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Getting into College: Advice for Homeschoolers

Fulfilling High-School Requirements

Getting into College: Advice for Homeschoolers The best way for homeschoolers to prepare for college is to research the educational options and opportunities available. For some students, this process begins when they are only 12 or 13 years old. For other students, discovering what they want to do is an ongoing process, and the path unfolds as it is traveled. Homeschooling gives teens the time to explore their interests and talents to determine where they want to focus their energy. Delving into robotics, for example, may lead to an interest in electronics and a school with a focus on technology. Garment construction may lead to costuming and an art or design college. Preparing for different types of colleges requires different approaches, so it's advisable for students to have some sense of the area or areas that most interest them.

While high-school requirements are the same for homeschooled students as they are for public- or private-schooled students, how homeschoolers meet those requirements is up to the individual families. A standard high- school course of study includes:

• Four years of language arts (English)
• Three years of math (usually through Geometry or Algebra II)
• Two to three years of science
• Three to four years of social studies (History and Geography)
• Two years of foreign language
• Two years of electives (Music and Drama, for example)

Unlike traditionally schooled students, homeschoolers have the flexibility to fulfill their course work in nontraditional ways. Homeschooled students may satisfy their academic requirements through volunteer work, paid work, travel, and research, while also pursuing their own special interests or exploring their unique talents.

One homeschooled teen I know earned an American History credit through her volunteer hours at a nearby historical park, where a farm and buildings from the colonial period have been preserved. Costumed interpreters provide tours and facilitate activities from colonial times. The homeschooler designed and sewed her colonial costume, and became familiar with all aspects of colonial life through her frequent contact with the other interpreters.

Another teen volunteered at a nature preserve, and earned a credit in Environmental Science while working with naturalists and visiting scientists.

My daughter's love of literature led her to participate in a nationwide Shakespeare competition. To prepare for the event, she did extensive research and reading on Elizabethan times. Along the way, she met a wonderful professor (also a homeschooling mom), who guided her on an exploration of the history of the English language. This yearlong adventure earned her an English credit and also contributed towards her World History requirement. (And she was first runner-up in the competition!)

For more suggestions on how to transform your child's real-life learning experiences into high-school credits, read Homeschooling the Teen Years: Your Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 13 to 18 Year Old by Cafi Cohen. You'll discover teaching methods for teens with different learning styles, learn how to utilize the best resources and technology, and find out how to foster unlimited learning on a limited budget.

There are numerous other ways for college-bound homeschooled teens to fulfill their high school requirements: distance-learning schools, pre-packaged curricula, independent-study opportunities, homeschool classes, and community colleges. You might choose to utilize any one of these options, or all of them, depending on your teen's needs, talents, and abilities.

Documentation Is KeyCollege admissions officers are looking for evidence that your child will be an asset to their school and will be able to succeed in a college environment. Good documentation and advance planning will help your teen make a strong presentation of his or her abilities to admissions officers. Begin to investigate possible college choices early to determine exactly what documentation is required. Admissions criteria may be based on a portfolio, a transcript, an essay, letters of recommendation, and/or test scores. Knowing the requirements can help you determine what type of record keeping you will need.

Transcripts
For college admissions officers, a transcript is like a snapshot. It gives them a quick look at the homeschooler, her skills, and her knowledge. It is usually presented through number or letter grades, or in clean, efficient prose. It may list classes taken and the grades earned, or it may efficiently categorize the student's past accomplishments. Homeschoolers may obtain a transcript from an outside source, such as a distance-learning school, or they can create their own transcript at home.

Note that not all colleges require a transcript. Visit the website of the school your child hopes to attend to find out whether a transcript is required for admission.

My homeschooling family uses the Clonlara School (www.Clonlara.org), an accredited distance-learning school, because of the flexibility of their curriculum and their provision of a diploma and official transcripts. Clonlara supplies us with an official transcript listing subjects and grades after my daughter Jessica submits her required course work for the year. The transcript is identical to most public- or private-school transcripts. When Jess meets the requirements for graduation, she will receive a diploma.

Clonlara is just one distance-learning option. For a complete list of diploma and independent study programs, visit Cafi Cohen's teens and college website.

Portfolios
If a student's accomplishments are best appreciated by displaying their work, a portfolio is critical. Most art and design schools require a portfolio. Loretta Heuer, author of The Homeschooler's Guide to Portfolios and Transcripts, describes a portfolio as "a collection of artifacts that has been selected from a larger body of work — a carefully designed sampler created for a specific reason. It should not be cumbersome — the word "port"-folio indicates a portable collection." Think "scrapbook," taken to a professional level.

Wherever you are on your homeschool timeline, Heuer advises that now is the time to start documenting homeschooling activities. Even if you're a late starter, The Homeschooler's Guide to Portfolios and Transcripts offers strategies to help you recall the past, discover documentation where you thought none existed, and design courses retroactively from what you've already learned.

Extracurricular Activities
Colleges will also want a record of your child's nonacademic accomplishments. Volunteer activities, clubs, sports, leadership roles, and work experience all play a vital role in the acceptance process. Keep records of everything your teen does. You can record activities on a monthly grid sheet or in a notebook, and you can keep related documentation in a special drawer or box.

