Did you know that Simplify runs a Facebook group for parents homeschooling college bound teens? It’s called College Confident Homeschoolers, and it is a place where all of us who are homeschooling the high school years can come together and discuss topics that pertain to this journey. It is a very supportive and informative group and the discussions there help us all.

One recent topic we had was pausing at this time of year and reflecting on whether our students are on track with their credits. Homeschooling high school can feel overwhelming because you know that there are these required elements for college bound students. Sometimes that seems like a mysterious and difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be. To help you out, Simplify made a printable checklist for high school credits. You can find it below. Just click to get the pdf!

Most colleges want to see 24 credits spread across different subjects and just a few specifics such as two lab sciences and a year of US history. Don’t confuse your state graduation requirements, which do not apply to most homeschoolers, with the things colleges want to see. You should always check individual colleges your student might attend to be sure as a couple of schools do ask for things like a fine arts credit or a half credit in government. However, the vast majority of colleges don’t require anything more than these common requirements.

Don’t let this checklist confine you. You can go wild with your student’s electives and even with those required courses. They don’t have to be survey classes. You can do something specific such as a special project or a really outside the box course. Most colleges love that. Also remember that if your student is aiming for selective schools, this is definitely just a jumping off point. Your student will need to go above and beyond the basics.