Local Resource: School for Independent Learners

Photo credit: School for Independent Learners

Overview

School for Independent Learners is a private high school in Los Altos which focuses on individual or small group learning. Local Bay Area homeschoolers may find it helpful because it offers community for students taking its classes (including in-person labs), and it is open to hosting external students for AP and PSAT exams.

High School Classes: Honors, AP, Dual Enrollment 

Students can sign up to take high school courses through SIL anytime throughout the year. The classes may be regular, honors, UC a-g accredited, AP or college level (e.g. Differential Equations). Instruction is usually 1:1, or families can form with a few others to make a small class; either way, instruction is individualized. 

SIL also has a dedicated lab space setup, and can work with homeschoolers to create a tailored lab experience. For example, they had a student who wanted to do a series of lab intensives before going to college and designed a sequence that the student completed over a few weeks in summer. Homeschoolers who feel disadvantaged by lack of lab access will find this option attractive. 

Community

Beyond academics, the school has lounges where students can hang out between classes and try new activities. Also, students can form interest-based groups each year, which is also a draw for homeschoolers seeking to connect with other high schoolers. 

Exams: AP, PSAT and more

Depending on their course offerings, SIL offers dedicated exams such as AMC and AP exams. They may also offer PSAT testing, depending on circumstances. SIL students have first priority, but generally there have been enough seats for external students (e.g. homeschoolers). As with other locations, the key is to contact them early - in early Fall, they publish a sign up sheet for the exams they will offer which also lists their proctoring fees. 

Tuition

Because course instruction is highly individualized, it is hard to predict how much a course will cost, e.g. a student may speed through a year's of material within a few months. SIL charges by the hour - for 2024, the cost was $155/hour for 1:1 classes and $120 for group classes (they have no minimum hours requirement). There are also part-time and full-time enrollment options, although those options are probably less applicable to homeschoolers. 

Summary

SIL's model is closely akin to homeschooling so many of its strengths will be familiar to homeschoolers. 

Pros: 

• Personalized instruction to fit your schedule and preferred mode of instruction (in-person or online)
• Advanced courses especially in mathematics, plus full lab for hands-on sciences. 
• WASC-accreditation for those who need a-g courses through a certified school (note that private homeschoolers are usually admitted by exception for UCs so this might actually be more useful when applying to international colleges)
• Opportunities to participate in larger student clubs/groups

Cons: 

• Cost: Regardless of model (instruction per hour, part-time or full-time), a SIL course will likely cost several times more than any other option open to homeschoolers. However, SIL is open to working with homeschoolers, e.g. if they want to design a specific class together.