When Your Homeschooler Hits College Age
Posted on October 21, 2008
When you first decide to homeschool your child, it can be overwhelming. All sorts of questions abound: what should we study; how; am I qualified? After youve gotten yourself into a routine, though, many of those uncertainties seem to fade away as you and your child discover the world together. However, after youve been at it for a few years, youre bound to notice that your child is reaching the age where people start asking about college.
That opens up a whole new can of worms for a homeschooler, and a whole new set of questions pop up. Will my homeschooler get into a good college? Will admissions officers look negatively on the homeschooling experience? Will my child fit in with the other students who are coming from a traditional school environment? The list is practically endless!
However, as most homeschooling parents are pleasantly surprised to discover, homeschooling doesnt work against your child when it comes time for college. In fact, many of the nations top schools seek out homeschooled students because of their diverse learning experiences and broad knowledge base! The admissions process may be a little different for homeschoolers, who may or may not have completed many of the standardized tests that are offered in traditional school settings.
Many of the top schools take the time to interview every student they are considering for acceptance. An interview is the best place for the homeschooler to shine. Its a chance to show all the knowledge and skills that are gained from homeschooling and its also the best place to show the independent thinking and maturity that often results from staying out of the traditional school setting. Since homeschoolers tend to be surrounded by adults more than children, they often demonstrate an ability to relate to the college environment more easily than a traditional student who has been indoctrinated in deference to authority and obedience to random rules designed to handle the herd.
The fact is, the college life is a lot different from a high school atmosphere. Most courses a student will take throughout their postsecondary education require few prerequisites that dont come directly from the college experience. A high school course in history is quite different from one in university: high school courses are designed to teach facts and basic skills, while a college course is designed to teach theories and independent thought.
The one aspect of the college admissions process that your homeschool student may miss out on is some of the scholarship opportunities. Many of the sports or club scholarships require participation in a high school environment. However, there are many scholarships available that arent tied to these activities, or will accept participation in community teams or clubs as equivalent. Make sure that you put the same effort into researching your college applications that you do into creating your homeschool experience.
Kim Yonkers has been home schooling her three children for several years. She also works as a freelance writer for http://www.homeschoolingplus.com - a site that provides information on home schooling curriculum, home schooling methods and more.
Fast College Funding
College education ensures you the brightest future with the fact of being expensive. That's why there is always a need of College Loan. Searches have ...
Why You Should Consolidate Your College Loans While In School
Before I tell you the four most important aspects of College Loan Consolidation you must know, understand that the well-known type of college loan rep...
Modern Day Snake Oil
How many remember the old saying Slick as a Snake Oil Salesman?It refers to the con artist of the 1800s who sold an oil that was suppose to protect a ...
Should You Attend A Community College?
The beginning years of college can influence many things, financially continuing college, choosing a major, and finding a spouse among other things. T...
Online High Schools vs Homeschooling
Is there a difference between online high schools and traditional homeschooling? And, if there is, does it really matter?A recent phenomenon is the nu...
Good Grades Are Not Enough In College
You are planning to work hard and achieve the best education you can for your future. Many opportunities will be open to you because you are going to ...
Sex on an Adjustable Bed
Some disturbing observations plucked from the Internet to amuse, bemuse and confuse. According to a recent search on my part, I came across some inter...
Handling The Web Spamming Disease
Perhaps one of the overall discomforts that most people have to deal with today is web spamming. People who have their own blogs and sites that contai...
College Funding and Student Loans
Most students do not have a college education handed to them. They have to figure out where they are going to obtain college funding for housing and o...
Student Loans - Why Would I Need A Student Loan?
Throughout the years, many new high school graduates have had to rely on student loans to attend the college of their choice. With each passing year, ...
529 College Plan, the Ticket to Your Child’s Bright Future
Now is as good a time as any to start thinking about your children's future. College costs continue rising each year and if you save up for higher edu...
How to Pay Money for College by Using the Internet
Hello fellow college student,College fees are outrageous! Have you ever realized just how much money is going into the "college-money-monster?" It of...
Consolidation Your Student Loans with Great Lakes
One of the first parts of the real world that usually hits students after they graduate from college is the realization that they have huge student lo...
How To Control College Expenses
Your tuition money probably won't take care of such loose ends as lab fees for specific courses, late registration charges, drop-and-add fees, library...
Student Loans & Debt
A Loan for CollegeIt seems as though it is easier to get a student loan these days. The hard part about how to get a college loan is "getting a good r...
» Filed Under
Home Schooling