Lesson 7: College and Career
College and Career Prospects
“When homeschooling kids get into college, not on the basis of a high-school transcript but on the basis of what they have learned and done during those years, they show that there are other ways t evaluate people’s abilities.” - Susannah Sheffer, author of several books and editor of Growing Without Schooling.
For those planning to attend college, it’s a good idea to learn about college admission, financial aid, grants, and scholarships some time in advance in order to better prepare to meet admissions requirements such as testing, essays, recommendation letters, transcripts, and other records. It’s also important to learn which colleges accept homeschoolers, and to familiarize yourself with their homeschool-specific admission policies. Although some colleges may not admit homeschoolers (or haven’t yet), the list of colleges that do continues to grow. The best way to find out is to ask or apply.
“Whether your children are schooled, traditionally educated at home or unschooled, college admissions is not a guarantee. Don't fret, though, unschooled children are quite successful at getting into college. Not only are they getting into college but they are doing well once they get there. Make no mistake, unschooling works well for college bound teens. Stories about them abound and some of these stories are being written up in widely circulated magazines and newspapers including The New York Times.” - Alison McKee, former unschooling mother and author of From Homeschool to College and Work: Turning Your Homeschooled Experiences into College and Job Portfolios.
Many, but not all, colleges require that prospective students pass certain tests (PSAT, SAT, ACT, ACT II) before entering college. Homeschoolers can prepare for these tests by using one of the many available test preparation books. They will usually take these tests at the local public high school. College Board offers an online SAT preparation course, http://www.collegeboard.com/ and other test preparation tools.
In addition to taking any required tests, homeschoolers may be required to prepare their own transcripts, or otherwise summarize what they have learned that demonstrates that they are prepared to take college-level courses. Their transcripts should show that they have covered the subjects that colleges require for entrance as first-year students.
Another way for your child to prove that he or she is ready for college-level courses is to take courses at your local community college. These classes may even be transferrable to the college. Many community colleges offer transfer programs in which students can take many of their undergraduate requirements for less cost than at a larger college. This may be a good option for homeschoolers since community college entrance requirements are less strict.
Another way community college courses can be beneficial to your homeschooler is by giving them the experience, if they’ve never had it, of sitting in a college classroom and complying with classroom routines and expectations. Another new experience may be in interacting with fellow students who do not value learning for its own sake.
“Many technical schools offer a two year AA degree in "liberal studies." Often these programs are open to homeschoolers. Liberal studies programs offer courses which are typically required of all first and second year college students. Although a technical school program may not be a very prestigious way to complete ‘general distribution requirements,’ the benefit of using technical school/junior college can be substantial. It is a considerably less expensive way to complete basic requirements and smaller class size offers individualized attention that is often unavailable at larger universities and colleges. After completing such a degree, transfer into a four year college is possible.” - Alison McKee.
- Books:
- From Homeschool to College and Work: Turning Your Homeschooled Experiences into College and Job Portfolios by Alison McKee.
- Bear's Guide to Earning College Degrees Nontraditionally by John Bear, Mariah Bear, M.A., Maria P. Bear, and Tom Head.
- What About College?" How Homeschooling Leads To Admissions to the Best Colleges and Universities, by Cafi Cohen.
- Articles and Websites:
- ’Homeschoolers’ College Admissions Handbook,’ http://www.homeschoolzone.com/hsz/cohen6...
- ’And What About College?,’ by Cafi Cohen, http://www.homeschoolzone.com/hsz/articl... A comparison of the use of transcripts and portfolios for college admission.
- ’Colleges That Admit Homeschoolers,’ by Karl Bunday, http://learninfreedom.org/colleges_4_hms...
- College Board SAT Preparation, http://www.collegeboard.com/ An association of colleges, universities, and other educational organizations, offering programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning.
- ’Getting College Credits in High School,’ http://www.homeschoolzone.com/faces/krob...
