I was home schooled from kindergarten till I graduated and I would have it no other way, home schooling was by far the best thing that my parents could have ever done for me and my siblings in my opinion. I absolutely loved sleeping in, getting to play outside whenever I wanted, not have to get out of your pajamas all day long, as far as the kids point of view goes it is amazing. As far as the education goes, at least here in Texas any home school is counted as a private school because there are no regulations on what private schools have to teach. So, when I was done with all of my home schooling I walked away with a HS diploma just as anyone else who went to public or private school in Texas would (I know this isn't the same for every state). I got into college without any problems at all, I finished with honors and I am starting med school here in the fall. My younger brother, who was also home schooled, had the same experience and started his freshman year at Rice in Houston and is doing great.
I never lacked for social events because I was in YMCA soccer, did horse back riding lessons and competitions, etc. And i will also say this, my schooling was very basic, we did Math Reading and Writing. Very little of anything else in a structured sense. All of my liberal education came from the discovery channel, museums, trips to the zoo, etc. One of the things I learned right off the bat, is that when I went to college all I had to be able to do was know how to learn. Until I got into my senior classes, I never had to use anything that wasn't taught to be that semester, it was just regurgitation so long as I knew how to absorb what I read, write it down in a concise manor, and know the math to solve the problems on the board.
My wife went to an amazingly good public school where she was born in Mi, but had to finish her senior year in another school and hated it with a passion. When our first little rug rats come along we are in total agreement being from two different ends of the spectrum, we are home schooling our kiddos no doubt about it.
More than anything else though, one of the things I was happiest about in being home schooled is that, schooling at home you learn and love to learn. In all of my friends and observations about High School, you learn to fit in to a specific demographic and to give into the masses. (I know I have a slanted opinion and not trying to offend anyone, just the way I see it. Doesn't make it true, just what I observe.)
