The full list of courses that may be upgraded to advisor-graded or advisor-guided is available on the Advisor Grading & Guidance page.  While the courses are grouped on the list according to the historical cycle they complement, you are welcome to enroll your student in courses from multiple historical cycles, as long as the prerequisites are completed for the selected courses.

"[My sophomore] and I were talking about Fine Arts Options. Can you give me an idea of classes that would fill that roll? We’ll do Greek Playrights this coming semester, but I think he would like to know what other options he would have to fill this slot."

The graduation requirements for Fine Arts and a list of courses can be found on the STAA Diploma Program page.  The courses offered by St. Thomas Aquinas Academy are:

• ART PRAC & APPREC (AR3-B)
• GREEK PLAYWRIGHTS (GPW-B)
• ART & ARCHITECTURE I (AA1-A)
• ART & ARCHITECTURE II (AA2-A)
• SHAKESPEARE II

Let us know what the brainstorming session with your son generates.  Which courses from the catalog look appealing?  What community-based activities that fall under the Fine Arts umbrella is he interested in?

"I remember a conversation we had a while back about community activities that would fill the class requirement.  Music lessons and is it correct that art lessons would fill that as well?  I don’t see Art Lessons listed, but I have a vague memory of discussing this with you.  If they do in fact fill the requirement, are there any stipulations for an Art Class to fill the requirement?"

Formal art lessons will work.  The regular stipulations for Non-STAA Courses apply to art lessons: The course needs to be formal and rigorous enough to be considered appropriate for high school, it earns credit according to time tracked in course activities (75 hours = one semester), and it needs to have an instructor that gives lessons or an adult that supervises working through instructional materials and grades assignments.  A good benchmark for what qualifies here is the book Artistic Pursuits from the Art Prac & Apprec (AR3-B) course.  The lessons or coursework in all art courses need to be at least as structured and challenging as Artistic Pursuits.

The Classical Learning Test looks promising but is still very, very young. 

STAA's present policy concerning the CLT is that it is considered an elective test.  Students pursuing an STAA diploma may submit an ACT with a CLT or an SAT with a CLT to satisfy the standardized testing graduation requirement after confirming that the universities they are applying to accept the CLT.

STAA High School Diploma Requirement 

St. Thomas Aquinas Academy requires that each student take a standardized test in 11th grade and at least one more in grades 9, 10, or 12.  

The student must demonstrate reasonable scholastic achievement on his or her standardized tests.  If any of the student’s scores fall below the national 50th percentile the testing requirement cannot be marked as satisfied.  Students with an overall score or any of the major subscores (Math, English, Science, Writing, and the like) that fall below the national 50th percentile may retest as many times as needed or utilize another standardized test until the scores on at least two high school tests meet or exceed the national 50th percentile.  

The national percentile mark to meet or exceed may be adjusted for students with documented learning disabilities.

Tests that may be used to complete the high school testing diploma requirement:

CAT Test  •  IOWA Test  •  Terranova Test  •  Stanford Test  •  GED  •  PSAT  •  Your state's high school diploma equivalency exam  •  ACT  •  SAT  •  CLT along with an ACT or SAT

Taking the ACT or the SAT is extremely important for college-bound homeschool students.  Check with the admissions offices at the colleges your student is considering to find out which test they prefer their applicants take.

Annual testing is required in some school districts.  Please contact your advisor if your school district requires a certain standardized test that is not on the list above to determine if the required test can be used to satisfy the diploma requirement.  To learn more about the testing requirements your state may have, visit the Home School Legal Defense Association's website.

MEMBER FAMILIES: More information about standardized testing is available in the STAA HANDBOOK. »

The College Board has a great article to help get your scholarship research started: "Where to Find College Scholarships."

Yes, our diploma program is optional.  

Standard enrollment covers the academic assessment, placement, academic packet, and advisor support.  Member families have the option of also enrolling their students in the transcript and diploma program when they register for courses after the annual Course of Study appointment with their advisor.  

We encourage all families that prefer to develop transcripts and diplomas independently to contact the Home School Legal Defense Association or other qualified organizations with knowledge of the homeschooling laws in your state.  HSLDA provides a helpful guide online for parents that prefer to issue their own transcripts and diplomas for their children: >> High School Diploma on the HSLDA site. >>

We have outlined the requirements for earning high school diplomas in detail on our STAA Diploma Program page. There you will find answers to the questions asked most frequently about the requirements that apply to age of the student, enrollment, reporting, courses, credits, and testing.

Here is a part of the ever-growing list of colleges that have accepted St. Thomas Aquinas Academy students over the years:

Arizona State University
Ave Maria University
Baker College of Muskegon
Bellin College
Belmont Abbey College
Benedictine College
Bethany Lutheran College
Cardinal Stritch University
Carthage College
Christendom College
Davenport University
Eastern Kentucky University
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Franklin Pierce University
George Mason University
Gonzaga University
Hillsdale College
Idaho State University
Kansas State University
Lewis University
Louisiana Technical University
Magdalen College
Marquette University
McNeese State University
Missouri Southern State University
Missouri State University
Montana State University-Bozeman
Mount Saint Mary's University
New England Institute of Technology
North Central College
Northwestern Michigan College
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom
Pennsylvania State University
Providence College
Purdue University
Redeemer University College
Rhode Island College
Saint Martin's University
Saint Vincent College
San Jose State University
Seminary of Our Lady of Providence
Silver Lake College of the Holy Family
South Dakota State University
Southern New Hampshire University
Southwestern College
St. Mary's College
Stanford University
Tabor College
The Catholic University of America
The College of Idaho
The University of Montana
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Wyoming
Thomas Aquinas College
U.S. Naval Academy
Univ. of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Univ. of Wisconsin - River Falls
University of California-Santa Cruz
University of Florida
University of Illinois
University of Minnesota
University of Mount Union
University of New Hampshire
University of New Orleans
University of Oklahoma
University of South Florida
University of St. Thomas
University of the Pacific
University of Toronto
University of West Florida
University of Wisconsin Green Bay
Villa Maria College
Washburn University
Wheaton College
Whittier College
Wichita State University  

Is your program accredited?

No. We issue report cards, high school credits, transcripts, and diplomas as a private, religious, non-parish-affiliated home school program.

Has your lack of accreditation been a problem?

No. Our high school graduates are on college campuses across the country (ver-r-ry successfully, we are proud to add). St. Thomas Aquinas Academy graduates have had no difficulty qualifying for colleges of their choice. Keep in mind, though, that it is not unheard of that some state colleges insist homeschoolers do additional standardized testing prior to being accepted. We encourage you to obtain copies of the entrance requirements for homeschoolers from the colleges your student is considering as early as possible so there will be plenty of time to complete any additional paperwork or testing the college may insist upon.

Students that wish to start high school with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy and transfer later to another school must note that some "brick and mortar" high schools may not accept home school credits without standardized testing or subject testing that meets the new school's specific preferences. It is always important to research the admission policies that apply to home school applicants at the institutions your student may wish to attend before and after graduating from high school.