Freshman Year Planning Checklist
What to Decide Before 9th Grade Starts

A complete checklist for families starting high school: course placement, credit tracking setup, and the four-year plan basics, so nothing important gets missed in the first year. Check items off as you go, or print it for your homeschool folder.

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Confirm State Graduation Requirements
Know the credit minimums before choosing courses
Why it matters: Choosing 9th grade courses without knowing the four-year credit targets is how families end up short on foreign language or lab science in 12th grade, with no time left to fix it.
  • Looked up your state's graduation credit minimums by subject
    Minnesota's minimum is 21 total credits: ELA 4.0, Math 3.0, Science 3.0, Social Studies 3.5, Arts 1.0, PE 0.5, Health 0.5, Electives 5.5. Requirements vary by state.
  • Checked one or two target colleges' admissions expectations
    Most colleges expect more than the state minimum, particularly in math, science, and foreign language.
  • Confirmed your district's homeschool notification requirements
    Some states require an annual notice of intent to homeschool, often due each fall.
Course Placement
Readiness, not grade-level assumption
Why it matters: Math and foreign language build sequentially. Getting placement right in 9th grade avoids a rough first year or a wasted one.
  • Determined math placement based on readiness, not assumed grade level
    A student who finished Algebra I in 8th grade should move to Geometry, not repeat it.
  • Decided whether any 8th grade high-school-level course counts on the transcript
    If it was genuinely high-school-level work (like Algebra I), it usually should count.
  • Started foreign language, or confirmed the plan to start it in 9th grade
    Most colleges expect two to three years of the same language. Starting late leaves no room to reach that.
Set Up Recordkeeping
Before the first course is finished, not after
Why it matters: A transcript built incrementally over four years takes minutes per course. One reconstructed from memory in 12th grade takes hours and is more error-prone.
  • Chosen a system to track courses, grades, and credits for all four years
    Whatever you choose, it needs to survive four years of updates without becoming unmanageable.
  • Committed to recording each course as it's completed, not all at once at year-end
    This is the single habit that prevents a stressful reconstruction later.
  • Named your homeschool (for the transcript header)
    "Smith Family Academy" or "[Family Name] Home School" both work if you haven't already named it.
Sketch the Four-Year Shape
Not final, just enough to avoid painting into a corner
Why it matters: Planning one year at a time hides gaps until they're hard to fix. A rough four-year map catches them in 9th grade instead of 11th.
  • Sketched a rough subject list for each of the four years
    Course names don't need to be final, especially for electives, but the subject shape should be visible.
  • Left one or two elective slots per year adjustable
    Interests shift a lot between ages 14 and 17. A plan filled to capacity with no flexibility tends to break.
  • Noted roughly when Honors, AP, or PSEO courses might fit
    These work best when they represent genuine readiness, not front-loaded into 9th grade for the sake of it.

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