I doubt I'll find time to go through and figure out how accurate the stats are here, but it's pretty compelling if it's even mostly true. I do think it's important to remember they are comparing homeschoolers who are "on the grid" vs. every single public school kid in the country, and not parochial or private schools at all. It would be extremely short-sighted to ignore the vast differences among public schools throughout the country, a problem in its own right, to be sure, but as it is, not all public schools are created equally, and seriously underperforming schools are going to drag down the averages. So I'm skeptical about certain parts of the chart, for instance, the high school graduation rate. Yes, it is low on average, but at a stable public high school in a middle class area, that number will be way higher.
However, it's still compelling to look at the college figures, to me. Here, we can see that the average GPA is higher and the college graduation rate is higher, among homeschooled kids. This is where the rubber meets the road, to me. I'd also love to see some data about entrepreneurial experiences beyond high school on this chart (not sure it even exists). My experience tells me that homeschool kids are pursuing these at a much higher rate than your average bear, who is mostly preoccupied with honey and sleeping when it's cold outside, but I digress. To me, this fact is absolutely key when it comes to the heart of the "why homeschool" question, to me. I think it's awesome that so many parents are doing a good job directing, and helping to direct, their college-bound kids academically, and I'm not surprised they do so well in that environment. But.
To me, the beauty of homeschool is the breaking out of the norm of what we've come to expect, and what we've come to understand as "success" in America. College is absolutely the answer for many people, especially if someone dreams of being a professional in a job that requires a lot of academic training. But I'm unconvinced that the traditional, transitional experience is possible for most people these days. It's insanely expensive, and if one of the compelling reasons to send your child to college is the experience rather than the degree, I'm not sure a similar experience couldn't happen in a another way - gap year spent traveling and living in hostels? international volunteerism?
I think homeschool kids might be more likely to see the value in those kinds of experiences, and may be more self-motivated to begin their own entrepreneurial endeavors, taking specific courses as needed, but mostly raising capital and diving in. The fear of failure isn't so overwhelming when it hasn't been drilled into your head for 13 years that college is the only way and you are not successful without it. College is a viable path, and worthwhile in many ways, for many people, but it has changed drastically over the years.
My thoughts are ever-evolving when it comes to higher education, at any rate. Thankfully, we still have lots and lots of time to contemplate this, considering my current preoccupation is deciding what to do for our first grade curriculum in the fall. :) My mind remains open.
