Home schooling Solution

What is a Homeschool Friendly College?

The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) does a wonderful job of explaining what it means to be a homeschool friendly college. Here is a link to that information: HSLDA.org .

In general, a homeschool friendly college is one that treats a homeschool applicant the same as a public school applicant. Your child would be requested to take the exact same tests as any other student – more tests are not required of a homeschool applicant. Some colleges say they are homeschool friendly, when in reality they have “hoops” that we have to jump through. HSLDA has a rating scale for college admission policies here:

Tier 1: The college accepts the parent’s transcript, along with general standardized achievement testing, and/or the review of a portfolio.

Tier 2: The college requires a GED in place of, or in addition to, any of the Tier I requirements.

Tier 3: This type of college requires test scores (like the SAT II) from home school students that are not required of traditional high school students, which is inequitable.

Let’s compare three colleges that claim to be homeschool friendly: Trinity Western University,The University of Washington, and Evergreen State College.

Trinity Western University

Trinity Western University is actively seeking homeschoolers, telling me: “TWU is a great fit for homeschoolers because we are a small university that has the ability to provide students with an incredible campus community to be a part of, lots of individual attention and the opportunity to grow academically in the students own area of strength.” When you look at their homeschool admission policy, it reads:
“Students who complete their secondary education through homeschooling must complete the regular application for admission and TWU’s Homeschool Education Background Chart. They must also submit official SAT or ACT scores.”

I looked at TWU’s Homeschool Education Background Chart, and it looks the same as a homeschool transcript except that it is signed by the parent, declaring it to be true. It asks what curriculum is used. It does not ask for additional testing. I found it interesting that Trinity Western University does not require a foreign language. Notice that this college is NOT asking for an accredited transcript. What about scholarships at Trinity Western University?
“Homeschoolers are considered for scholarships based on parent provided grades. TWU does not look at SAT or ACT scores to determine scholarships – just GPA (since Canadian students do not write the SAT or ACT). However we do require the SAT or ACT for admission purposes.”

For more information about Trinity Western University, see their website or contact Sharon Peters in admissions: sharonp@twu.ca .

The University of Washington

The University of Washington wants homeschoolers as well. On the UW website, their homeschool policy states: “The University of Washington values all forms of learning. Homeschooled students bring myriad unique qualities to our campus, and we welcome their interest in the UW.” Their policy accepts a homeschool transcript, saying:

“Homeschooled applicants must present a homeschool transcript that includes course titles of each subject studied, duration of study, a short description of content, and grade or assessment of performance.”

Notice that this college is NOT asking for an accredited transcript.

Unfortunately the policy also goes on to say this:

“Homeschool course work must also be validated in the four core subject areas listed below. (No testing is required for social studies or arts.) Homeschooled applicants must submit official test scores for validation. The following scores provide such validation:”

The policy statement goes on to explain how the SAT may provide documentation for math, English and science, but that more testing is needed. They want additional tests to demonstrate science and foreign language as well. That means that homeschoolers are required to take more tests than other applicants! This demonstrates a policy that is not homeschool friendly. They are listed as “tier 3″ by HSLDA. That doesn’t mean that homeschoolers can’t be admitted. It does mean that it is harder to go through the process of admission.

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Homeschooling, Unschooling and College Admission

The College Board, founded in 1900 to “Connect students to college success and opportunity” publishes guides to college admissions, College test prep guides and also information on grants and scholarships. In an article on their website, entitled “Home-Schooled Students and Admission” they encourage homeschoolers with tips for putting together a portfolio, letters of recommendation, meeting deadlines and acing interviews, advising them to contact the school they wish to attend for specific requirements for homeschoolers, since many schools now have an official process for reviewing homeschooled applicants.

Homeschool Letters of Recommendation for College Applications

Larry and Susan Kaseman, in an article entitled “Credentials for Homeschoolers,” published in the January/ February 2007 edition of Home Education Magazine, advise homeschoolers and unschoolers to begin acquiring letters of recommendation early and choose which letters to use judiciously. The more prestige and influence the letter-writer has will be important, as will their grounds for writing the letter.

Ideally, letters of recommendation will come from influential adults (alumnae of the intended University, perhaps) which speak about the student’s written and oral communication skills, leadership skills, passion for the proposed course of study, ability to work with a group and other character traits as well as professional skills.

SAT Testing and AP Testing for Homeschoolers

SAT and AP test scores are an important part of college applications, especially for students who enter without community college experience or transcripts. AP tests can be self-studied. AP Course descriptions are available online at no cost, and can be used as study guides. AP testing occurs in May at community colleges, check the College Board website or your local high school guidance counselor for AP and SAT testing dates and registration. CollegeConfidential.com also has resources for helping homeschoolers meet the testing requirements for College admission.

Books About Homeschooling and College Requirements for Homeschoolers

The first published account of the steps it takes for homeschoolers to get into Ivy League colleges was that of David & Micki Colfax, who authored Homeschooling for Excellence [Warner books, 1988] whose children ended up attending Harvard University.

Cafi Cohen’s Homeschoolers’ College Admissions Handbook: Preparing Your 12- to 18-Year-Old for a Smooth Transition [Prima Publishing, 2000] provides a workable plan for homeschoolers and helps families understand what admissions offices are looking for and how homeschooling families can plan ahead to provide a portfolio that shows colleges what they want to see.

College Without High School: A Teenager’s Guide to Skipping High School and Going to College, by Blake Boles [Friesens, 2009] gives an up-to-date discussion of the changing face of college admissions and helps unschoolers and home schoolers find ways to manage their study time.

Accelerated Distance Learning by Brad Voeller [Global Publishing, 2001] outlines the steps his mother took to ensure that each of her ten homeschooled children had their bachelor’s degree by the time they were 18, for less than $5000 each. Their method involved self-study, challenging some courses, testing out of as many classes as possible and reliance upon their local community college.

The most common thread of advice is to look into colleges early and start communicating with their admissions office in order to learn what they want from homeschoolers, meet deadlines, be professional in both written and verbal communication.