school, so I decided to give her a call. She had a special “Gold Club” membership which included access to her resources, a special email address, and a 20-minute phone consultation with her once a week to pick her brain about any questions or concerns I might have. I decided to take advantage of that since I could not rely on myself to remember anything about what I read in her articles or heard on her webinars.

I downloaded everything she offered regarding high school credits, transcripts, extra curricular activities, etc., and I organized them in folders on my computer where I could access them at any given time. This was an invaluable asset to me during our 4 years of high school!

The Home Scholar gave me access to links for all her resources that I needed to prepare for my daughter’s Freshmen year. She also had a form that detailed what I needed to do during each subsequent year of high school (subjects to consider, standardized tests to take with website addresses, when to apply for college scholarships, when to send transcripts, etc.), and during any given year would also point me to what I needed to read and download to prepare for the next year.

Then, when I started doing my daughter’s transcript, college applications, scholarship applications, college visits, scholarship interviews, etc., I was constantly emailing The Home Scholar for advice and information. And, she never failed me!

As a result of my Gold Club Membership, my daughter was able to graduate at 16 and get a $60,000/year Presidential Scholarship at her university of choice.

I had a friend, who worked in college admissions for years, peek at the transcript I wrote (with your tips). “You made this?!?! This is incredible! One of the best homeschool transcripts I have seen.” My son got into his first choice college with a full tuition scholarship (up to $240k) for four years and $1500 off his room and board each year. We're all thrilled! Thank you for your help and giving me the confidence to be a professional!

It really made for a more professional look. You are providing a service much needed by many. Her scholarship will be paying for four years of tuition, out-of-state fees, room/board, book stipend as well as $5000 toward a month summer abroad program. Thank you again for all that I learned through your services.

I needed to email you because... MY SON WON THE FULL-TUITION SCHOLARSHIP AT THE SCHOLARS DAY COMPETITION!!! They only gave out one, and he got it!

They told him his interview clinched the deal, and I had him prepare by practicing the questions you listed in your article. He said the practice helped him. I also had him practice a timed essay - in pencil - which could only have helped too. I just had to share.

This is for the small, private, Christian school that is ABET accredited for Computer Science. It's his first choice. The scholarship is worth approximately $100k over four years. We still kind of can't believe it.

THANK YOU for all you do and all the help you've given me. Now - on to my next kid who is a junior. I'll be calling you for help with his records in the near future.

"Dreams can come true!"

My daughter earned an appointment to the Air Force Academy! And the backup plan of Embry-Riddle has offered a huge scholarship as well. Thank you for all the help crafting a way to put this adventure into words on her transcript and course descriptions. It has been an incredible journey.

From the very beginning decided she wanted to go to the Air Force Academy. I kept thinking it was one fThe Home Scholarting idea, except it wasn’t. She joined Civil Air Patrol when she was 12. Went to space camp and loved it. Survived her first encampment including a phone call where she told me, “If you were a real mom, you would pick me up.” She kept doing all kinds of CAP activities and learning how to speak in public, lead others, deal with lots of disappointments. She worked hard scholastically too, and got a 1390 SAT after a couple of tries.

As my daughter said, "Dreams can come true!"