Academic Resources
Library of Information
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ASPIRE Meetings
Not sure about your future? Need guidance and direction? Quest can help you discover your passions and tailor your school years to take you where you want to go.
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Tutoring
Struggling with your studies? Need a little extra help? Don’t wait until it is too late! Quest offers tutoring services to help you get back on the right track.
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Science Fair
AHSEF by Quest offers students the opportunity to participate in a local science fair dedicated to homeschooled students. Quest provides many resources to help you complete your project.
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Emphasis Cords and Honors Medallions
Do you have an interest in a particular field of study? Are you willing to commit to a more rigorous academic plan in that field? If so, you can earn emphasis cords and honors medallions upon graduation.
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Curriculum Mapping
It is important to make sure your high school curriculum will meet the standards for your future plans, whether that be attending college, entering the workforce, or attending a career school. Do your research and set your bar high, so that you are not underprepared if your plans change.
Resources:
Check the websites for any career schools or colleges you might want to attend.
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Extracurricular Activities
It is important that your high school years include not only academics but also extracurricular activities that help produce a well-rounded educational plan. Colleges and employers are looking for people who have a varied background because they know that students who participate in extracurricular activities tend to have better time management skills, stronger social circles, team-based skills, and a stronger mind overall.
Students will want to keep a resume of all of the extracurricular activities they have participated in, such as sports, volunteer opportunities, music lessons and performances, academic clubs, student government, etc.
Quest provides many opportunities for extracurricular activities.
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Keeping Transcripts and Records
All students need a high school transcript and homeschooling parents are required to provide this. Your transcript should provide good documentation of the courses completed and the grades earned. In addition, you will want to keep detailed course descriptions for all of the courses listed on the transcript.
Some students may be required to submit a portfolio of work along with various applications, so it is advisable to keep a few pieces of the student’s best work in a file should this be needed.
Resources:
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FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available to be filled out beginning on October 1 of your senior year. This form is used by colleges and career schools to determine if you qualify for grants, work study jobs, or loans if you plan to attend a college or trade school. Many school-based scholarships are also evaluated based on the information provided in this form.
Check with your school of choice to make sure there are no additional financial aid forms you need to fill out.
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JTED
Pima JTED is a Career and Technical Education district which partners with businesses, industries, and school districts to provide premier CTE programs to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Their award-winning programs are proven to increase student success, significantly contribute to the local economy, and allow students to jumpstart their careers doing what they love while still in high school.
With over thirty programs to choose from, JTED offers students the opportunity to earn industry certifications and state licenses while gaining real-world experience and sharpening their leadership skills. In addition, students may earn dual credit.
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Scholarships
Paying for higher education can be quite expensive. Thankfully, there are many scholarships available to help ease the burden. It is advisable to apply to as many scholarships as possible in order to increase your chances of winning one. Exhaust all of your resources!
There are many resources available to help you search for scholarships, many schools have scholarships available in their private databases that you can access upon acceptance, homeschool organizations such as AFHE offer scholarships to a few students each year, and science fairs are a great place to win money and scholarships that can be used towards college. If a scholarship states that it is for public or private school students, don’t assume homeschooled students are not eligible.
Resources:
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PSAT - SAT - ACT
While many colleges have become test optional in recent years, some have not. It is advisable to go ahead and take these tests if you plan on going to college. In addition, a good score on these tests can lend credibility to your Homeschool Transcript.
The PSAT is offered once a year in the fall. It is recommended that you begin with the PSAT your freshman or sophomore year to familiarize yourself with the test and method of testing. Your final PSAT test should be taken your junior year as this test is a qualifier for National Merit Scholarships. Quest offers registration for this test in the fall.
The SAT is offered year-round and should be taken your junior and senior years. You can register for this test through The College Board. You do not have to report these scores to any colleges until you are ready to.
The ACT is also offered year-round and should be taken your junior and senior years. You can register for this test on the ACT website.
Resources:
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The College Board
The College Board is an organization that was created to connect students to college success and opportunity with a mission to expand access to higher education.
The College Board serves as the dashboard for PSAT/SAT testing along with AP and CLEP testing. They also provide tools to help students find colleges, prepare for college, and apply for scholarships. They provide many resources for parents as well.
Some colleges require students to fill out The College Board’s CSS Profile in order to receive institutional scholarships. This profile requires similar information to the FAFSA form but requires even more financial information from the parents.
If you plan on taking an SAT, an AP Test, a CLEP Test, or your school of choice requires a CSS Profile, you will need to create a College Board account.
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AP Exams
The AP program offers students the opportunity to tackle college-level courses while still in high school. By completing a course and the corresponding AP Exam, students can earn college credit and/or placement with a qualifying score.
AP is widely accepted at most colleges; however, they each have their own policies on how they accept these credits. You will want to check the policies for all of the colleges you plan on applying to.
If you plan on attending The University of Arizona or Arizona State University, it is recommended that you look into AP Foreign Language exams as they offer a significant amount of college credit for these.
There are many ways to prepare for an AP Exam. You can self-study or take an AP Course through a local private school or an AP Course provider online. Quest offers several courses, that when combined with self-study, should amply prepare you to take these tests. However, homeschooled students will not have access to the AP Classrooms provided by The College Board. These are only available through an AP Course provider.
AP Tests are offered once per year in May and the deadline for registering for these tests is usually mid-November of each year. Homeschooled students are responsible for finding their own testing center; however, Quest is available to assist you with that.
Resources:
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CLEP Exams
The College-Level Examination Program offers college-level exams that allow you to test out of introductory level college courses at a fraction of the price of an actual college course. This can save you hundreds of dollars and shorten the amount of time it takes to graduate from college.
CLEP offers 34 exams that cover introductory level college course material. With a passing score on one CLEP exam, you can earn three or more college credits at many colleges. You will need to check with the colleges you are interested in attending to see the exact details on how they will accept the scores for these exams.
CLEP exams are multiple choice tests taken at exam centers around the country and are offered year-around. They take around 90-120 minutes to complete and scores are provided immediately after completing the exam.
There are many study guides available to help you prepare for these exams. Quest has a relationship with Modern States that allows students to take various in-person courses alongside the Modern States curriculum. Vouchers to cover the cost of the CLEP tests are available through Modern States.
Resources:
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GCU
Grand Canyon University offers some unique opportunities to students who attend Quest. Students who decide to attend GCU will receive a $1000/semester scholarship for being a Quest student. In addition, those seniors who apply before November 30th of their senior year, will receive an additional $800/semester scholarship.
Quest is fortunate to be a part of GCU’s Alpha program and have a working relationship with a GCU admissions counselor who specializes in helping homeschooled students with the admissions process. GCU also offers overnight campus visitation trips free of charge to admissible students, which can be coordinated through the admissions counselor. If you would like the opportunity to work with this counselor, send an email to: Honor Society and we will help you get an appointment setup!
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U of A and ASU
If you choose to attend an in-state university and you have a high GPA, you may qualify for substantial merit-based scholarships. This can make attending college very affordable if not free.
U of A
Wildcat Tuition Awards offer up to $12,500 per academic year for Arizona residents. Awards are renewable for a total of four consecutive years. Automatic consideration upon submission of a completed admissions application by their May deadline.
Pell Pledge Grants and Arizona Promise Grants are also available to qualified Arizona residents and can cover the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, tuition differentials and program fees.
ASU
Arizona State University awards scholarships to incoming first-year students with outstanding academic ability upon admission through their New American University Scholarship Program. You can use their online estimator to get an idea of how much aid you may qualify for.
ASU offers several needs-based scholarship programs such as the Barack Obama Scholars Program and the Arizona Promise Grant.
