There are a lot of homeschooling programs out there, but very few attempt to approach to education similar to the way traditional colleges do. In some cases, state and even private colleges and universities have the same problems with education as public schools do. However, there are also many very fine ones.
Homeschooled students almost without exception excel in college, both in the subject matter they're taking and in their eagerness to learn. Oftentimes, they are ready to college by the time they're in their mid to late teens. However, college application can be difficult for homeschooled students, because of the nontraditional setting.
The first obstacle is the absence of transcripts. However, many thousands or perhaps millions of homeschooled students have overcome this. Most universities, even those that are the most prestigious, accept students that have been homeschooled. Here, homeschooled students often excel.
One win over, the problem with the absence of transcripts is one that needs to be taken care of, as the child gets older. Many homeschooled programs have also implemented a structure that makes it easier to keep records and assign grades, such as is done in public schools. Because school records are taken seriously by most colleges, parents who homeschool should start keeping transcripts early and should also began looking for colleges early, in order to target those the homeschooled student might want to be admitted to.
To start, select a half a dozen colleges or universities that you are interested in and then ask the admissions department what they want in transcripts. More universities are becoming used to that question from homeschooled students and their parents. Roughly two million children per year are now homeschooled, and many still choose to go to a traditional four-year college.
Oftentimes, admissions officials look for other ways besides transcripts to judge whether a student is suitable for admission. The first level of admission is decided on purely on the basis of standardized test scores such as the ACT and SAT. Homeschooled students are free to take these just as their public and private school peers are. Oftentimes, homeschooled students do much better than their peers do on these tests. This gives them an advantage during the admissions process.
Beyond this first level, when objective data like test scores are gathered, many colleges then incorporate their own admissions tests. Among these, college applications may require students to write an essay as part of the process. This especially allows homeschooled students to shine by expressing their opinions and their own views of the world. This also gives admissions officers insight into students' abilities and tastes.
These essays often showcase students' personal interests, aptitude and other attributes that make them unique and noteworthy. This is something homeschoolers can excel in especially, because they have had such a nontraditional education.
Next, advanced placement courses often allow students who have been homeschooled to take classes in an independent study mode. This does not require traditional attendance at a class and can help provide necessary "transcript" data to admissions officers. Many can be taken as part of an accelerated learning program. In this case, the student studies material that is more advanced than that studied by his or her peers at their particular grade level.
These are ways in which school officials can see that homeschooled students are as prepared and perhaps more prepared than their traditionally schooled peers to attend their institution. There is still a prejudice that homeschooled students do not receive as rigorous an education as their public and private school peers do; these methods can help assuage that thinking and not only show that their skills are as adequate as their public school peers' are, but that they are often more advanced. This will show officials that homeschooled students are more than ready to tackle the challenges that college will bring them.
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