WAG Alternative schooling and issues with colleges

[Gymdaddio]

I am hearing that the last couple of years that colleges are becoming pickier on what is accepted on transcripts. It sounds like they are coming down on home-schooling and alternative private schooling. Girls are trying to get scholarships but are being told that there are a number of credits that they need to fulfill first because others aren't being accepted. If you are having any experience with this, could you elaborate on what are the issues and what you have found to be the solutions. Thx

 

[wallinbl]

Around here, you can run everything through your local school district, complete the testing/etc they give you for each class/grade (it's mostly from an online source that they've contracted with, but the expenses are covered by being a resident) and get a diploma from your zoned high school without ever going to that school. They control aspects of the curriculum, but you control how its taught. You can also mix and match - some classes at school, some at home (and some in community college if you want).

I mention this because I didn't know it was an option until seeing a friend post on Facebook about what her daughter was doing for school due to gymnastics training schedule, and I thought it bizarre her county offered that. Turns out, our county has it as well, and nearly the entire state does.

 

[motigymnasticsmom]

Our county just started last year online schooling for middle and high schools. Plus, next year we will have a jr/tech college alongside a local high school.

Sent from my SCH-R720 using ChalkBucket mobile app

 

[MeetDirector]

If college athletics (in any sport) are potentially in your future, you MUST gather as much information as you can regardless the type of high school involved. The NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly known as the NCAA Clearinghouse) should be your first stop. The site has information on exactly what courses meet thier strict eligibility rules. If you click the "For Students" and then click "Resources", you will find information on Home Schooling. The rest of the site has a ton of useful information. You can also enter the site as a school administrator and explore other resources; you do not have to log in to do this.

Good Luck.

 

[Gymdaddio]

If college athletics (in any sport) are potentially in your future, you MUST gather as much information as you can regardless the type of high school involved. The NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly known as the NCAA Clearinghouse) should be your first stop. The site has information on exactly what courses meet thier strict eligibility rules. If you click the "For Students" and then click "Resources", you will find information on Home Schooling. The rest of the site has a ton of useful information. You can also enter the site as a school administrator and explore other resources; you do not have to log in to do this.

Good Luck.

Thanks, that is great info. However, maybe I should be more blunt with my question. It seems to be individual schools making these decisions. I've heard things like, "Ugh Stanford didn't want to accept 1/2 have of my classes, I wish I hadn't gone 2 years to So-and-So Academy." I'm sure you could go to each individual university for info, but we are not at that point. We are at the point of coaches wanting to do two-a-days which would mean alternative schooling. We don't want to make a major mistake now that could turn into a huge hassle down the road. This is the kind of anecdotal stories I was curious about.

 

[Sneezyone]

The NCAA eligibility center certifies sports eligibility. It does not certify that you meet the requirements for entry at a selective private school like Stanford. The NCAA requirements are the bare minimum.

 

[gymgal]

She's still young. You don't need to worry about this until you are getting ready to plan high school. Maybe upper middle school if she is accelerated and will be taking high school math/science in 6th-8th.

We have been homeschooling forever and everything I read about it really is basically to keep very detailed records, choose curriculum and books that are well known/respected, and save samples if their work, particularly projects, essays, etc. That's in high school. The recruiters will nit want to see stuff from 5th grade .

There is always a chance that a particular college won't accept certain credits. Even from public high schools. It happens. If you are planning on using an set curriculum or online school, you can ask them for their list of NCAA approved classes (when the time comes, of course). That won't guarantee the school will accept the credits but you are more assured. And just as a side, there are lots of colleges that have counselors specifically for homeschoolers and they have systems set up for making sense of the non-standard transcripts. But they to rely more heavily on the testing scores... Again, though, too early for you to worry about it.

 

[MeetDirector]

Ahhh, you are concerned about academic eligibility to be admitted rather than academic eligibility to be NCAA eligible. As others pointed out, the NCAA Eligibility Center deals only with the broad athletic eligibility and not the school-specific entrance requirements. To get that info I think you will have to go directly to each school and see what they require/desire.

Good Luck.

 

[bookworm]

Thanks, that is great info. However, maybe I should be more blunt with my question. It seems to be individual schools making these decisions. I've heard things like, "Ugh Stanford didn't want to accept 1/2 have of my classes, I wish I hadn't gone 2 years to So-and-So Academy." I'm sure you could go to each individual university for info, but we are not at that point. We are at the point of coaches wanting to do two-a-days which would mean alternative schooling. We don't want to make a major mistake now that could turn into a huge hassle down the road. This is the kind of anecdotal stories I was curious about.

I will give you some "anecdotal info" on this as we just went through this process in the last few years...on a couple of our visits, we were asked if my daughter was "in regular school or homeschooled" and when I answered "she goes to regular school, a Catholic HS near us" ...and more than one coach said "oh thank God...we've been having trouble with some girls who are homeschooled and the NCAA isn't accepting the credits for some of the courses they took" ...I didn't pursue it further because it didn't affect us but it's definitely something to be aware of. I know of a handful of girls who have verballed to colleges and were unable to matriculate because the NCAA wouldn't accept whatever it was on their transcripts, so they end up putting their scholarship at risk...these girls basically have to make up credits either in their Sr year ( and 1 I know of wasn't able to at all) or graduate a year late.

It's not so much "particular schools" as it is the NCAA clearinghouse cracking down on junk courses that kids were taking so they could be doing whatever sport took them away from their studies.

 

[Gymdaddio]

Thanks, Bookworm. This is exactly the kind of stuff we were hearing. I am surprised to hear that it was actually an issue with the clearinghouse. I figured that would be easy to keep up with. I had assumed that it was from individual schools, because who could keep up with all possible schools you might go to. Especially, as a freshman.

