Post by Kinsa on Dec 13, 2014 15:04:41 GMT -5
Well, I got two boys settled into college. They are halfway through their freshman year!
Time to turn my focus on the next one. He's 16, soon to be 17.
As with the others, he took the ASVAB Career Interest Survey this past fall. By analyzing the results, he has zeroed in on a career in air traffic control.
So, we went to the FAA website and learned that there are only 36 schools in the nation that offer the FAA-approved program, and only a few of them offer the 2-year associate degree. In looking over the list, we immediately eliminated a lot of them just based on location. (I want all my kids to go to a college that is near-ish to a family member or a close family friend.) So we have it narrowed down to a small handful of schools:
1. Texas State Technical College (Waco - about 3 hours away) -- PRO: We can pay out of pocket for this school. CON: A VERY low graduation rate and high crime rate.
2. Letourneau University (Longview - about 6 hours away) -- PRO: Christian school; great program CON: Cost ($$$), and according to my 16yo, a big CON is that his older brother already goes there.
3. Hampton University (Virginia) -- PRO: My mom lives 4 blocks away CON: It's a historically black college with 90% black student population. Not that we're opposed to it, but it might be a somewhat hostile environment for ds. Not sure.
4. Palo Alto College (San Antonio) -- PRO: It's local! It's super-cheap! CON: While it does have an associate degree in air traffic control, it is NOT on the FAA "approved" list of programs. Not sure what's up with that. I emailed the contact person at the FAA, and I'm awaiting to hear back from them about this school.
That's about where we are with this. We have campus tours lined up for the first two on this list, in February. Not sure we'll get a campus visitation arranged for the one in Virginia. And we can pop in to the local one at any time.
Now, just to throw another curve ball into this mix, enlisting in the US Air Force is another possibility. Honestly, this particular child would do great in the military. It would suit him well. So we are going to talk to a recruiter after the new year and see how that goes. If the recruiter can guarantee IN WRITING that ds will be assigned into air traffic control, then we will give it heavy consideration.
So there's my ramble about my 16yo son. I like homeschooling, but playing the part of the guidance counselor can be a bit challenging and time consuming. Still, it's kinda fun and interesting.
Time to turn my focus on the next one. He's 16, soon to be 17.
As with the others, he took the ASVAB Career Interest Survey this past fall. By analyzing the results, he has zeroed in on a career in air traffic control.
So, we went to the FAA website and learned that there are only 36 schools in the nation that offer the FAA-approved program, and only a few of them offer the 2-year associate degree. In looking over the list, we immediately eliminated a lot of them just based on location. (I want all my kids to go to a college that is near-ish to a family member or a close family friend.) So we have it narrowed down to a small handful of schools:
1. Texas State Technical College (Waco - about 3 hours away) -- PRO: We can pay out of pocket for this school. CON: A VERY low graduation rate and high crime rate.
2. Letourneau University (Longview - about 6 hours away) -- PRO: Christian school; great program CON: Cost ($$$), and according to my 16yo, a big CON is that his older brother already goes there.
3. Hampton University (Virginia) -- PRO: My mom lives 4 blocks away CON: It's a historically black college with 90% black student population. Not that we're opposed to it, but it might be a somewhat hostile environment for ds. Not sure.
4. Palo Alto College (San Antonio) -- PRO: It's local! It's super-cheap! CON: While it does have an associate degree in air traffic control, it is NOT on the FAA "approved" list of programs. Not sure what's up with that. I emailed the contact person at the FAA, and I'm awaiting to hear back from them about this school.
That's about where we are with this. We have campus tours lined up for the first two on this list, in February. Not sure we'll get a campus visitation arranged for the one in Virginia. And we can pop in to the local one at any time.
Now, just to throw another curve ball into this mix, enlisting in the US Air Force is another possibility. Honestly, this particular child would do great in the military. It would suit him well. So we are going to talk to a recruiter after the new year and see how that goes. If the recruiter can guarantee IN WRITING that ds will be assigned into air traffic control, then we will give it heavy consideration.
So there's my ramble about my 16yo son. I like homeschooling, but playing the part of the guidance counselor can be a bit challenging and time consuming. Still, it's kinda fun and interesting.
