It will depend a lot on the schools in your area. If you have top-quality schools with programs that you’d really like to get into, and you’re comfortable with the idea of going back to school, it might be worth a shot. If it’s either a toss-up either way, or the schools near you are lower than what you could do at home, I would definitely stay at home.

There are so many self-driven curricula out there for all levels of science, math, lit, history, worldview, foreign languages, etc. that you really shouldn’t have a problem with that. There are several curricula that are well-supplemented by DVD lessons, CDRoms, and online resources that you should be able to find whatever you need.

As a homeschooler, you can also have access to a number of co op classes taught by degreed teachers, so you can take the classes you need personal instruction with in co op, and work on the rest at your own pace. You may also be eligible for concurrent enrollment at a community college near you to take upper-level classes and get college credit at the same time.

My advice to you – whatever you do, base it on the academics. A lot of people will tell you to go for the socialization factor, but that’s not a good reason for choosing your educational track. I have a feeling you don’t live in a cave 🙂 so you can have a social life either way. Choose it based on what you really want to do, what you feel is best for you, rather than on your social life.

Good luck!

Yes, it is a personal question, dependent entirely upon how your homeschooling is handled, your personality and the schools around you.

If you are content homeschooling and hadn’t thought about public school until it was brought up, I’d say stay homeschooled for sure. Benefits of remaining homeschooled: set your own schedule, no being in school 7 hours a day and coming home with 2-3+ hours of homework (good high school students typically have 50-hour weeks, what with the 35 hours in school and the 15 hours of homework, not to mention additional reading they do on the side; this is called over-time in the adult world and considered a major source of stress!), go your own pace, don’t have to be around immature behaviour a lot (some high schools are better than others, admittedly)…

The reason ‘everyone’ says to go to school is because many people glorify the high school experience or are so extremely social-focused that they can’t imagine not being surrounded by people all the time or because they have this image of homeschoolers being stuck at home all the time. Personally, my high school experience was just okay. But I’m an introvert. I didn’t need to be around others. Often found the behaviours around me annoying (and the behaviours have only worsened since I was in school). In terms of a social experience, it was just okay. Academically… I had a couple of great teachers, the rest… I had to teach myself.

I am a home schooled high school-er and i think you should continue with home schooling.

Sure, you can meet new people if you go to public school but whats more important, meeting new people or getting a good education and raising your chances of college takes more interest in you because your home schooled.

I personally hate the fact that people think that since your home schooled you don’t interact with people , that your anti social.

Which is not true.

But, look at things this way.

Do you think going to a school to meet new people is more important than focusing on getting a good education in an environment that lets you learn at your pace and possibly teaches you more than a public school?

Plus you don’t have all of the peer pressure and the constant competition that you would have at a public school.

Wow, almost all your life? That’s a long time! I think you should definitely try public school this year. You’ll meet all kinds of people, as long as you’re open and willing, and hot guys too…trust me! High school is supposed to be the best 4 years of your life, try it out! I was a freshman last year and I loved it, but I’ve never been homeschooled. Good luck and have fun!

I think its great! You can get a superior education!

If you belong to a church youth group, any kind of club, homeschool co-op, etc. you can still have lots of friends. Some groups even do homeschool proms.

Homeschooling is not a barrier to college, most colleges have policies about homeschoolers so if you know where you want to go you can check into it now and make sure to meet their requirements.

Ultimately though, it is your decision. Your parents gave you the choice so its up to you what to do. In my state you can remain a homeschooler legally and still take up to 2 classes at a time in the public school, that might let you get “the best of both worlds” if there is a similar option in your state.

Highschool is something you may not be ready for nor like.

It’s totally structured. It’s moving from one class to another on foot. Bad lunch food that expensive. Five books in a back pack every day. Smoking in the girls bathroom. Girls and Boy’s VPs shouting at everyone at lunch time. PE with Showers every day, even in the cold. Urban schools have metal detectors at the main doors. There are lock downs when shooting or vandalism occurs.

Now rural schoolers are safer, of course.

There are some pluses to SOME schools

Music departments, Drama departments, School radio station, School NEwspaper, STudent Government, maybe nice equipment in the Science labs.

Maybe not. Some schools lack funding and have nothing.

Half the students in High School don’t want to be there.

A small portion of them ruin it for those who want to be there.

You’re faced with wardrobe, cell phones, texting and fitting in.

It’s 8 AM to 3 PM every day. Tardies get you into trouble.

They take role in every class because that’s how they get Federal Funding.

What were your reasons for homeschooling in elementary and middle school? Have those reasons changed?

I gave my son the option of public high school because our school is on the block system and he would only have 4 subjects per semester. I thought this would be easier for him to focus than it was in earlier grades. We discussed this last year and again this year. He likes home school.

Final answer: If nothing has changed, don’t change.

How good are the schools in your area? If they are really terrible, then you may be better off staying home, but if they are reasonably good, I think this might be a good time to make the switch to going to a school. I’m a college professor, but I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable teaching every subject matter to a bright high school student. Yes, there are some things I could do fine with, but could I teach Physics as well as a Physics teacher? Calculus as well as a good Math teacher? I think you can make the decision to focus on studying and keeping your grades high, because colleges want you to do more than just school work anyway, and if you have the maturity to keep your priorities straight, you should be fine.

Home schooling for any grade is just fine. I don’t place too much stock in the social aspects because the last time social aspects in a public school were involved our boys’ lunches were getting stolen and they had bullies to contend with.

With home schooling you can devise and set your own schedule. You work at your own pace and can still beat out public schools. I teach so many different angles of history around the entire world and geography, that no public school covers it.

My schooling is tougher and covers much wider areas, but our children get done early too. There’s no stabbings, shootings, drugs, bullies, etc. here.

You have been given this choice to make on your own. I think you need to weigh the pros and cons of both. No one can tell you which would be better for you since we don’t know you. Yes homeschooling is nice because you don’t have the peer pressure like in school, competition, you can get thru your studies quicker and graduate early, no distractions.