In a recent homeschooling graduation article the writer, Michael Alison Chandler also interviewed some college admission officers.
Here is what the college admissions officers are saying:
Granted, everybody’s kids are great,” said Earl Granger, associate provost for enrollment at the College of William and Mary. “But it’s great when we can get an external source to really comment on a student’s progress.
While Former Stanford University Admission Counselor Jon Reider, feels homeschoolers’ maturity is an asset, he also said,
The rising number of home-schoolers means they will have to work harder to set themselves apart. A lot of people in America are doing this.
So what does this mean to homeschoolers?
- It means that the fact that they are homeschooled and have a list of classes they covered may not get your kid into college in 4-6 years (this is when my kids should be starting college).
- It means that homeschoolers cannot be an island unto themselves when it comes to educating their kids. They need to bring other people who can give an informed assessment of your kids into the equation.
- It means that in five years, mom’s A may not be good enough.
- It means that homeschoolers will have to show as much uniqueness and individuality as possible.
So should we be afraid? I don’t think so. By sheer fact that homeschooling is becoming more and more popular and new homeschooled kids are ‘graduating’ every year, I have been painfully aware that my kids will have a few hoops to jump through to get into the college of their choice.
So what is a homeschooler to do?
- Participate in extra ordinary activities. Find volunteer opportunities… in Africa. Get a few hobbies that the average kid is not into, like archeology.
- Pick a sport that is unique. My kids like fencing. Their coach says good fencers always get scholarships because of the lack of kids in the sport.
- Back up grades. This can be done with Regents Exams, subject based SAT’s, and classes taken outside the home.
- Take a couple of non matriculated college courses to prove they are up to the task.
I am not saying a homeschoolers high school career has to be a circus act; to get an admissions officers attention. It just needs to hold a bit of individuality, have a couple of standout areas and some provable grades. You can still do the bulk of their education at home. In the end, it won’t be any more difficult for a homeschooled kids to get into college than a public schooled kid will. The homeschooled kid will just have a bit more freedom to make their application unique, and have a lot of other homeschooled kid to compete with.
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