college

[Casha'sMommy]

This is a long way off for 4yo dd but dh and I were discussing this over the weekend.
What do we need to do to be sure dc are college ready?
Are there requirements or will she just take placement tests? ACT/SAT?
How can we help her be the most desireable for any school she might want to attend?

So, as I research this online, I'm wondering: How are you all preparing your dc for his/her educational future? How are you planning to keep them at "the head of the class" in terms of college acceptance?

TIA

Cate

[SundayCrepes]

This article http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...r-own-learning discusses how kids who are motivated to take the SAT can easily catch up on any missed math before taking the SAT.

We are unschoolers and are going by the idea that if our children are allowed to be self-motivated they will do whatever they need to get into the college of their choice.

[SagMom]

Originally Posted by Casha'sMommy

What do we need to do to be sure dc are college ready?
Are there requirements or will she just take placement tests? ACT/SAT?
How can we help her be the most desireable for any school she might want to attend?

So, as I research this online, I'm wondering: How are you all preparing your dc for his/her educational future? How are you planning to keep them at "the head of the class" in terms of college acceptance?

TIA

Cate

I never planned to keep my kids at the head of the class (I'm not really sure what that would mean as a hser.). Once they got to be teens, we talked a lot about future plans and interests. My oldest has always maintained that he wasn't going to college, so he pursued his interests without college in mind. If, at some point in the future he changes his mind, he'll be able to review whatever skills were necessary to get in--it's not something we're concerned about.

My dd has always said that she was going to college. So we talked about the kinds of skills colleges would look for and anything she didn't naturally gravitate toward, she made an effort to learn. For instance, she's working on algebra, which she enjoys, but probably wouldn't have pursued if it wasn't a requirement. She loves to write and does a huge amount of varied reading, so that wasn't an issue.

She plans on taking the SAT next year (or possibly this fall.) Many, but not all, colleges want SAT scores. You really need to look at the colleges that you're considering to see what the requirements are because there is a lot of variation. Right now, she's a CC student so when she applies to universities, she'll have some college credits to show. What we're finding is that colleges are looking for some outside classes or credits from homeschoolers. They also like to see volunteer work (she was already active there, so that wasn't an issue.) Most admissions people that we've spoken to were very enthusiastic when they heard that a hser might be applying to their school, so that's good to know.

What I see with my kids and my friends' hsed kids is that they have unique portfolios/applications that make them stand out from their schooled peers. They have more to show than "English" "Math" "History" "Biology" because they can focus on specific areas, and they have time to explore a variety of interests. So, while basics like good writing ability, etc. are needed, don't be afraid to stray from the standard cannon of studies.

All that said, I really don't think it's something to even look at until they're teens.

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by Casha'sMommy

This is a long way off for 4yo dd but dh and I were discussing this over the weekend.
What do we need to do to be sure dc are college ready?
Are there requirements or will she just take placement tests? ACT/SAT?
How can we help her be the most desireable for any school she might want to attend?

So, as I research this online, I'm wondering: How are you all preparing your dc for his/her educational future? How are you planning to keep them at "the head of the class" in terms of college acceptance?

One thing you can count on is that things will have changed in various ways by the time your daughter is college age, so there's no need or way to plan way ahead .

But I really think the most valuable thing you can do is to support her natural love of learning and curiosity, and her own sense of confidence in being able to learn in her own way about anything that interests her.

During her teen years, it will be a lot more clear whether she'll be most drawn to a more traditional and competitive school or a different type, and she can prepare her studies accordingly. My own son and most of his friends had pretty casual homeschooling backgrounds, but started taking classes at the local community college in their teens, just studying things that interested them. He had no problem when applying for the four year colleges of his choice, and had scholarship offers from his very casual applications. He had taken a year off in between community college classes and those applications to work full time in a residential volunteer program through AmeriCorps, so he had a lot to think about and write about when it came time to write his essays. He also took the SAT, and did very well on it in spite of the fact that he hadn't had basically unschooled.

A friend of his is working on her PhD now, and she had a full scholarship to grad school for her masters after excelling in community college and her four year college after having unschooled until then. So it all just depends on a lot of factors that come together as you go - it's different for everyone, and there's a lot of variation among the colleges. - Lillian

[Casha'sMommy]

With a 4yo and a 6mo, I'm wondering how different things might or might not be in 10 years when we need to actively pursue college acceptance.
I think I was hoping to hear from others what curriculum they've chosen or maybe a charter because it's accredited, etc.
DH and I are just beginning the decision making process and while I know I can change my mind at any time and do something different (part of the reason we all hs, right?) I'd like to make as educated a decision as possible.

[lach]

I have actually thought about it, even though my kids are even younger than yours. But it's something that's important to me, and it was really the only concern that my parents have about HSing so I did sort of have to formulate a plan.

