How To Navigate High School In The Senior Year

Just like the junior year, navigating homeschool high school during the senior year involves a blend of careful planning, understanding legal requirements, and continuing to fostering an environment conducive to learning. Your student will be taking responsibility for their own academic progress. This guide reflects the 12^th grade year and the possible goals.

As a reminder from the junior year guide, please keep in mind that every learner is unique, and God created your child to be unique. A method that may be effective for one might not suit another. Stand firm against the influence of other educators or parents who may have their own ideas about what your student ought to be doing. Trust in your understanding of your student’s capabilities and desires, and tailor their education to fit their individual needs and aspirations.

12th Grade Guide + Goals

You’ve made it! Your family is now entering the final and last year of high school with your child. Praise God, what a blessing! But remember, neither you nor they can have it all figured out. And while everything seems to be looming in the future, take a step back and remember that tomorrow isn’t promised. You made it to today.

This is the year of big decisions and if you have been following along with my previous high school guides, you started making plans for this year starting in your students freshman year.

This year, your student will decide if they are going to college, the military, job training like apprenticeships, or getting certifications to start working and build their career. Many options are available to them, and they can still explore after graduation if they need to.

Farewell high School

Your student is leaving high school this year. But there are still some things for them to do.

Below, I will quickly list any new things your high school senior needs to think about this year, before reminding you of the other important aspects if you are just starting this homeschool high school adventure. Check out the other guides for the freshman, sophomore, and junior years to get yourself caught up on the right path and download my High School Senior Student Checklist.

Start Getting Recommended!

It’s time for your student to start being recommended by more than just mom and dad. Whatever their plans after graduation, they’ll likely need references and letters of recommendation. Early in the year, help your student connect with four or five people—like a mentor, your pastor or Sunday school teacher, a co-op teacher, etc.—who can serve as references. Remember to have your students send them thank you notes throughout the year, so they are not forgotten after a reference is written. Many universities will call their reference for verification.

Have A Sit Down

Sit down with your student, who is also your child, have a talk with them about their future. If they are feeling anxious, worried, etc., you want to make sure they are okay. With childhood behind them, they might be feeling solemn. If counseling is needed or some one-on-one Bible study and prayer time with mom and dad, schedule it in!

Be open with them and encourage them to do the same. See where their head space is. Talk through questions, concerns, doubts, convictions, etc. Build a community around your child that includes you, the parents, and Christian mentors your family trust if applicable.

Christian Values Are More Important Than Ever!

Just like in junior year, take this year to make sure that you continue instilling Christian values in your teen. Colleges have a way of corrupting students who are of the Christian faith, when values and theology are not a part of their daily lives. If you are a Christian family, make sure your teens have a good theological background to defend their faith and supports the reasons they believe Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

If your student has an email account, they can sign up to our site for Live Inspired Devotional messages: Live Inspired is uplifting Christian Articles, Podcasts, Videos and Series, aimed to bless your day, and encourage your Bible Study. On this site, we love and cater to family, download one of our Family Bible Studies from our shop to help or aid you in keeping salvation in your home!

College Bound Students

If you started from my sophomore guide, your student created a list of potential colleges and alternatives they were interested in. Remind them that they are not “locked in” to their choices but are preparing for the path they will choose.

If they are not ready to graduate early, as every students path will be different, it’s time to start the college application process, and that’s exciting!

If your student has kept up with their portfolios throughout their high school years, they can now add their last items this year. Help them choose the best items for the final portfolio and to review their goals for this year.

Final Testing

Is your student on track for the National Merit Scholarship? Early in the semester, you’ll find out if your child has prequalified. If they have, it’s important to register for the December SAT by September or October. Your students will be doing their final tests this year.

Additional testing will depend on their previous scores and the preferences of the colleges they’re interested in. If they need another opportunity to improve their ACT score or need to take the SAT instead, please make sure they schedule their test by December at the latest. Staying ahead of these deadlines will help maximize their opportunities. Let’s work together to keep everything on track!

College Funding

Just like I asked in my junior year guide, have you thought about how you or your student will pay for college? It’s not too late to figure it out.

Let’s look at a few options:

Scholarships

There are so many creative scholarships available and finding them can take time. I encourage you to visit my article Scholarship Finder | How to Find scholarships for Homeschoolers 🎓 . A $200 -$500 scholarship might seem small compared to hefty tuition fees, but these smaller amounts can add up quickly. So, don’t wait until senior year to look into them.

Financial Aid Might Be Available

However, do not forget about this little thing called the FAFSA. You can learn more about it here. Just don’t go into debt over your student entering college or dual enrollment, so don’t get the “parent-plus” loan.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) offers Financial Aid funds  that are available for students to help them pay for their educational expenses. Most types of financial aid come from federal and state programs, which require completing the FAFSA. You should start working on your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as early as October 1, but definitely no later than January.

Financial award funds are allocated based on a student’s demonstrated need. Additionally, there are other aid programs that provide funds based on financial need or merit.

One such program, now that your student is old enough, is work study. Work-study is a financial aid program that provides part-time jobs for students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay for their education.

Your eligibility for financial aid can depend on various factors such as income, assets, family size, and the number of family members in college. Regardless of the reason, it is crucial to complete your application and submit the required information on time to ensure you receive the financial support you need.

Enjoy The Senior Year!

