Of Homeschooling And College

There are many homeschooling programs in place today, but most of these are for primary and secondary education. Homeschooling approaches which try to incorporate the type and level of education offered in colleges and universities simply do not exist. Although there are many colleges, both private and state, which offer an education that is as poor as the public school education, there are plenty more which are excellent and offer great value!

Homeschooled kids on average are superior students compared to their peers; in the ability and enthusiasm to learn, in the happiness they obtain from doing so, and in the material they know. Hence, they will wish to get into an outstanding college to further their education and achieve their dreams. However, if you’re a homeschooled student, you’re going to have quite a bit of problems applying for college.

One of the biggest problems facing application is the absence of transcripts by state or private schools. Thousands of homeschooled students have, however, overcome this problem to join into prominent and respected universities.

The trick to dealing with this problem of transcripts is to build one as the student grows older. Most homeschooling approaches are quite rigid and structured, which makes the assigning of grades and keeping of records easier, somewhat like public schools. These transcripts matter a lot to the universities you apply to, so it’s best to begin earlier; when the student is doing early grades work.

Find out what colleges require in the form of transcripts. Make a list of the colleges you’re keen on getting into, and make some queries about the things they look for when it comes to transcripts. The admissions departments are familiar with this question, since they’ve had to answer to thousands of parents who have homeschooled teens. In fact, there are more than two million kids who do homeschooling and then get a four-year degree from a traditional college.

Admission department officials use other forms as well, to judge the suitability of the candidate. SAT and ACT are two of the standardized tests which matter, and clearing the cut-off for the university in question enables the homeschooled teen to make the first cut! Tests such as the SAT and ACT are open to everyone; homeschooled, private or public school students. Students who have been homeschooled do better than their peers in these tests, which give them a boost for college admission.

Other decisive factors then come into play. Most colleges undertake their own admission tests, which all prospective students are required to take. A statement of purpose and essay are also required, which allow one to express their views on what matters to them, as well as allowing the officials to get a glimpse of their true nature, ability and individual tastes.

Thus, an individual essay can be used to glean many things about a prospective college student; personal interests, abilities, skills, thoughts and so on. This personal essay is viewed by most students as their best chance at entry, and homeschooled students generally tend to wow the admission officials with their outstanding thirst for knowledge and quest for excellence.

Taking some Advanced Placement courses which do not require attendance in the classroom can help homeschooled teens to embellish the transcript that university officials require. Some of these are taken as a component of an accelerated learning program, whereby students who are ahead of their peers can learn new courses advancing their level of study compared to their peers.

Advanced Placement courses tell the admission officials that the applicant is fully prepared, and hasn’t been sitting around for the last decade exploring nature and learning to paint; a view of home schooling that many people seem to share! These courses reveal the obvious fact that homeschooled teens are as ready as they’ll ever be to prove their worth at a traditional college!