What should I expect in a high school audition?

Do YOU think I should go to public high school?

• Okay, so I'm homeschooled and have been since 5th grade. Since 5th grade I haven't gone to any kind of public high school expect if my sister has a play (she is in the orchestra for the play). I have up until the end of next Friday because my mom has to send out these forms. The high school I will go to DOES have uniform and I don't think that's a problem for me. I also tried waking up and getting ready for school before 6:45 am because that's the time my mom leaves to drop off my sister at high school. I'm not really sociable but I am learning how to become more out there and not so shy and it's sort of working. The one thing I do expect is getting lost because it's a HUGE high school and I will be like one out of 550 FRESHMEN attending the school (if I go.). I will have to audition to get into the school (with the violin) so that I actually get into it. I haven't really taken any tests so that's going to be a problem and if I decide to go then I'll have to drop everything I'm learning (expect for math) and study for the Leap or ILeap test. My mom, dad and siblings don't want to tell me their opinion (because they don't want to influence me or something like that) but I think it'd be useful? I had a 'conference' with my mom, my sister and her boyfriend on bad things in high school and good things in high school. Having no phone at school will be no problem because I don't own a phone -.- but anyway. I try like dreaming about high school or at least get a picture of what I can expect (sounds stupid but like me walking through the halls and going to classrooms is what I try to picture when I sleep) but it doesn't work. But, at least I will know some people that go to my church and I know the chances of seeing them is like 33 percent..Whenever I think about either staying homeschooled or going to high school I have this weird feeling in my stomach that I've never really had before... So tell me, if you were me, would you either stay homeschooled or go to public high school? By the way, my younger sister is also homeschooled and she doesn't really want me to go.... And sorry for such a LOOONG story. D:

• Answer:

  Why are you being homeschooled? Why have you not been sent to public school from the beginning? What qualifies your mother to teach you at home? How can you be judged ready for any grade level if you do not take tests? In my state, being homeschooled only gets you a GED, which means passing more tests. A GED is only good for going to some form of higher education. You can't get a job and you can't homeschool without a real high school diploma. The irony is, you have to have at least a masters degree to teach for a living, which is why I would like to see the practice eliminated. Around here, the people who choose to homeschool their children are using it as the only legal way to avoid court ordered integration without paying for private schools. It can also be used as a way to hide child abuse, since the children are kept from the public and have no guidance counselors or teachers to help them. The reality is both you and your younger sister should be sent to public school. And your "progressive parenting" mother needs to grow up and become the parent. She and your father, not her boyfriend, should decide your schooling for you. If they have joint custody, they are equally responsible for your health, education, and overall welfare. You have my condolences that your parents are no longer together.