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 Some books are great as motivators, others as information sources. This book, subtitled "An encouraging guide to starting early, finishing economically, and protecting your homeschool vision," fills both roles well. A tremendous amount of work and research went into it, documenting the numerous college credit tests available to homeschoolers, and the respected, accredited colleges that accept the tests. Yes, it's possible for your kids to get accepted into major universities, if that's their goal, without sacrificing your homeschool vision during the high school years.
When I first flipped through the book, I have to confess that I had an initial negative impression. I unknowingly landed in a section of the Appendix that included a long quotation from the writing of 17th century puritan minister Cotton Mather. I immediately thought the whole book was written in pretentious 300 year old English. However, I was happy to discover that I was only reading a quotation. The husband and wife authors have writing styles that are both modern and personal.
Our oldest will be in the ninth grade in Fall (2007), hence our increased focus on how we are going to approach the high school years and prepare him for college. "College Without Compromise" has inspired Diane and I, and given both of us a vision for how we can guide Sam's education in a way that will give him amazing opportunities in life.
One of the most fascinating educational tracks the Wightmans write about is using CLEP exams to complete high school with a large amount of college credit already in place. This makes college amazingly cheaper and shorter, and allows the student to get into real life career building (and family building) much sooner.
I married young (age 20) while just starting out on my pursuit of a college degree, so this would have been an appealing alternative had I known about it much earlier. While there were many trials in this path that I hope my kids can avoid, I don't regret it for the simple reason that I'm young enough to enjoy doing things with my kids that others aren't by the time they have a household of teenagers. So if my kids can grow up to have a blessed family life like I have, but reduce some of the hardship involved in finishing a protracted college career simultaneous with child-rearing, marriage-building, and career building, then why wouldn't I encourage them down that road?
The credit by exam and dual enrollment approach are probably the ones we'll test-drive with Sam. He'll finish his algebra book about the time he technically would be starting high school, and we have agreed to have him try taking a CLEP exam after some additional study and review. Depending on what major he eventually chooses, it's possible that he can finish his bachelors degree within a year or two of finishing high school.
I appreciate the effort Scott and Kris Wightman put into writing this book. There are numerous motivations parents may have for homeschooling. Whatever yours, you can get some invaluable information out of "College Without Compromise" to help you maintain your homeschooling vision through high school, and prepare your child for a college experience that goes far beyond what was available to you or me.
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