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Getting Into College
by Linda Price
Q: A homeschool friend of mine is
using an accredited homeschool course so that her daughter
could go back to school and college. I have been looking
at curriculum courses that I can teach my children without
the tie to private schools. Can my children still get into
college if I teach them that way, or do I need to go with
an “accredited” course? I have seen books that
help you create a transcript for colleges. Is that something
I should look into? What is the best way to insure that
my children get into college?
A: No one can answer all the possible questions of all college
bound home school students because the questions can be
as varied as the number of both available career choices
and enrollment choices including secular and private colleges
and universities, vocational trade schools, and military
enlistment. Before graduation, if your student is interested
in attending a particular school, checking with that institution's
admissions office regarding admission requirements and their
willingness to work with your private home school would
be a good idea to help your family make timely planning
decisions.
Regarding general planning for college entrance, successful
secondary learning can occur using either a course tied
to a private school or a more flexible curriculum. The flexible
curriculum may give a student more time to pursue his or
her own individual interests.
SAT testing scores can be used as a measure of a student's
mastery of concepts. Information on SAT testing at Omaha
Christian Academy for home school students is published
annually in the HEN newsletter.
Dual enrollment in a community college (i.e.Metropolitan
Community College or Iowa Western Community College ) while
a home school student is still in high school also can help
a student to adjust to traditionally structured college
classes. A student might start with non credit classes and
then take credit classes. Occasionally, a home schooled
high school student even completes a college associate's
degree by the time he or she graduates from high school.
Check with your community college for age entrance requirements.
Some home school college bound students also choose to
do the testing for the GED high school equivalency diploma.
GED testing information is available at your community college.
Regarding the use of transcripts, I would recommend reading
“The Homeschooler’s Guide to Portfolios and
Transcripts" by Loretta Heuer, M.Ed.
Considering all of the opportunities available to home school
college bound students, families can feel assured that their
children will not only get into college but also be able
to perform very well in college.
If you have a homeschooling question and
would like to “Ask The Veterans”, please put
it in writing to Board@OmahaHEN.org
or to: HEN Newsletter, 2610 Morrie Dr., Bellevue, NE 68147.
We will forward your question along to our veteran moms
who will respond for publishing in a future newsletter.
The information provided on this site does
not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any of
the members of the Home Educators Network. HEN does not
endorse the viewpoints nor recommend the products represented
by any of the links from this site. These links are offered
as points which are of interest and use to many homeschoolers.
None of the information distributed by HEN, either verbal
or written, is intended as legal advice and should not take
the place of legal counsel from a qualified, informed attorney. |