Besides keeping a daily journal (sometimes only a sentence or two), I keep all the playbills, handouts, certificates, and awards my kids receive during the year in a drawer in my filing cabinet. This helps when I need to recall specific information about events that occurred months ago.

To Test...Or Not to Test

To Test...
If your teen will be taking the SAT, ACT, or similar tests, he will need to prepare at least a year or so in advance. Most students take the tests during their junior year, so plan accordingly. Take a trip to your library and sample the array of SAT prep books. Then buy the one your teen likes best. The Princeton Review has a CD ROM titled, "Inside the SAT," which my daughter found helpful. Standard Deviants offers an SAT test prep DVD that is both informative and funny. There are also numerous websites that offer SAT help.

Or Not to Test...
Many homeschooling families believe the SAT or ACT tests are a poor judge of college readiness and refuse to have their children take the tests. According to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, there are over 700 colleges -- more than a quarter of the national total -- that do not use the SAT or the ACT as a basis for admission.

"Colleges and universities eliminate test-score requirements for many reasons," explains Bob Schaeffer, Fair Test's public education director. Among them is the recognition that "high-priced coaching programs artificially boost the scores of students who can afford them." Schaeffer says that most schools agree that scores from a three-hour exam add little of value to an applicant's portfolio.

For a list of colleges that do not require the SAT, visit Fair Test.

Application Essays and Recommendation Letters

Application Essays
For homeschooled students, application essays may matter more than test scores and transcripts. Certain colleges rank transcripts first and essays second, often ahead of the college entrance exams. Cafi Cohen explains: "Even schools that read essays only in borderline cases probably read every essay from homeschoolers. Because of the presumed bias in homeschool transcripts, admissions officers usually give more attention to other documentation -- test scores, letters of recommendation, interviews, and essays."

Homeschoolers are able to draw on a wealth of experiences and create essays that highlight their unique approach to learning. After my daughter has an especially gratifying or moving experience, I often remind her that it would be an unusual or interesting essay topic. Cohen's College Admissions Handbook contains examples of actual essays and practical advice on what is expected from homeschoolers. While a more competitive college may require up to three essays, some colleges don't require any. The only way to find out is to request an application.

Recommendation Letters
For homeschoolers, letters of recommendation can substitute for the traditional letters from guidance counselors, principals, and teachers. Homeschool parents are advised to begin requesting letters of recommendation when their child enters eighth grade. Girl Scout and 4-H leaders, dance or music teachers, employers, pastors, rabbis, and college teachers are all good sources of recommendations.

It's important to request a letter in a timely fashion -- i.e., when a recent experience with your child is still fresh in the person's mind. It can be hard to track down a mentor later on, when the letter is required for college. Ask the person writing the letter to include how he knows the student, what skills and accomplishments he observed, and, of course, why he recommends the student for admission.

You're Ready to ApplyOnce a homeschooler has all necessary documentation -- test scores (or not), a portfolio and/or transcript, an application essay, and letters of recommendation -- he can proceed just like any other college-bound student, investigating colleges that may be of interest and making campus visits. When requesting application forms, he should also ask for financial aid and scholarship forms. If an interview is desired or required, it should be scheduled as early as possible.

Parents should investigate all resources for funding. The U.S. Department of Education offers The Student Guide, a comprehensive resource on student financial aid. Bookstores and libraries have shelves filled with "money for college" books. One out-of-print resource, College Financial Aid for Dummies by Herm Davis and Joyce Lain Kennedy, is worth tracking down at libraries and used bookstores.

For free online scholarship searches, visit FastWeb Online Scholarship Search.

A Final WordResearching educational options and formulating a plan for college can seem overwhelming to homeschool parents. But starting early and being thorough are key. Begin by becoming familiar with all the college-prep resources that are available to parents today. Once you know what to expect and how to prepare, the task will seem much less daunting.

Recommended Reading
These excellent books can assist homeschool parents and their teens as they navigate the confusing path from homeschool to college.

• And What About College?: How Homeschooling Can Lead to Admissions to the Best Colleges & Universities by Cafi Cohen (Holt Associates, 2000).

• College Financial Aid for Dummies by Herm Davis and Joyce Lain Kennedy (John Wiley & Sons, 1997).

• Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook: Preparing 12- to 18-Year-Olds for Success in the College of Their Choice by Cafi Cohen (Crown Publishing Group, 2000).

• The Homeschooler's Guide to Portfolios and Transcripts by Loretta Heuer, M.Ed. (Peterson's, 2000).

• Homeschooling the Teen Years: Your Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 13 to 18 Year Old by Cafi Cohen (Crown Publishing Group, 2000).

Helpful Websites
Diploma and Independent Study Programs:
www.homeschoolteenscollege.com/diplomaisp.htm

Free online scholarship searches:
www.fastweb.com

List of colleges that do not require the SAT:
www.fairtest.org/optinit.htm

U.S. Department of Education's The Student Guide, a comprehensive resource on student financial aid:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html