Remember it’s your child’s last year of high school. This can bring about a lot of anxiety. As I stated in the junior year guide, no one can control what happens tomorrow, and guess what, tomorrow is not even promised to any of us. It’s by God’s grace we are here, so help your senior not feel overwhelmed by keeping an eye on the goals and interest they wrote down prior to this year, in the freshman – Junior years.

I understand that a lot of pressure is placed on high school seniors to participate in certain activities or hold a job to prepare for life after graduation. While these experiences are important, it’s equally crucial to enjoy this year, cherish family time, and savor the joy of being a high school student. The changes ahead will be positive, but they will still be changes. By embracing the present, your child will develop a solid mindset for navigating the transitions of next year. Let’s ensure they balance preparation with enjoying their final year of high school.

Reminders from the previous year

If you are just getting started with homeschooling your student in their junior year, or if you need to be refreshed of the sophomore year guide, listed below are things to consider and implement now:

Legal Requirements

First, understand your legal requirements as a homeschooling high school parent. Ensure you’re in compliance with your state’s homeschooling laws. This may involve submitting necessary paperwork to your local school district along with making sure you attempt to cover the basic academic requirements for this grade.

You will also need to prepare a Diploma for your students at their graduation. You can create this yourself from templates, or use a paid template, like that from the HSLDA.

Most 12th Grade students will have courses that looks like this:

Course Title

Bible (optional/Christian homeschoolers)

English 4

Advance mathematics (if applicable)

Anatomy

Western Civilization

World Geography

Music Comp (or another elective)

While this course schedule is typical for most, it can also look different for many students, especially if your 10^th or 11th grader took some of these courses already. You will still add them onto your four-year plan but star them as, “*taken in _ grade.” Then your student can move on from there.

Evaluate Academic Needs

Just like in the junior year, continue to evaluate your student. If your student is transitioning from public school, it’s possible their previous grades can help identify areas needing more focus. But don’t count on this! Your student could have scored differently being in a different environment. Talk to them and let them tell you where they think they are, and where they want to be. This will help you create goals for them to obtain during this last high school year.

Map Out The Plan

Now that you know what’s required of your student, what they are good at, and what they desire to know, you can plan out their 12th grade school year if you haven’t started this in freshman- Junior years. Grab the four-year homeschool high school planner and start writing down the courses your student will need to take and what they have taken. Also include extracurricular studies, projects, or classes.

Choose electives that align with your student’s interests and future goals. You can encourage participation in extracurricular activities to develop new skills and passions.

Most high school curriculums often encourage self-directed learning. As a homeschooling parent, guide your student in managing their time and studies effectively. Help them see what times they can do their schoolwork, chores, projects, etc. Make sure they DO NOT over pile work on themselves in which they feel overwhelmed.

You can even try block scheduling. For example, on Monday and Wednesday, a student might do English, Econ, etc. This will be a good skill as they enter college.

The Environment

If you haven’t done this in their freshman year, find or designate a specific area in your home that’s organized and free from distractions. This will be your student’s central hub for studying and learning. Try to teach your student essential skills like intensive studying and time management. These skills are crucial for success in college, the workplace, and life!

Strike A Balance!

It’s important to strike a balance between academic responsibilities and personal well-being. Ensure your student gets adequate rest, nutrition, and stress-relief. Encourage your students to exercise their body with sports or aerobics, and their mind by meditating on God’s Word.

Tips For Finalizing The Academic Plan

While high school seniors have certain mandatory courses, there’s also considerable flexibility in scheduling these and filling out the rest of their credits. With strategic planning, choose the last courses that not only align with each other but also advance towards their graduation goals.

Explore College:

Has your senior had the time to explore college? If they come from public school or never had the opportunity, they can now! They can investigate institutions that offer programs they’re interested in. What are their admission prerequisites? Combine these with your state’s graduation requirements to create a list of challenging courses that keep their future options open.

Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment:

It’s not too late for your senior to participate in AP or dual-enrollment classes. Help them list potential courses and ponder how they fit into their overall academic trajectory.

Align Interests with Courses:

Help your students reflect on their interests, just like I stated earlier, they should have an idea of what they like. Which core subjects and electives could further these passions? It’s also not too late for them to write these into their homeschool high school 4-year plan.

Encourage Building a Portfolio

If your senior never started a portfolio of work samples, they could still do this with this year’s materials. Like I stated above, help them choose the best items for the final portfolio and to review their goals for this year.

Check out the articles, How To Collect Homeschool Records And Why You Need To, and What Are Work Samples? How To and Why Collect Them.

Here’s a review of what your high school senior should consider including in their final portfolio:

A good reading list

Keep a log of insightful books and classic literature they’ve read or plan to read.

Volunteer and Internship Experiences

 Record any volunteer work or internships undertaken.

Employment History

Note down any job experiences, whether they were short-term gigs or longer commitments.

Club and Artistic Endeavors

Document any involvement in sports, the arts, or other club activities.

Test Results

Document their scores from any testing, such as the ACT, and the PSAT/NMSQT.

Congratulations!

You have successfully helped your child get to the 12^th grade and now they are officially graduating. You did it Parents! I am beyond happy for you and your family. I pray that the Lord will continue to bless you always.

By following these steps, you have created a supportive and effective homeschooling environment that prepares your student for the challenges and opportunities of college.

Print out The Homeschool High School Senior Checklist to help your student make sure this year will be the best for them. There’s nothing like crossing all your T’s and dotting every i.

Thank you for letting me help you master the high school years!

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