<p>How does admissions work for people who were homeschooled?</p>
<p>Take GED and SAT.
Send them the score.
They look over, they decide.</p>
<p>Whats GED.
I am international.</p>
<p>Each college has different admission requirements for homeschool students and they vary widely, so you need to check with the colleges that you are interested in. </p>
<p>You don't necessarily need to take the GED (it is a standardized test that is supposed to measure the minimum requirements for a high school education. It covers areas like science, math, reading, writing, social studies, etc....)</p>
<p>The SAT or ACT is a definate must but you would generally also need to either take anywhere from three to seven SATII tests (which test individual subject areas) or provide a portfiolio (or a combination of both). In most cases a transcript will need to be made showing classes you "took" , grades received, credit awarded (1/2 credit? 1 credit?). Classes need to be college prep courses:
4 English (usually including American Lit, British Lit, World Lit and Advanced Comp.- lit courses also include study in composition and grammar)</p>
<p>4 Math (Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry and one other higher level - precalculus is a good choice)</p>
<p>3 Social Studies (World History, American History, American Government and Economics - last one sometimes done as 1/2 credit each, but homeschoolers sometimes devote a year each)</p>
<p>3 Science (two with labs) - Biology, Chemisty, Physics. </p>
<p>2 years of SAME foreign language.</p>
<p>Electives to add up to a total of 24 credits (full year courses - that 24 includes the classes listed above). </p>
<p>Some colleges want a list of courses taken, description, text books used and some even want an outline of the course. </p>
<p>Requirements, again, vary widely - so check with your potential colleges.</p>
<p>You would probably get more information in the homeschool forum. </p>
<p>There was recently a discussion about the GED. The consensus there (and elsewhere -- this comes up a lot) is NOT to take it unless you are required to do so.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say that "generally" one needs to take 3 to 7 SAT IIs. I've only heard of a few places that require extra SAT IIs from homeschoolers. Indeed, my daughter only applied to places that accept the ACT in lieu of both the SAT I and IIs, so she didn't submit any at all. </p>
<p>A few colleges have specific requirements for homeschoolers (look on the web site or ask them). Others say they have no special requirements. Of course, this doesn't mean if you simply send in a transcript and test scores they will let you in. Often, if you ask the question, they will tell you to supply whatever additional information you can that can help them assess the application -- but they don't tell you specifically what. I had a number tell me that course descriptions are useful, but we never dealt with any place where it was a requirement. (Not to say there is no place that requires them ... I haven't checked thousands of colleges.)</p>
<p>I think it is important to have some sort of outside, objective information, particularly if you are shooting for selective schools. This CAN be extra test scores, but it can also be grades in outside classes, awards from competitions, recommendations, etc. We submitted an explanation of the home study program and some other supplemental materials (extra recommendations, professionally-evaluated work samples in the intended field), but no one TOLD us to. We just came up with what we thought would sell the application the best.</p>
<p>BTW my daughter's transcript only had the grades she received on two outside college courses. The umbrella we used does not accept parent-generated grades and says that colleges pay no attention to them. I was nervous about this and so was always told we would come up with grades if people wanted them. Well, no one ever did. My daughter's at an Ivy now, so I guess it didn't hurt.</p>
<p>I can only speak for my experience with Georgia schools - here the SAT IIs are very important for admission for homeschoolers. The better private schools (Emory, Agnes Scott) are the most lax and only require 3 SAT IIs in addition to the SAT. GA Tech lists more. UGA is the worst when it comes to admitting homeschoolers - the things they ask for are riduculous. </p>
<p>bottom line: if you want to go somewhere in particular, talk to the college NOW to get an idea of what is expected of you as a homeschool applicant so you won't be disappointed.</p>
<p>Yeah, I don't know what it is about Georgia schools. It seems like they want SAT IIs from homeschoolers more than any other place other than the U Cal system, Columbia, and Notre Dame. Beyond these places, I haven't heard of others. But people should always check out specific schools!</p>
<p>And when checking, take what they say with a grain of salt if it isn't officially on their web site or otherwise in writing. When we visited the University of Chicago, an adcomm said it was "required" for homeschoolers to be interviewed. They never arranged for an interview or asked for one, however, and my daughter was admitted. Similarly, when we visited the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, an adcomm told me that they "like to see" 4 or more SAT IIs from homeschoolers. Well, my daughter didn't submit any and again she was admitted.</p>
<p>I see that Chicago now has something about homeschoolers now on their web site, which they lacked last year:</p>
<p>One reason I gave little concern to what the UNC adcomm said (beyond the fact that my daughter didn't have the testing, didn't want to, and hence wasn't going to submit it in any event) is that its web site doesn't impose such a requirement. I'll put what they say here since it is similar to what I've heard from and about other places:</p>
<p>"We welcome applications from students schooled at home and impose on those students no special or extra requirements. At the same time, it's important for home-schooled students to recognize that their credentials may lack some or most of the contextualizing information typically found in the transcripts, grades, and academic programs of students schooled in other, more traditional settings. For that reason, we recommend that home-schooled students do their best to help us see their academic performance in the clearest possible light. </p>
<p>"In recent years successful home-schooled applicants have chosen one or more of the following methods: taking courses in a local college or community college; joining organizations in their community; providing samples of their academic projects (for example, essays or research papers) and detailed descriptions of their courses; sending more than one recommendation from non-family-members who know them well and can comment specifically on their capacity for high-level academic work; taking and submitting optional SAT Subject Tests. Last year 47 home-school students applied for freshman admission; 22 were admitted, and 14 enrolled."</p>