College Without High School: A Growing Trend
Don’t you have to go to high school to attend college?
Not really.
There are three ways to do it.
Many teenagers who love learning and want to go to college find conventional high school stressful and unfulfilling. Whether it is classes that don’t interest them, the pressure from grades and homework, or an unhealthy social scene, lots of kids wish they could just skip high school and get on with their life. If your teenager is college-bound but doesn't like conventional high school, here are three ways to go to college without high school—
⦿ Start Now
⦿ Homeschool Independently
⦿ Join a Learning Center
If your teen doesn't find high school useful, they can leave and start college early. No need to wait. This can happen in a couple of different ways.
Start Now
EARLY ENTRANCE PROGRAMS, DUAL ENROLLMENT, COMPLETING HIGH SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOLING PROCESS: Many community and four-year colleges don’t require a high school diploma, but do require a high school transcript or homeschooling portfolio. Starting with two-year college classes, even while still in high school, enables teens to transfer easily to a four-year school without even taking an SAT or ACT. Embark Center can help you with the process.
GET A GED DIPLOMA: Many people feel there is a social stigma for young people who take a high school equivalency test, but this option is simply a means to an end.
Homeschool Independently
Homeschooling is simply the legal mechanism we have in the United States to allow families and young people the educational freedom and flexibility to design an education they care about based on their interests and goals. It does not necessarily mean duplicating the school environment in your dining room. The great part of homeschooling is that everything young people do can be captured on a high school transcript/portfolio to meet college admissions requirements.
Join a Learning Center
For teens who want the flexibility of homeschooling, but don't feel they can do it independently, joining a professionally-run homeschooling support center is the best option. These centers, like Embark Center for Self-Directed Education, are open during school hours throughout the normal academic year. We offer a weekly schedule of classes (group and one-on-one), help finding work and volunteer opportunities, help documenting learning and applying to college, and a community of peers. It's like we homeschool your child for you. Embark Center's approach is pretty simple. We focus on meaningful education and let go of the one-size-fits-all approach that young people don't like. Call us if we can help your teen.
Embark Center's approach is pretty simple. We focus on meaningful education and let go of the one-size-fits-all approach that young people don't like and that gets in the way of learning. Call us if you or your child is a square peg trying to fit into the round hole of traditional school.