Homeschool Advantage

One of the great advantages of homeschooling versus attending a government school is the flexibility in scheduling and the ability to tailor a program of study to an individual student. Mattias Gassman is a great example of this. This over-achiever will graduate from college one week after graduating high school. And we’re not talking about a degree in liberal arts.

Mattias Gassman, 18, will graduate summa cum laude with two bachelors’ degrees from Iowa State University on Saturday. He majored in biophysics, German and classical studies.

Gassman started taking college courses when he was in fifth grade and enrolled full-time at age 14. ISU officials said he completed more than 232.5 credits, which is twice the number needed to graduate.

Gassman’s parents home-schooled him and by age 11 he scored high enough on the SAT to enroll in Latin 101 at ISU. School officials said he earned an “A” in the course.

“He was very self-directed. He might spend several weeks studying geography, then a period of time immersed in another subject,” said Brigitte.

Contrast Mattias’ success with public schools, where 30 percent or more of students will drop out of school without even a basic education. The freedom to choose your own path, or the lock-step of the failing government school? You decide.