HSHSP 107: How a Homeschool Athlete Made it to Harvard

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This week on HSHSP 107: How a Homeschool Athlete Made it to Harvard.

HSHSP 107: How a Homeschool Athlete Made it to Harvard

HSHSP 107: How a Homeschool Athlete Made it to Harvard

Join us for a fun interview with homeschooler, Jake Johnson, and his mom, Suzanne, Sabrina and Kym (who have been Jake’s teachers at the local homeschool group classes).

Jake gives brief explanations for:

  • Swim ranking in high school
  • His recruiting adventure
  • His experience choosing Harvard (and Harvard choosing him)

His mom tells their homeschooling stories:

  • Their choice to homeschool highschool after some years in a private school and why
  • The ways homeschooling gave Jake more time to train in his swimming “career”

How did they recognize the gift and that they needed to invest in it:

  • Early love of swimming (even at age 3, Jake loved swimming)
  • Early showing of potential/naturalness/speed at swimming
  • Developing passion and work ethic from early childhood through high school
  • Recognition on national leader boards
  • Continuous love of the swim-meet and networking process (peer swimmers and coaches nationwide)

Why homeschooling gave Jake time to develop his swimming skills:

  • It gave him flexibility to travel
  • It gave him better time to balance academics and 6-9 practices/week
  • It helped him develop time management skills
  • It helped him develop communication skills as he worked with homeschool group classes’ teachers when he needed to be absent
  • It helped him develop self-management (knowing when to give his phone to teachers, so he didn’t
  • It helped him manage priorities (balancing academics/swim/friends/church)
  • It helped him learn to “tough through stuff” when necessary

Jake and his mom’s tips for NCAA swim athletes:

  • Travel to national and junior national competitions through high school
  • Work to be on national leader boards
  • Keep feeding the passion
  • Keep having fun
  • Make sure all courses are Level 3 (College Prep) and up
  • Set up a portal at NCAA eligibility center
  • Make sure all courses are NCAA approved
  • Learn how the recruiting process works, talk to NCAA and to coaches BEFORE high school
  • Keep up with NCAA communication promptly
  • Do research on the schools that are watching your athlete
  • Visit interested colleges, at least by sophomore year

Need info about levels? Read these posts on how to handle levels for your homeschoolers.

Homeschool High School Transcripts: Recording Course Levels

Watch this interview with Jake on Swimming World

Join Sabrina, Kym, Jake and Suzanne for a helpful chat!

HSHSP 107: How a Homeschool Athlete Made it to Harvard

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