- 3760 Southborough Rd Florence, SC 29501
- info@marinerlearningcollaborative.org
- 843-496-1113
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Many people are surprised to learn that most colleges do not require a high school diploma for admission. Millions of students in the United States don’t go to high school, yet most of them continue on to higher education. Colleges have specific admissions procedures for homeschoolers and “non-traditional students” who have not attended high school. Colleges are interested in a student’s ability to do college work and their intellectual passions, not whether you attended high school. If you have specific colleges in mind, we encourage you to contact the admissions department to find out their admission requirements. We offer support and coaching throughout the college admissions process.
If a teen desires, they can take college classes at Florence-Darlington Technical College or another community college. They can earn an associate’s degree or enough college credits to transfer to a four-year program as a sophomore or junior when their peers are just graduating high school. This path is simple, affordable, direct, and a proven success.
It is also possible to apply directly to a 4-year college for admission as a freshman after building up a portfolio of work. Most colleges have special applications for homeschoolers and non-traditional students which may or may not require standardized tests. In many cases being a non-traditional learner is a great asset in college admissions. Staff mentors are available to help with the creation of application materials.
Members may also choose to take the General Education Development Test or GED that is an equivalent to a SC high school diploma and is accepted anywhere that a high school diploma is accepted. Mariner would provide one-on-one tutoring for members who choose this option.
Autonomy, curiosity, creativity, communication skills, critical thinking, adaptability, and perseverance are some of the many qualities we intentionally seek to nurture at Mariner. These also happen to be some of the key qualities of successful entrepreneurs. At Mariner we encourage members to consider how they can use their gifts and passions to serve others as a ministry or business. Interested members will have the opportunity to be mentored by local business owners who can help them turn their gifts and passions into profitable enterprises now, not when just when they graduate from college.
Because Mariner members have the freedom to structure their time in a way that works best for them, many teen members will choose to volunteer, intern, or work part-time, allowing them to develop practical knowledge and skills that transfer seamlessly to the world of work. Often conventionally schooled students do not have the time for these pursuits until after high school.
Aside from the knowledge and experiences gained by directing their own learning, Mariner members are developing the most sought after traits of employers, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Mariner members learn to be proactive, self-starters, intrinsically motivated, collaborative, goal-oriented, confident, curious, creative, and adept. Often kids are not able to develop these traits in conventional schools.