As home schooling has become more widespread, college admission offices are seeing more applications from home-schooled students. But applying to college is still a little more complicated for a home-schooled student than for a student who attends high school.
"Colleges and universities send conflicting messages to home-schooled students with their admission policies," says Donald Hapward, former dean of admissions at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. "[Students] face a multitude of requests and hoops to jump through depending upon the schools they are investigating or the state or region of the country in which they reside."
The Portfolio
The main "problem" that colleges face in evaluating a home-schooler's application is figuring out what you have learned and how you compare to the other, more traditional, applicants. Here is where good record-keeping can make a difference.
In the absence of a high-school transcript, you and your parents must provide documentation of the material you studied and the level of academic performance you achieved. This documentation will be different for each student, depending on how your home school was organized. Some home-schoolers are enrolled in an umbrella school that is accredited to grant a diploma and send transcripts to colleges. Most other students will probably need to compile a portfolio of their work.
Some elements of a portfolio might include a transcript written by your parent, titles of textbooks completed, samples of papers or projects you've completed, and anything else that indicates the breadth and depth of your study. Consult the admission office of the college that interests you to find out what they expect.
Standardized Tests
Unfortunately, colleges will likely weigh your SAT or ACT scores more heavily than the scores of a traditional applicant. Because there's no way to compare your academic record to the records of other applicants, your test scores are the only way to rate you in a college's pool of applicants.
Stanford University's (CA) statement on home-school applications makes a good point concerning comparisons between applicants: "There is actually not a great deal of difference between someone with no formal grades or transcript and someone with excellent grades from a small, rural high school from which we have seen no other applicants. Grades are more meaningful when they help us distinguish between students in large high schools where there are known standards. Home schooling records lack a comparative context."
Because of the increased emphasis on test scores, it may be wise to invest some time in test preparation. You may choose to take a test-prep course or just set aside some time to work through one or more sample tests or test-prep books.
"Most home-schoolers that I've encountered do exceptionally well on standardized testing," says Lisa Sommers, admissions counselor at Wilson College (PA) and a home school alumna. "Make sure you are well prepared for the SAT or ACT. It speaks very loudly, especially if you don't have an official transcript."
You may also want to consider taking one or more subject-matter tests (such as SAT II or AP). Colleges should not require home-school students to take these tests (unless they're required of all applicants), but good scores on subject-matter tests can only bolster your applications.
Getting to Know You
An often-repeated myth is that home schooling leads to a lack of socialization. You can debunk that myth (especially at colleges that aren't familiar with home-schooled students) simply by letting your personality and interests show through your application.
Make sure to list your extracurricular activities, and include any leadership experiences you have had. Your activities may be more community or church centered than a typical high school student's activities, but the type of activities isn't that important to colleges. They are just looking for evidence that you'll participate in the life of the college once you're on campus.
The college essay is a key component of a home schooler's application. Here is where you can show not only your writing skills, but your personality and thoughtfulness.
"Some colleges will appreciate it if you can address in your essay your experience of home schooling, your philosophy of education, and why you chose to home school," says Sommers. "This helps the counselors get to know you and understand your background."
Finding Home-School-Friendly Colleges
Some colleges are much more home-school-savvy than others. A number of colleges, including Stanford University (CA), Oglethorpe University (GA), and Mary Baldwin College (VA), have detailed discussions of home schooling and admission on their Web sites. Some colleges actively recruit home schoolers. But at the other end of the spectrum, you may find some colleges that have no written policies on home-schooled applicants and have never received an application from a home-schooled student.
Several home-schooling Web sites offer lists of home-school-friendly colleges. The Home School Legal Defense Association rates colleges according to their admission policies for home-school applicants. (Note that only colleges who have filled out a survey are listed.) The Learn in Freedom site offers a long list of colleges that are "known to have admitted homeschoolers."
But you don't have to limit yourself to home-school-savvy colleges. If you're interested in a particular college, call or write to the admissions office concerning their application requirements for home-schoolers. Even a college that has never admitted a home-schooler may be eager to consider you.
A Final Thought
Despite the increased interest in and acceptability of home-schooled applicants, you could still encounter some negative attitudes toward home schooling. Don't let this deter you from pursuing your college dream.
"Home schooled students and parents need to know that there are a lot of colleges these days that respect their educational preparation," says Clayton Smith, director of admissions and marketing at SUNY Cobleskill (NY) and a home-school parent. "With a little assertiveness on their part, they will probably find most colleges these days as welcoming to home-schoolers. Why not? They are great students!"
Written by Jennifer Gross.
Published January/February 2003.