I don't actually know if I'll homeschool through high school. Heck, I don't know if I'll last past first grade at this point, obviously! But if all goes according to plan and HSing does fit my family the way that I hope it does, I still don't know if I'll homeschool for high school. Living where we do, we have access to a wide range of really top notch prep schools that can give my kids advantages that I can't give them at home. I went to such a school and it has really served me well in life on a number of levels. But that plan depends on winning the lottery, and staying where we are.

If we do decide, for whatever reason, to continue HSing through high school, I want their transcript to be similar to a student coming out of a top prep school. This includes math through calculus, proficiency in at least one foreign language, 3 years of science/3 years of history minimum, 4 years English literature, 3 years of art or music (including some theory), as well as several extracurriculars that depend on interest and talent. I'd like them to take as many AP exams as possible (at least 3) in 10th and 11th grade.

A few of these classes will probably be conducted at local colleges that let high school students take classes. Both for practical reasons (I sure can't teach calculus) and so they have some transcripts to show that they can do college level work.

Scoring well on tests is a dumb but important factor, and I'm going to make sure that they're comfortable with the SATs. I don't want the first time they see a scantron sheet to be when they sit down to the SATs in 11th grade. We'll probably do some sort of test like that every year, as well as a little bit of test prep. I went through all that, and trust me I test MUCH smarter than I actually am. We'll probably follow a vocabulary curriculum starting in 7th or 8th grade just to make sure that they're down with the more esoteric vocabulary of the SATs.

If we are HSing, they'll really have no excuse not to have the time and energy to pursue some personal interests. I don't expect them to have written their first novel or sailed around the world by the time they fill out those apps (not sure I'd be fully supportive of either, to tell you the truth), but I hope that they have interests and figure out ways to pursue them with age-appropriate seriousness. I think that is important to colleges, and I can see them expecting even more from homeschooled students then from traditionally schooled students on that front.

So, hope that answers your question. It won't really influence our curriculum, because I think the curricula I like (the classical model after The Well-Trained Mind) is already college prep work. I don't worry about finding accredited programs or anything like that.

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by Casha'sMommy

With a 4yo and a 6mo, I'm wondering how different things might or might not be in 10 years when we need to actively pursue college acceptance.

There may be no emphasis on the SAT or ACT, for one example, as is already the case for some colleges - lots of things can change by then. Another example is that more and more colleges are making special application processes for homeschoolers since they realize they get their by routes other than the standard ones used by traditional schools.

I think I was hoping to hear from others what curriculum they've chosen or maybe a charter because it's accredited, etc.

You'll hear a wide range of choices mentioned, and a lot of people - I'd say most - change early on from a fully planned packaged curriculum to an assortment of things they've individually chosen. There's no particular curriculum that sets them up for college applications better than others, and accreditation from a charter won't be a factor either - and that's actually a positive. Independent homeschoolers with no accreditation have been accepted into more than 1,000 colleges - here's a web page on it that lists many of them.

It would not be until their teen years that whatever curriculum students use might be a factor - and then only by way of being able to list all the subjects they'd studied. I've heard of a few colleges that want to see an actual high school transcript, but most, including the very most "prestigious" ones, will accept one from an unaccredited homeschool.

DH and I are just beginning the decision making process and while I know I can change my mind at any time and do something different (part of the reason we all hs, right?) I'd like to make as educated a decision as possible.

It really is a very individual journey, and there are huge difference among the spectrum of colleges. Here are some book you might look into on the website of the HomeSchool Assn. of California:
Books about college and other options. And here's a web page I put together with annotated links to lots of articles and assorted links to articles and websites having to do with Homeschooling High School, College & Career Information.

If the question of whether your child will be able to get into a good college is part of your decision to homeschool, rest assured that it isn't normally a problem. Here are some threads on the question - after reading them, go back and click on all the links in them and you'll have a lot of good reading:
high school to college?
Homeschooling and College?

And last but not least, here's a link to a post that has links to some really good articles on the subject - it's in a thread titled "DH needs "unbiased" scientific support for HSing."

Speaking of colleges, what's considered "the best" may not be the best at all for lots of young people who have specific ideas about what they want out of a college education. My son, for instance, would not have bothered to go to college just for the sake of going - he specifically wanted to go to a particular type of nontraditional college which he knew was the kind people he'd greatly admired in the field of social service had gone to, because he saw how effective they were in the agencies and organizations they worked for. He saw that they thought and accomplished things outside the box, and that's what he wanted to be able to do. Someone looking into a different field, a different discipline, a certain art or whatever might end up seeking a college with very different criteria than an Ivy League. And that all can be most effectively determined and figured out in the teen years. - Lillian

[BellinghamCrunchie]

My homeschooled friend who recently (last week) graduated from college told me that she and her siblings all went to school just their senior year as good colleges want to see a high school graduation and not a GED.

Don't know how true it is, but its something I'm keeping in mind for DD who is 5.

