how do homeschooled kids go about getting records for college? do all colleges recognize homeschool education? what if someone went to a private school from 3rd-11th grade and homeschooled the other 3 years?
In order to attent college, a home-schooled student would need to take the usual standardized tests. Most states require home-schooled students to take state tests to prove that they are learning the proper material. In the case that test scores are not available, such as with foreign students, colleges have placement exams which can be taken to determine eligibility.
It’s best for the student or her family to contact the colleges she is interested in to find out what they require of home educated children. Most colleges have no problem accepting portfolios, filled with essays, examples of student work, letters of recommendation, records of volunteer service, standardized test scores (SAT, etc) and junior college credit in lieu of a HS diploma. Many colleges actively recruit home educated students as they are proving to be extremely self-motivated and well -rounded.
My oldest daughter is currently an eighth-grade home educated student. Next year we plan to start contacting the colleges and Universities she is interested in to find out what kind of portfolio to put together for each one. When she is 16, she can enroll in junior college courses that will count for both high school and college credit. This often helps show evidence the student can do college level work.
This is totally annecdotal evidence. When my son was applying to undergraduates schools we happened to be in line behind a home schooled student. She and my son were applying at my alma mater. The first question from the recruiter was: What are your SATs. Her father answered proudly “780”.
And then proceeded to inquire about the availability of scholarships.
I’m not sure what my son learned in high school, beyond social skills. He did get a 1560 on his SATs, with an 800 verbal. And he had 31 hours of pass Advanced Placement tests. . .which meant he entered college as a sophomore. Finishing college summa cum laude in three years kind of helped get the attention of those grad school recruiters, who were flying him in for interviews.
I taught for 20 years. Home schooling is a disservice to any student. Learning means dealing with others, and coming to different levels of understanding. I could never have taught my son calculus; or a foreign language. Both contributed to his success.
I’m confused by your post, hroeder. First you state
and then you state
.
So which is it? Perhaps you should know what you are talking about before making such a broad statement. If by disservice you mean that I am depriving my children of the experience of having the joy taken out of the learning process, the mean-spirited, competitive culture of humiliation, and the inability to learn about that what interests them, then perhaps I am indeed providing a disservice.
My children are inquisitive, motivated, lovers of learning. They read the classics, enjoy writing poetry and fiction for fun, and are skilled at logic and rhetoric. They choose their own learning path based on the goals they have set for themselves and I simply stay out of their way and provide resources to them.
If my daughter surpasses my knowledge of a given subject, I find her a mentor. I am not a violinist, but I was able to find them a teacher. Imagine that. I don’t think you have any idea of the sheer volume of resources available to home educated children.
And I’m only going to touch on the myth of socialization in the schools. My children belong to a home school group and participate with many others in science club, math club, Lego robotics teams, organized sports, and the like. They volunteer at the animal shelter, accompany me on Therapy Dog visits, have friends at church and in the neighborhood, and are not limited by age or grade in who they can associate with.
If by socialization, you mean being forced to choose among kids who have similar birth years, but possibly nothing else in common when making friends, participating in nasty, gossipy, pack-oriented social networks, worrying about who likes who this week or this day, who has the coolest clothing, and who has the right status, then I believe we will pass.
Instead, my children socialize with a variety of people of all ages who share their common interests. They are learning to be of service, to encourage each other and their friends to success (rather than worrying that someone else’s performance reflects badly on them), and to get along with many people of diverse backgrounds. Adult life does not require one to group by age.
I feel my children are much better served by an educational program that allows them to learn, not regurgitate test answers. I’m sorry if you disagree, but you are wrong. How do you think most people were educated prior to the turn of the century? As a teacher yourself, you should understand that a teacher is but a facilitator. The good teacher provides the resources and helps the student discover on her own.