 

[profmom]

Keep the substantive issues the rules (both NCAA's and individual schools') are addressing in mind as well. If you are going with a homeschooling or online program for part or all of your child's education, be sure that it is rigorous, that it covers basic curricula comprehensively, that it has clear standards for achievement, and that it will prepare your child properly to develop and use the higher critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills she/he will need in college. This is more, not less, important for a college athlete -- even with support services, it's tough for these kids to balance everything and do well academically, and it will be much tougher if they don't come in with very firm secondary backgrounds.

I don't know a lot about the various programs marketed for online learning and homeschooling, but in general, synchronous is much better than asynchronous, and opportunities for individualized teaching are very important. And don't count on success on things like AP tests to guarantee that your child is well prepared to ace more advanced college subjects.

 

[bookworm]

Another thing I heard too is that the BYU Homeschool classes (I think they market it as "independent study") were not being accepted by the NCAA clearinghouse...I know nothing about their curricula but thought it was odd because a couple of gymnasts we knew were taking some of the courses , and we are on the East Coast, and then we found out they didn't get the credits...

 

[ac7179]

Same thing with Texas Tech k-12 correspondance courses. I have experience with these courses and they were actually, most times, WAY more difficult than a regular high school class and all testing was done with a Proctor. Not sure what the issue was with those classes.

 

[Gymdaddio]

I originally asked because we are currently in a very good public school that we do not want to leave. However, there is no way to pull off two-a-days. In high school we can get out early and be to the gym, by 2:30. Even if the coach is pushing for 30 hour weeks, I would see a long afternoon practice as preferable to two-a-days. I was looking for confirmation that alternative schooling was causing some issues with credits, thereby giving me a little more confidence if we refuse two-a-days. No one has commented that would make me change my thought process.

 

[bookworm]

I would refuse 2 a days just because it is rarely necessary...and especially for a middle schooler. You might have an easier time with alternative scheduling ( and by this I mean, an early dismissal time on a consistent basis) at a private school but I've even known some kids in private schools that don't budge. My girls have had an "alternate schedule" (that was the principal's phrase) from Grade 1 up, but we were at a small private school that really worked with us, and I only really asked for early dismissals and days off ...I don't know how I would have done with 2 a days but I kibboshed that option when her coaches brought it up in 4th grade..

 

[gasrgoose]

I originally asked because we are currently in a very good public school that we do not want to leave. However, there is no way to pull off two-a-days. In high school we can get out early and be to the gym, by 2:30. Even if the coach is pushing for 30 hour weeks, I would see a long afternoon practice as preferable to two-a-days. I was looking for confirmation that alternative schooling was causing some issues with credits, thereby giving me a little more confidence if we refuse two-a-days. No one has commented that would make me change my thought process.

We home school through a hybrid program. Check the accreditations of the programs you are considering. Nothing will guarantee all colleges/universities will accept the work or your kid, just as some colleges/universities calculate GPA's using/allowing different classes. Even if you go to best (private or public) schools, you're not guaranteed acceptance into Stanford or other academically rigorous schools.

As a side note, I believe there are significant benefits from practicing twice a day as opposed to one longer practice. Particularly in relation to injuries, fatigue, nutrition & peace of mind. But those benefits might not be as great depending on your daughters age and other factors. Logistically it is more difficult because it creates two drop off and pick up times, but so far it has been worth the hassle.

When we "made the change" it was an easier decision because we were unhappy with her current school. Good luck. There are plenty of good paths to take on the marathon of gymnastics.

 

[Granny Smith]

There is also some kind of timing issue, I believe. This goes for homeschooling or brick & mortar, about once you start your Freshman year of HS your clock starts ticking, you have 4 yrs to complete your core courses or it can affect your eligibility. Then I think that the timing is changing with class of 2016 (and forward), they have to have some many of their core courses done in 3 yrs. I think this is so we don't have kids extending their HS career. Can anyone expand on this part of it more? I read the information and this is what I got from it. It really doesn't affect my dd as she is at a brick & mortar school, but when I read it, I realized that it might affect her friend who was homeschooling.

 

[txgymfan]

I read about this change and wondered about the Olympic potential gymnasts. Can they have a "gap year" after HS and before college ( like Bridget Sloan) or will they have to give up one year of college eligibility to do it?

 

[LemonLime]

The below rules do not apply to 8th grade and under.

Once you start your four years of high school, the NCAA will determine if your curriculum, diploma and amateurism meets their eligibility standards. Each child must meet the sliding scale (grades + test score) based on their "core" curriculum, as that term is defined by the NCAA. The core and sliding scale are found here: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect...ERES&CACHEID=433c81804bc895a196369e816c7ab605

To determine if the courses you are taking are accredited by the NCAA and can count for core, go here:https://web1.ncaa.org/hsportal/exec/hsAction If the courses your child is taking or have taken are not on the list at this link, then they are not approved and you need to start over. Period. Parents and coaches (and schools) will tell you all sorts of goofy things, but this link provides the ONLY answer.

 

[LemonLime]

I read about this change and wondered about the Olympic potential gymnasts. Can they have a "gap year" after HS and before college ( like Bridget Sloan) or will they have to give up one year of college eligibility to do it?

You are talking about NCAA "deferral." The rules changed 2 years ago and the short version is that you may defer for one year under certain circumstances without giving up one year of eligibility. Your college will have to agree and this agreement may be hard to get. Many 2015s trying for the 2016 Olympics have accepted offers at their colleges for 2016 or have an agreement that they can switch to 2016 later if they would like.