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by BellinghamCrunchie

My homeschooled friend who recently (last week) graduated from college told me that she and her siblings all went to school just their senior year as good colleges want to see a high school graduation and not a GED.

Don't know how true it is, but its something I'm keeping in mind for DD who is 5.

No, no - that's definitely misinformation. There are some colleges that want to see a high school graduation from a traditional campus high school, but lots and lots of prestigious ones are perfectly happy with a homeschool graduation verified with a parent's letter/transcript. And more and more colleges today are recognizing homeschooling as an acceptable, even desirable, alternative and creating procedures for processing their applications in a way that accommodates their unique circumstances that are so different from standard schools. See the articles I linked to in my last post and you'll find lots of evidence of that. What most colleges DO want to see, though, is at least some grades that come from outside of the home - so they were a lot more interested in my son's college level transcripts from community college classes than they were with my high school transcript. They want to see that a student is capable of flourishing in a classroom setting away from home - and that can easily be accomplished with some outside classes. Lillian

[Casha'sMommy]

Originally Posted by Lillian J

What most colleges DO want to see, though, is at least some grades that come from outside of the home - so they were a lot more interested in my son's college level transcripts from community college classes than they were with my high school transcript. They want to see that a student is capable of flourishing in a classroom setting away from home - and that can easily be accomplished with some outside classes. Lillian

ahhh yes! Something to think about.
Thank you for all the links! I've got a lot going on this morning but am looking forward to reading through your links during afternoon nap.
THANKS!

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by Casha'sMommy

I've got a lot going on this morning but am looking forward to reading through your links during afternoon nap.
THANKS!

Wow - I thought for a second that you were into BIG TIME MULTITASKING until I realized the nap will be the children's, not yours! I guess that's because I'm on the computer with my mind on the errands I'm about to run. Lillian

[BellinghamCrunchie]

Originally Posted by Lillian J

No, no - that's definitely misinformation. There are some colleges that want to see a high school graduation from a traditional campus high school, but lots and lots of prestigious ones are perfectly happy with a homeschool graduation verified with a parent's letter/transcript. And more and more colleges today are recognizing homeschooling as an acceptable, even desirable, alternative and creating procedures for processing their applications in a way that accommodates their unique circumstances that are so different from standard schools. See the articles I linked to in my last post and you'll find lots of evidence of that. What most colleges DO want to see, though, is at least some grades that come from outside of the home - so they were a lot more interested in my son's college level transcripts from community college classes than they were with my high school transcript. They want to see that a student is capable of flourishing in a classroom setting away from home - and that can easily be accomplished with some outside classes. Lillian

Thanks, Lillian I really did not want her to go to any part of high school; its good to know it isn't necessary.

[Sarai18]

It's also important - once your kids are in high school - to start looking at the admissions requirements of any specific schools they're interested in. Some ask for extra SAT subject tests, etc. from homeschoolers, and we found that out too late for my eldest daughter who was applying to several tough schools (she ended up with a full ride at one of them).

Also, some colleges will count community college credits towards a student's distribution requirements, and others won't if they got high-school credit for those CC courses. But as was previously said, having grades from someone other than Mom or Dad helps, as do recommendations from CC profs.

[luv2homeschool]

Originally Posted by Sarai18

It's also important - once your kids are in high school - to start looking at the admissions requirements of any specific schools they're interested in. Some ask for extra SAT subject tests, etc. from homeschoolers, and we found that out too late for my eldest daughter who was applying to several tough schools (she ended up with a full ride at one of them).

Also, some colleges will count community college credits towards a student's distribution requirements, and others won't if they got high-school credit for those CC courses. But as was previously said, having grades from someone other than Mom or Dad helps, as do recommendations from CC profs.

I was going to say the same. My dd is 15 and we are looking at the requirements from colleges as to what classes are required. I am not worried about what the high schools do themselves. If she wants to go to William and Mary, then she knows exactly what courses she needs to fulfill to even be considered for that college.

We plan on sending her to community college first. Next year she will take a few higher level courses, and then after she is done with HS she will continue there for her associates! In fact, if she can keep her GPA up and obtain at least a b in specific courses she can get guaranteed acceptance into certain colleges here in VA. And one of them is the one she wants!

[zinemama]

In addition to all of the above, I would say to focus on writing skills. There are tons of intelligent people out there with years of schooling who cannot write a coherent, grammatically correct paragraph (much less an entire paper full of them). A clear and graceful writing style is key for college and beyond.

[Casha'sMommy]

Originally Posted by Lillian J

Wow - I thought for a second that you were into BIG TIME MULTITASKING until I realized the nap will be the children's, not yours! I guess that's because I'm on the computer with my mind on the errands I'm about to run. Lillian

I wish! Actually, I was headed to the eye dr and haven't been able to focus on anything until now after having my eyes poked and prodded multiple times.

...so much wonderful and helpful information ladies. Thank you!