LeCorbusier

Hi,

Just generally (I know it has been asked a thousand times), how do top LACs respond to homeschoolers?

As part of my homeschool curriculum, I have done a ton of truly independent, experiential learning. I've worked at a school as a teacher, administrator and I am starting in enrollment in a few weeks. How do top LACs look at this kind of stuff? Is it looked at as something unique (dare I say... a hook)? Is homeschooling itself something unique? When the admissions officers are talking, do they say "This kid is homeschooled, that shows (initiative, self-motivation, etc.)?

I know that some homeschoolers have to prove that they can handle themselves outside of (what is perceived as) their bubble, but what else do they look for?

My list is: Dartmouth, Middlebury, Bard, Williams, Carleton, Kalamazoo, Amherst and Hampshire.

Thanks!

Jasonvdm

They do respond positively, it is a bit unique, but not a huge booster. You do have to prove yourself like any other student.

They look for a student that is going to mesh with the other students very well. They don't want someone who is a loner and quite "weird" in their student population, if you know what I mean. Make them like you, that's what it's about!

'rentof2

My homeschooled kid is starting his senior year at Amherst. He has friends who were part of our homeschooling community at Swarthmore, Carleton and Middlebury.

I think the homeschooling angle can make for an interesting, unique transcript/application, but in and of itself, I do not think you could call it a "hook". What is more important is what you've done with the flexibility that homeschooling has offered you.

They might find your experiential learning to be quite interesting, depending on what exactly it involves. Most useful, though, as far as admissions to highly selective LACs is what applicants can bring to the college; whether that's community activism and organizing, musical talent, athletic ability, journalistic talents, art, debate, dance, invention, environmental efforts... etc.

They are trying to build a student body that contributes to an active and vital campus environment. So the question is: what do you bring?

As the previous poster said, you have to distinguish yourself among a field of other very accomplished applicants -- both in academic terms and "extra-curricular" areas.

atomom

I'd say that most admissions folks are "skeptical" about homeschooling. Interesting ECs will help, but nothing will help you compare more favorably with traditionally schooled students than top SAT/ACT scores. If you've taken AP tests and have good scores, so much the better. A transcript from an accredited program would be taken more seriously than a homemade transcript. They want to know that you've been trained to do academic work and can manage your time. (If you appear to be spending most of your time on your ECs, that could be a negative.) I've heard that writing and time management are two areas where homeschoolers often have trouble when they enter college. (True for my two homeschooled kids when they started. . .)
People may want to know why you homeschool--homeschoolers are often stereotyped as either religious fanatics/cult members or socially inept weirdos who want everything tailored to them and will crack up when they leave their moms (or both). . . Not that all people think that, but I'm just telling you the worst you can expect. Anything you can do to dispel these stereotypes should be a plus.

GeekMom63

I don't agree with this. The only way to get a transcript from an accredited program is to follow that program. I think colleges are willing for a student to have done his accomplishments, whatever they are, without following a program.

OTOH, if your main point in that sentence was outside verification, I fully agree that colleges want to see outside verification. I believe it's critical. But there are many ways to get this in addition to following an accredited program.

Now a transcript that **looks** homemade is another issue! I created a transcript on Excel and it's quite professional looking and easy to read.

And my son, like atomom's children, is having time management issues his first week of college! I'm hoping for a speedy resolution...

atomom

Outside verification--It is not a problem if you don't have this, (if you have excellent test scores) but I think colleges are less skeptical when there are grades that come from outside the home--there may be community college classes, etc. Any awards and achievements in outside activities will also look good.

BTW, my kids had homemade transcripts, and did not follow any particular program. I tried to make their transcripts look like school transcripts--just course titles/dates, credit hours, grades, gpa. I advise homeschoolers not to include anything extra--reading lists, portfolios, etc.--unless the college asks for it.

It is hard for kids to go from the flexible schedules that most homeschoolers (or unschoolers) have, to juggling 5 or 6 demanding classes, tons of homework, maybe a job, and lots of fun social activities in college. (My homeschooled kids are now a junior in college and 2010 college grad, so they did get over that bump. I have 2 kids now attending high school and I must say that their academic training in school will better prepare them for all that juggling in the future.)

mini

My d. got into Williams and host of others, graduated from Smith, and now is on a 5-6 year graduate fellowship at Princeton. Home-made transcript.

I have done consulting for LAC admissions offices on homeschoolers. They are not AT ALL skeptical - in fact, they want more of us! (That's always the first thing they say.) They are concerned, with ALL students, not just homeschoolers, about math - many students with top math SAT scores, they find, can't do (or won't do) the math required in increasingly quantitative social sciences (they don't worry about the science and math students). So they feel better when they can be assured that the student can really do the math.

Other than that, they want aware, alive, exciting, intellectually invigorating students - and in this, I am assured, homeschoolers have a distinct advantage.

MDJDMom

I agree wholeheartedly with mini. My oldest was home schooled. I wrote his transcripts and I signed his diploma. He was terrible at standardized tests and his ACT score was middle of the road(and lower than average for most of the colleges he applied to). But is a determined, hard working student with excellent grades. He applied to 10 selective and highly selective LACs and was admitted to all 10 with scholarship offers between $5000 and 20,000 per year.
All colleges were common app, and I included course descriptions with scope and grading method for each course he took. I also included a list of non-required reading he did in the last year. I prepared a portfolio of graded work and offered to send it if they would like to review it, but none did. In my required reference letter I explained my reasons and philosophy for home education. Several courses were taught by other teachers at a resource organization nearby and so he received recommendations from two of them.
My son's top choice school offered for him to schedule an interview with an admissions officer when they visited our area in January. He took them up on the offer and when he sat down, the first thing the officer said was, "relax, you're in," and handed him a completely personalized acceptance letter. When I came in later and found out he was accepted I could barely hold back the tears. The admissions officer said, "This seems like it means a lot to you." I said, "You have no idea. I worried more about this than anything, that people would think we were nuts and fail to recognize how special a student he is, that he would not have this opportunity to learn at a top-tier college." He said that they recognize that home schooling is not all the same, just as schools are not the same, but that the information I provided was the best he had ever received, and that they knew more about him from that and his fantastic essays than they know about most students.
My son is a sophomore now, and made the Dean's list last year. The independent learning style of homeschooling prepared him probably better than his peers, and his writing skills are well above average.
Our experience indicates that LACs are very open to home schooled applicants, but you must be able to demonstrate what you have learned in some way or another.