I realized that I missed a key part of your question – applying to a job without the high school diploma.

Typically, employers that want to see a high school diploma are really saying that they only require high school, and not post-secondary school, credentials. It is less likely that they will actually require the high school diploma *if* you have a higher level of certification, such as a college diploma or university degree. If you know that some kind of post-secondary credential is in your daughter’s future, then I wouldn’t worry too much (99% of the time) about the lack of an official high school degree *if* she earns a higher degree/diploma.

As you say re: your husband’s situation, yes, students without a high school diploma are at a disadvantage if they don’t have another piece of paper to offer. But, these obstacles can often be overcome even later in life. Worst case, adults can write a GED exam at any age. These are some of the trade offs involved in choosing to forgo the high school diploma.

You also mention apprenticeship programs. In Ontario, these programs are available as a sort of “alternative” path to the high school diploma. So yes, some of them can be taken towards the diploma. Other programs may require a high school diploma as an admission requirement, but again, talking to the individual school will give you a better idea of what they’re expecting and demanding. I’m not sure whether you’re looking at an apprenticeship program in Ontario (if so, ask whether they are a part of the “Pathways to Learning” program which is supposed to encourage students to get a diploma “by any means necessary”) or in the US (in which case they probably have some kind of guidelines for homeschooled students).

Again, best of luck!
Sarah.

As always, my advice is to cater to the UNIVERSITY you’ll be applying to, no matter where you live. It’s ultimately the university whose entrance requirements you’ll have to satisfy. A university (or college, if that’s what it is – in Ontario, Canada we call them universities) will care less about a Canadian high school diploma than about its own policies.

As for an age requirement, that too is set by the individual college/university. There is typically no age requirement for attending (remember, there are always genius 10 year olds in math faculties!) any post-secondary institution, so 17 vs. 18 shouldn’t make that much of a difference as long as the institution has a policy of accepting homeschoolers. In Ontario, Canada, the policy is typically that at 21 years of age a student can apply as a “mature student” under different guidelines than that of a typical high school applicant. I’m not very familiar with all the different US colleges/universities, nor with the specific laws of Minnesota.

I would suggest you contact the school you wish to apply to and ask:

1. Do you have a homeschool policy? If so, what are the requirements, and are they any different for someone with a high school education in Canada than in the US?
2. Is there any age requirement for admission?
3. If my daughter doesn’t already have what you would consider to be the requirements to apply, is there a “pre-program” or “probationary status” she can apply to?
4. Given my daughter’s educational profile, what is missing that we would need to complete for a successful application?

This should at least get you started. If you have any other questions, concerns or obstacles, let me know and perhaps I can direct you further. But I can’t stress enough to CONTACT THE UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE and work with them. Many institutions in the US care less about the high school credentials than their own admission process and requirements, so ASK THEM what they want to see and plan for that.

Best wishes!
Sarah.

Thanks for the comment. I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the site.

What I’ve written above pretty much goes across the country with respect to “accreditation.” That is to say, only a gov’t diploma is recognized by Canadian universities as a “high school diploma.” As I said above, this can be issued from a school in Canada accredited by its home province, or a school/program in the U.S. accredited by one of the organizations that is authorized by the gov’t to give this kind of accreditation. (Extra layer of complication, but it ultimately can be traced back to some government approval.)

In terms of BC universities’ entrance policies, I don’t know these off the top of my head. A quick glance online doesn’t give me too much of a heads up. But, be sure to check out this page regarding BC ( http://www.chriscorrigan.com/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.HowToGetIntoUniversityWithoutAHighSchoolDiploma ) which leads me to believe that BC universities would also use the same basic “definition” of a homeschooler that Ontario universities do, even if it’s not explicitly stated anywhere.

Remember that each school is allowed to create their own admission policies. Ontario just happens to be taking measures to explicitly mention homeschoolers as a separate entrance category (just like say mature students or transfer students) and I don’t think BC is doing that yet. So, as you’ll see if you read Chris Corrigan’s page mentioned above, applying as a “homeschooler” to a BC university is still a little like finding open doors rather than using the clear guidelines that many Ontario universities have established.

Hope that helps, and let me know if I can be of further assistance!

Sarah.

There are lots of reasons why people may not complete a high school diploma, and the nice thing is, it doesn’t have to hold you back in life if you have the determination to succeed.

You’re right — vet tech. programs are offered in Ontario colleges. If you don’t complete a high school diploma, then you’ll probably need to wait until you are 19 (or 21, depending on the school) to apply as a mature student.

In the mean time though, it would be smart to find ways to keep up with especially your math and science knowledge, since you’ll have an easier time in a vet tech. program if you can demonstrate your abilities in these areas.

If you do want to finish your diploma, just in a way that works better for your health situation, then there are options with online or correspondence courses. Look at the ILC (www.ilc.org) in particular. You can just take one or a few courses (not a full load) to keep yourself “up” with school but go at a pace that your health allows.

If you need any help or guidance in the matter, send me an email!