College Without High School: A Teenager's Guide to Skipping High School and Going to College [Paperback]

Blake Boles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

"Blake Boles has written a remarkable how-to handbook that is destined to change the lives of young people across North America. I highly recommend Blake's book to any middle school or high school student seeking more excitement and engagement in their educational journey. Smart parents should buy this book for their kids and be bold enough to encourage them to forge ahead in new ways. " - Maya Frost

 

High school can be boring. High school curriculum can be frustrating and out of touch. So what is the answer for young people whose creativity, bright ideas, and boundless energy are being stifled in that over-scheduled and grade-driven environment?

What would you do if you could go to college without going to high school? Would you travel abroad, spend late nights writing a novel, volunteer in an emergency room, or build your own company? What dreams would you be pursuing right now?

College Without High School shows how independent teens can self-design their high school education by becoming unschooled. Students begin by defining their goals and dreams and then pursue them through a combination of meaningful and engaging adventures.

It is possible to pursue your dreams and gain admission to any college of your choice. The guidebook shows how to fulfill college admission requirements by proving five preparatory results: intellectual passion, leadership, logical reasoning, background knowledge, and the capacity for structured learning. The author, who leads teenage unschoolers on educational adventures, offers several suggestions for life-changing, confidence-building activities that will demonstrate those results. This intriguing approach

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Blake Boles has written a remarkable how-to handbook that is destined to change the lives of young people across North America."

-Maya Frost, Converge Magazine

--convergemag.com/blog/globals/College-without-High-School.html

About the Author

Blake Boles has worked extensively with teens outside the traditional high school environment. He designs and leads innovative trips through Unschool Adventures. He has worked in a variety of fields, and holds a self-designed BA in education theory from the University of California at Berkeley. He lives in Oregon and California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: New Society Publishers; First Edition edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865716552
• ISBN-13: 978-0865716551
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.6 x 5.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Blake Boles is an author, entrepreneur, and educator. He directs Unschool Adventures, the travel company for self-directed young adults, and is the founder of Zero Tuition College.

In 2003 Blake was studying astrophysics at UC Berkeley when he stumbled upon a treasure trove of books by authors John Taylor Gatto, Grace Llewellyn, John Holt, and other pioneers in the realm of alternative education. Deeply inspired by the philosophies of unschooling and free schooling, Blake custom-designed his final two years of college to study these subjects full-time. After graduating he joined the Not Back to School Camp community and began writing and speaking widely on the subject of self-directed learning.

Blake delivers presentations and workshops on self-directed learning, unschooling, international travel, and entrepreneurship for homeschooling conferences, summer camps, parent groups, and bookstore audiences. He has appeared on TEDx, Ignite, and national radio. He spends much of his time working directly with teens through Not Back to School Camp and his company Unschool Adventures.

In his previous lives, he has worked as a high-volume cook, Aurora Borealis physics research assistant, delivery truck driver, math tutor, outdoor science teacher, EMT medic, summer camp director, market researcher, web designer, and windsurfing and tree climbing instructor. He keeps a running goal (and failure) list. Blake's biggest passion is sharing his enthusiasm and experience with young adults who are blazing their own trails through life.

Learn more at http://www.blakeboles.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone November 16, 2011

By Bijouandbucky

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

There are a lot of kids who are smart enough to go to college, but have a lot of trouble in high school for various reasons: disability, social reasons, travel,work, etc. Kids who are able enough, but are round pegs that the school systems are trying to hammer into square holes. I spoke with an old friend who's son was very effeminate, teased and bullied in high school. He quit after 10th grade, went to a community college, then went to one of the best colleges in the nation to finish his degree. My kid has social issues and so I wanted to investigate. I ordered this book and only read about 1/4th of it before putting it down. It addresses kids who are driven by a particular passion, who are strong and independent, and who have the means and ability to travel extensively, become young entrepreneurs. It is rather narrow in this respect, and doesn't even begin to touch on the situations of ordinary kids who want to take a different route than the ordinary school system. This is a great book if your kid is like a young entrepreneur. If that's not what you want out of the book, this is not for you.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read & packed with great examples September 13, 2009

By Allen Ellis

Format:Paperback

College Without High School is a great, short read that I flew through in a few hours on my last plane trip. As a young adult preparing for college, this was a refreshing glimpse at the multitudes of possibilities I have this day in age preparing for college. Boles illustrates countless ways to lead a life filled with self-motivated, educational-packed adventures that free the soul and impress college admissions officers at the same time.

By spending your teenage years away from a traditional high school environment and instead chasing down your passions face-first, the prospects of being accepted into a college or university don't crumble, they flourish. Having the ability to prove your interest in a subject with real-world experience, combined with Bole's great tips to study for standardized testing, can set you bounds ahead of the same-old AP and SAT scores that are all today's high-school students have to show for their years of classroom study.

Boles encourages fantastic educational opportunities in not only the academic sense, but in nurturing critical skills such as leadership and logical reasoning, among others, and why these are key to excel this day in age.

The entire book is full of practical examples at every discussion, and wraps everything in the language you need to convey your breadth of abilities to college admissions officers.

I highly enjoyed this read and feel inspired to seriously get out there and thrust my education forward: straight towards my goals.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Teen Should Read This Book! September 13, 2010

By D. Engles

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great book for teens on how to take control of your education, go to college, realize your career goals, and have fun doing it.
I am a parent who read this book because I was not sure if I wanted to continue homeschooling through High School in the traditional way, or place my child in a High School. Now I am sure I don't have to do either one. Blake Boles shows teenagers how to take control of their education step by step to become Self Directed Learners and stay motivated.