Is this enough? (Homeschool stuff)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the challenges and considerations faced by a homeschooled student preparing for college admissions. Participants explore the necessity of standardized tests like the SAT/ACT and the GED, as well as the importance of transcripts and recommendations from instructors.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that without a formal diploma, taking the GED may be necessary to validate the transcript from homeschooling.
  • Others propose that contacting colleges directly to inquire about their specific admissions policies for homeschooled students is advisable.
  • Concerns are raised about obtaining recommendations from instructors, particularly from community college courses.
  • Some participants mention the possibility of additional tests beyond the SAT/ACT to demonstrate academic abilities, though they emphasize the need to check with individual colleges.
  • Placement tests offered by community colleges are mentioned as a way to prove proficiency in subjects like math and chemistry.
  • There is a suggestion that SAT subject tests could be beneficial for demonstrating knowledge in specific areas.
  • One participant shares their experience that some universities do not require SAT/ACT scores for transfer students, focusing instead on community college transcripts and GPA.
  • Another participant notes that major schools typically have protocols for homeschooled students and recommends researching specific school requirements.
  • Concerns about the necessity of the GED are reiterated, with personal anecdotes shared about similar experiences.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of opinions regarding the necessity of the GED and the importance of standardized tests, indicating that there is no consensus on these points. Some agree on the value of contacting colleges for specific guidance, while others emphasize the variability in requirements across institutions.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of clarity on specific college requirements for homeschooled students and the variability in admissions policies among different institutions. The discussion reflects diverse personal experiences and perspectives on navigating the college admissions process.

Cephalopod
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Hi, I've been home schooled more or less my whole life. Anyway, I posted here before and I got some excellent advice so I have another question.

I have a full transcript. I'm going to take some community college courses, and I'm working on getting recommendations.

I've heard that colleges mostly care about the SAT/ACTs and your transcript (I haven't taken the SAT/ACTs yet, I figure there's no need to rush taking them so I can be more prepared.) Anyway, is this true? I can also take the GED if I want to, but I'm not sure there is a point. Should I take the GED/is this enough to show them? (I know it depends on my grades/scores, of course, I'm just wondering if this is basically all I need to show them, since I won't have a formal diploma.)
 
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if you don't have a formal deploma then you'll probably need to take the GED, as its hard to judge a transcript from someone who is homeschooled.

don't worry if you know your stuff then it'll be easy, also AP's would help, if you can take them.
 
I suggest you check with some colleges or universities that you might be interested in, and find out their policies regarding admission of homeschooled students. You might need to e-mail the admissions offices for specific information. I just searched my college's website fairly thoroughly and I couldn't find anything referring to this. But we're a pretty small school.
 
Yeah, I'll contact a few schools and check out what they say.

I shouldn't have any issues asking a teacher at the community college classes I take for a recommendation, should I? I don't really know how I could get recommendations from a real instructor from any other source, so that worries me a little.

Basically I am kind of scared of the whole process since my situation seems so unorthodox. One site I read said that there might be some other tests I could take in addition to the SAT/ACT to prove my abilities more since people might look at my transcript dubiously. Do you think colleges would accept these? (I know I'll probably have to contact specific ones, just wondering if this is a common practice or not.) If so, what are some tests like that I could take?

Thanks for the help. I really don't have anywhere else to ask this sort of stuff.
 
I went to a community college and I know they offered placement tests (chemistry, math, etc.), so there might be those available to you. Basically they formally prove you know your stuff. I'd inquire to specific institutions as to what they recommend/require.
 
SAT subject tests would probably be your best bet.
 
At some universities, transfer students don't have to provide SAT or ACT scores. (I didn't.) Their main interest as far as academic records was my transcript and GPA from the community college. They wanted to see that my GE requirements were fulfilled, and that I had completed a fair amount of the preparatory classes for the major.

Your community college counselor can help you with finding out what the different universities require for admissions applications from transfer students. (I assume you want to transfer from a 2-year community college program to a 4-year university program.)
 
I'm not sure if that's what I'm going to do.

Right now I'm only 15 yet, I'm still in high school although I'm more or less done with it. I can take some classes at the community college, and I'm going to do this partly out of personal interest and partly because I've been told it'd look decent when I apply to colleges.

However, that is something I've considered if I run into a lot of issues getting into a 4-year university from the start.
 
most of the major schools have protocols for homeschooled students, since you have a while before you apply (depending on your personal preference) I would recommend looking at a couple schools that might have what your looking for in a school and see what their requirements are, make sure you ace those requirements and you should get in.
 
  • #10
You probably will need to take the GED at some point, it may be a requirement to enter the college. (It was for me, I went to a UC school, didn't graduate high school, so had to take the California High School Proficiency Exam).

The advice about SAT II Subject Tests is very good, you need to be preparing for those to prove your proficiency in those areas.

Check out the College Confidential website there is a lot of information there about homeschooled going to college.
 

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