Worried that your children will have a hard time getting into college if you homeschool? Fear not! Homeschoolers are not only being accepted into the colleges of their choice, their acceptance rate by desirable colleges and universities exceeds that of the general public.¹ Some universities have gone so far as to create guidelines expressly for home-educated students, helping them plan the portfolios they will submit in lieu of typical public school transcripts.
Now that we have that out of the way, what does your child delight in? What does he see himself doing for a lifetime? Haven’t given that much thought? Then you know where to start!
One of the best things you can do for your child is help him discover what he will do in life. He has been gifted with particular skills and talents and interests. If you give him time (from the beginning of your homeschooling career) to discover these talents, then when the time comes to choose a path, the decisions will be easier to make.
Once your child has investigated his interests and has chosen a life path, he’ll need to determine what type of training will be required for him to succeed in his area of interest. Obviously if he plans to be a lawyer or a doctor, he will need a college degree. But sending your child off to a four-year state institution shouldn’t be a forgone conclusion. Just as there are alternatives to public schools, there are also alternatives to your typical college education — apprenticing, entrepreneurship, studying and passing professional certification tests, and vocational training, among others. Should your child’s future aspirations include a college degree, there are many non-traditional options available including distance learning, and AP, CLEP, and other types of college credit.
As we prepare our children to go out into the world, we can rest easy knowing that homeschooling will in no way limit their options. If our children have been trained in a learning lifestyle, then their education will have only just begun!
Additional Resources
Answers: High School Homeschooling
An article by Dr. Ruth Beechick taken from her book Dr. Beechick’s Homeschool Answer Book where she explores what a college-bound high school homeschool students needs.
High School
Helps and resources for the upper grades and beyond.
Homeschoolers on to College: What Research Shows Us
Fall 2004 article in the Journal of College Admission. “Numerous studies, employing various psychological constructs and measures, show the home-educated are developing at least as well [as], and often better than, those who attend institutional schools.”
A New Season
Thoughts from a veteran homeschool mom about higher education, having sent two off to college, and her reasons for considering different plans for her remaining children at home. “I am no longer interested in thrusting them right back into the world’s definition of success.”
Preparing for College
Article by Dr. Mary Hood on skills parents and their children should develop when college is an option.
There is a New Path to Harvard and It’s Not in a Classroom
Business Insider article.
¹ “A growing number of kids in the U.S. are homeschooled, and many colleges seeking to diversify their student bodies are welcoming them with open arms. While the percentage of homeschooled applicants is still tiny, admissions officers say their applications often stand out. They tend to have ‘thicker folders, in a good way,’ Amherst College dean of admission and financial aid Katie Fretwell told NBC News. They can be ‘innovative thinkers with a lot to bring to the table,’ she added, especially at a college like Amherst, where students have an open curriculum and independence in their studies.'” — Allison Slater Tate, “Colleges Welcome Growing Number of Homeschooled Students,” NBC News, February 17, 2016, https://web.archive.org/web/20190608053237/http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/college-game-plan/colleges-welcome-growing-number-homeschooled-students-n520126.
DIY Homeschooler 