homeschoolers

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
homeschoolers
35
Thu, 03-22-2007 - 7:38pm
Hi,
I was just wondering.... when high school kids apply to university the schools need a transcript of their academic record. What do homeschoolers need? I don't think in Ontario they are tested by the board so how does the universities they are applying to know what their grades are like?
Kelly

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2003
In reply to: kellyh33
Thu, 03-22-2007 - 11:13pm

There are a few options. I 'll list them in point form because it is easier .


- they can get a GED


- many universities have homeschool admission policies involving admission testing, portfolios, and interviews


- they can wait until they are 19 and apply as a mature student.


-

Linda
mom to
Alex (16), Rachel (14), Matthew (12)


iVillage Member
Registered: 05-15-2005
In reply to: kellyh33
Thu, 03-22-2007 - 11:44pm

Here in the US - it depends on the curriculum you use - my niece is doing BYU high school online and they provide transcripts - I know there are quite a few other places that do the same.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: kellyh33
Fri, 03-23-2007 - 12:32am

Here in Texas we are considered a private school and have the same rights and privileges of any private school.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
In reply to: kellyh33
Fri, 03-23-2007 - 8:13am
I never thought about an online program. This makes a lot of sense.
Thanks,
Kelly
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: kellyh33
Fri, 03-23-2007 - 10:25am

I agree that they look more at SAT/ACT scores than their transcripts. There are plenty of examples of transcrips on the internet you can download and customize to provide one yourself and put thier grades in. Also, many community colleges accept high school kids once they're 16 so having 12 hours (4 classes) under their belts by the time they graduate high school places them into 'transfer student' mode instead of incoming freshman!

Denise

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-03-2003
In reply to: kellyh33
Fri, 03-23-2007 - 11:33am
Just my humble opinion, but homeschooling really puts the top university's out of reach for the vast majority of these homeschooled kids. Lets be honest, a HS diploma from a good High School contrasted with a GED or a diploma signed by "mom" just isn't going to be given the same consideration. If I had a teaching degree I could possibly understand a benefit to homeschooling, but many of these kids are being schooled by parents who are only high school graduates themsleves with no credentials. I just don't understand how that benefits the child in the adult world, with the reality of having to compete with other young adults for top colleges and more importantly good roles with good employers. Isn't the teamwork you learn in public school by working through adversity with others, mirror the experiences of the world of work?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: kellyh33
Fri, 03-23-2007 - 1:00pm

You're right, if a teen spent his years at the kitchen table with his nose in a book then he won't have the social skills to deal with societal pressures. But the reality of it is that parents of homeschoolers usually know when they're in deep water and there are TONS of outside resources for these kids. Most organized homeschool groups will contract with a teacher or college professer to teach sciences and advanced math and things like that. Its a huge myth that these kids are secluded, they are actually MORE socialized. They participate in sports, scouts, churches (if affliated) and actually do more in the community by volunteering because they have more availabe time during the week. Do you REALLY think these teens are gonna sit at home with mom and dad all the time?

Homeschooling has evolved into a massive movement, mostly in protest of the school environments and and poor academic success..focus on passing the end of year test instead of having an enriched learning experience. Very few kids are taught by 'uneducated parents', in fact a recent article in the Wall Street Journal (forgive me for not being able to find the link) showed that a majority of homeschoolers now are children of professionals who want a better education for thier kids. That combined with online classes, community college classes as well as the amazing curriculum you can purchase (most include instructional videos) give these kids a very well-rounded education.

As for colleges..well..do some research and you'll find many, including Stanford University especially, actively RECRUIT homeschoolers. Thats why many have special depts and offices for their admissions process. Homeschoolers by far do much better in college than regular graduates (according to them) because of higher thinking skills and better research skills. By having to pursue thier knowledge instead of having it handed to them on a worksheet, their study skills are far superior. Of course this is about homeschooled kids who actually thrived and are applying for college admissions, NOT the goofball who got kicked out of school and had to finish up online!

Just as there are a wide range of success/failure stories in the public school system, there are just as varied successes/failures in homeschooling. So in theory, the top universities are just as 'in reach' for homeschoolers as they are for regular public schoolers...how many of THEM qualify for these top schools?

