How Do Homeschoolers Get Into College?
If you are thinking of homeschooling your child through high school, you might be wondering how homeschoolers can attend college. Some parents worry that homeschoolers are looked down upon by colleges, but this is far from the truth. This article will help you understand the process of preparing for college as a homeschooler.
Because of the many benefits of homeschooling, the popularity of non-traditional education is rapidly increasing. With around 3.7 million children being homeschooled in the US, colleges are certainly taking notice of these students. Studies have shown that homeschooled students score significantly higher on standardized tests than those who have been traditionally schooled. Therefore colleges have made it easier for homeschooled students to go through the application process. Some colleges even seek out homeschoolers and have admissions counselors who are dedicated to working through the application process with them.
So how exactly do homeschoolers get accepted to college?
Preparing for College as a Homeschooler
Although every college has different requirements, the application process for homeschooled students is not much different than it is for traditionally schooled students. Here is what you will need to successfully prepare for college and the college application process as a homeschool parent or student.
Create a High School 4 Year Plan
High School students need to earn a certain number of credits in order to graduate and earn a diploma. You will need to research your state’s requirements. After you have learned what credits you need to earn, you can determine what classes you want to take based on your interests. This is a great High School 4 Year Planner that we used and was super helpful.
Official High School Transcript & GPA
An Official High School Transcript with a GPA will need to be created for homeschooled high schoolers. Transcripts should list all of the high school courses that were taken along with the grades that were given, and the credits earned. A GPA (grade point average) should also be calculated and recorded on the transcript. There are free high school transcript templates that you can download and use, as well as online GPA calculators.
Dual Enrollment
Colleges like to see that students can handle a traditional class before entering college. Dual enrolling for classes at your local community college will earn high school and college credits. This is also a great way to save money on college courses. Dual enrollment courses should be specified as DE on high school transcripts.
Standardized Test Scores
For homeschoolers, standardized test scores such as the SAT and ACT are heavily weighted by colleges since grading is typically non-traditional. It will be very helpful to either complete an SAT prep or ACT prep course or use Khan Academy to help equip your student.
Extracurricular Activities
Homeschooled students have more freedom to deeply pursue their passions and interests. On college applications, students have the opportunity to describe sports they played, musical instruments they learned, or clubs they participated in on college applications. They should also tell about any special achievements or awards they earned such as a black belt in martial arts or placing in a robotics competition. Colleges also like to see that a student has been involved in community service. They should seek out leadership opportunities as well as this will make them desirable candidates.
Essay Writing Skills
Make sure your homeschool students are taught to be good writers! They will need to write personal essays for college applications. My senior is dual-enrolled this year in an English Composition class and he says that the writing curriculum I used with him since his elementary years, IEW or Institue for Excellence in Writing, has really prepared him well for his college writing class.
I will be graduating my second son this year and he has decided to attend Palm Beach Atlantic University starting in the fall. Homeschooled students can and do get into their colleges of choice when they plan and prepare for the path that they desire to take.
If you have any additional information that would be helpful for homeschoolers to prepare for college, please post it below!
