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Can You Homeschool Just for Senior Year? What You Need to Know

Homeschool Transcripts and Records HOW TO HOMESCHOOL

Thursday, 13 March 2025

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A little while ago, a mom sent an email asking for advice as to whether a public-schooled high school junior should consider homeschooling for only her senior year of high school. Here's what I said.

My best advice is this; "Know your child and trust yourself." If you know that homeschooling is the best fit for your child, then trust yourself and do it. Don't avoid homeschooling out of fear.

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Just 3 Things Know...

1. To homeschool high school for only senior year, record keeping is very important. You are now considered a school under the eyes of your state law. I know that sounds scary, but many states have pretty simple regulations to follow. Homeschool Laws by State. After you're state-compliant, the next step is creating the required documents. You're going to need:

A Transcript – a one-page overview of your student's high school education. All classes from 9th through 12th grades, both at home and at school.
Course Descriptions – one page per class taken at home including a short descriptive paragraph of what was learned in the class, a list of the materials you used, and your grading criteria. This helps convince colleges (or the state) that you're not running a Couch-Potato Academy and shows them how hard your student is working.
A Reading List – all the books, audiobooks, and general literature your student consumes. Books for school and work, and for fun and pleasure. This will paint a unique picture of your student to the colleges and convince them your student can, you know, read.
An Activity/Award List – showcasing all the extracurriculars, volunteer hours, and awards your child may have won. Things like choir, baseball, Salvation Army, and National Commended Scholar are awesome. Colleges want to see the fun stuff just as much as they want to see the educational stuff.
A Cover Letter (optional but encouraged) – explaining your unique situation. Once again, I encourage you to not let fear get in the way of a decision you know is right for your child, but single-year homeschoolers are out of the norm. It can be very helpful to explain your decision to homeschool and the positive results that came of it.

If this all feels like it's way too much, totally overwhelming, don't worry my friend. We have tools and templates to make easy work of all this documentation. If you need help making a homeschool transcript, be sure to check out my article, How to Make a Homeschool Transcript. If you need help with all of the above documents, check out the Comprehensive Record Solution to get up and running fast.

Can You Homeschool Just for Senior Year? What You Need to Know

2. Now that you have knowledge of all the state and documentation requirements, it's time to actually plan classes for your senior. Since colleges know that senior students have a likelihood of slacking off during senior year, it is wise to continue to use rigorous curriculum. Make sure they are getting all the credits and courses needed for graduation, especially if your child plans to attend college.
Typically, that includes a total of 4 English credits, 3-4 credits of Math and Social Studies, 3 credits of science including a lab credit, 2 years of the same foreign language, 2 P.E. credits, at least 1 Fine Art credit, and enough electives to fill out the rest of your transcript. Usually, we're aiming for about 20-24 credits overall, but more is ok too. Now, your senior probably has most of these credits already, so you just have to fill in the gaps!
Continue your standardized testing prep (for the SAT or ACT), research college application deadlines (and be sure to meet them!), and consider dual enrollment at community colleges for advanced classes and outside documentation.
What if you have all the credits you need to graduate? That's ok. If you only have a couple of classes left to take, consider taking elective classes that might be considered delight directed learning. (Read my article on Delight Directed Learning) Colleges love to see a student that is well rounded and taking some delight directed learning classes gives your student the opportunity to show a variety of interests.

3. Now for the fun part of homeschooling. Focus on life skills and independence. I know that sounds all education-y, but these classes and skills are some of the most connecting and fun to do together! Use this final year to ensure your child develops crucial life skills.

Financial literacy: creating and sticking to a budget, understanding debt language like loans, interest, and credit, learning about taxes and filing at least once before moving away, and developing responsible spending and saving habits.
Time management: goal setting, the ability to use a planner, personal deadlines and accountability, and creating and sticking to routines.
Household tasks: cooking (more than just scrambled eggs), cleaning and keeping the space clean, basic home maintenance, and grocery shopping staying within the set budget. This is probably the most fun of these fun classes because you get meals that you don't cook and the stuff in your home gets cleaned without you doing it!!
Personal Administration: making doctor/dentist appointments, understanding health insurance, developing and maintaining healthy exercise, eating, and sleep habits, professional interview skills, and resume writing.

These skills are especially important as they transition to college or career settings.

Homeschooling senior year is totally possible, and I believe you are totally capable. Remember the advice from the beginning, "Know your child and trust yourself." Once you know what is legally required, everything after that is optional based on your child's life and career goals. If they are aiming for college or career, you now have a roadmap. If they don't know what they want (hey, who did at 18??) then you have a flexible plan that can set them up for success in any field. Go forth and conquer this year, knowing I am in your corner cheering you on!!

Anyone who has successfully gotten their senior through to graduation, share in the comments below!
Let's give the new parents some encouragement!!