Denise

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-03-2003
In reply to: kellyh33
Fri, 03-23-2007 - 2:15pm

Hi Woodbabe, it seems like this is a hot potatoe of a subject and I don't want to ruffle feathers....lol. No offense, but your writing style seems authoritative but you don't really offer any data to back up your claims. A few questions:

------>"Very few kids are taught by 'uneducated parents', in fact a recent article in the Wall Street Journal (forgive me for not being able to find the link) showed that a majority of homeschoolers now are children of professionals who want a better education for thier kids."<---------

Can you quantify this? Not just point out to the article with an authors opinion but the specific data that backs up the claim?

--------->As for colleges..well..do some research and you'll find many, including Stanford University especially, actively RECRUIT homeschoolers-----------

Again, qauntify this with specifics. Specific examples of Universities that actively recruit homeschoolers. I'm not talking about links to homeschool support websites---but actual University admission office policies.

--------->Homeschoolers by far do much better in college than regular graduates (according to them) because of higher thinking skills and better research skills.<------.

Name the specific research or study that substantiates this claim as factual.

------->by having to pursue thier knowledge instead of having it handed to them on a worksheet, their study skills are far superior,<-----------------

Again, please point to specfic data that shows homeschooled children have superior study skills

--------->So in theory, the top universities are just as 'in reach' for homeschoolers as they are for regular public schoolers...how many of THEM qualify for these top schools?<-----------

Again, factual data to prove this point.




Edited 3/23/2007 2:16 pm ET by jenny3kidsmom
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: kellyh33
Fri, 03-23-2007 - 3:43pm

Well, I didn't know I'd be writing a report today but I'll try to provide the info that you wanted!

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/characteristics.asp
In 1999, compared to nonhomeschooled students, homeschooled students were more likely to have parents whose highest level of educational attainment was a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Education Policy Analysis Archives
Scholastic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics
of Home School Students in 1998
http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v7n8/
*Home school parents have more formal education than parents in the general population; 88% continued their education beyond high school compared to 50% for the nation as a whole.
*Almost 25% of home school students are enrolled one or more grades above their age-level peers in public and private schools.
*Home school student achievement test scores are exceptionally high. The median scores for every subtest at every grade (typically in the 70th to 80th percentile) are well above those of public and Catholic/Private school students.

http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2000/novdec/articles/homeschooling.html
Among the nation's elite universities, Stanford has been one of the most eager to embrace them.

For the past two years, for instance, the University has tracked every application from a homeschooled student. These forms get flagged with a special code that lets reviewers find them among stacks of applications and helps admission officials chart emerging trends.

So why is the University interested? Admission officers sum it up in two words: intellectual vitality.

It's the spark, the passion, that sets the truly exceptional student--the one driven to pursue independent research and explore difficult concepts from a very early age--apart from your typical bright kid. Stanford wants students who have it.

"Homeschooled students may have a potential advantage over others in this, since they have consciously chosen and pursued an independent course of study."

AMONG HOMESCHOOLERS who end up at Stanford, "self-teaching" is a common thread. Parents usually teach in the early grades, assigning and correcting work, but later shift to a supervisory role, spending more time tracking down books and mentors. Stanford-bound homeschoolers typically take several college courses before they apply. The admission office encourages this, both to help with evaluation and to give students a taste of classroom learning before they arrive on the Farm.

UNIVERSITIES W/ ONLINE ADMISSION POLICIES FOR HOMESCHOOLERS:

http://www.ccis.edu/day/admissions/homeschooled.asp
http://www.fhsu.edu/admissions/homeschool/
http://bestinclass.hamilton.edu/admission/ApplicationProcess/homeschool.html
http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/homeschooled_applicants_helpful_tips/homeschooled_applicants.shtml
http://www.notredamecollege.edu/admissions/undergrad.html
http://www.academyadmissions.com/admissions/howtoapply/homeschool.php

Homeschoolers Find University Doors Open
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/06/AR2007030600081_pf.html

I'll be glad to answer any more questions you have!

Denise

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2003
In reply to: kellyh33
Fri, 03-23-2007 - 3:49pm
LOL Denise, why does it not surprise me that you would throw out hte info as requsted, LOL!

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