Hi all!
I’m Canadian, but I am doing online school at an accredited online school in the states. Does this mean I am considered homeschooled and therefore held to the same requirements and recommendations?
Additionally, is there anything specific to me and my application that I should know? e.g. is it more favorable to be a high stats online applicant? Are certain top schools more inclined to accept online applicants than others?
Any information would be appreciated! Thanks!
Homeschooled and online students usually should take more than the recommended SAT2 and AP exams. In fact, some schools out and out say so. The UCs’ path for homeschooled kids is a good one to follow.
It is also advised to have people known in an organization to give your Recs in ECs. Z Such as the Director of 4H in your area or the minister of your church. Some one officially in charge of a lot of people who can give you a recommendation as to how you stand in an organization. It’s important because you may not have an outside person who can give you those academic recs the way an in school GC and teacher can.
@cptofthehouse That is a little unfortunate for me; my counselor specifically (and I asked many times) said that AP exams would offer me absolutely no benefit apart from college class placement.
I’ll try to take as many subject tests as I can, though. Thanks.
Not sure how I can get that recommendation you mentioned, considering I am living in a really remote area and don’t have anyone that can really give me that, but I’ll see if there is something I can do!
Thank you!
An email from my counselor said “Since _______ is fully accredited, you should not be considered a homeschool student. Therefore, you shouldn’t need to fulfill those requirements”
Could someone with experience please speak to the characterization of online vs homeschooled students?
You will receive a diploma and transcript from your school, correct? You will use those with your application.
It may depend upon the colleges to which you are applying. Some schools with no grades go through homeschooling requirements. On line type schools follow UC homeschooling reps when applying to them. To have the best chance of acceptance, you need to follow the rules of each school.
You don’t have a GC or teacher who knows you well enough to give you a reliable Rec. You are not part of a physical school community. Your grades are not given the traditional way Those are all things that homeschool kids need to face
Thank you all for your help! I was curious because of the accreditation factor. I can totally understand 3 subject tests required for homeschooling students whose work has not been accredited but was not sure if that applied to me too, considering I have taken only college-board certified courses.
The thing is, it’s online. It’s too easy to get a tutor at your side, a parent etc to be doing the work and completing the courses online. When you take the test at a proctored site, the chances of fraud diminish. Though these days it’s pretty clear it still happens even doing that. Also, the tests are standardized so the colleges can gauge your understanding of subject matter.
You should call each school and ask how they want to treat an on line high school grad. It may vary greatly.
Everything applies to you- and in spades. The concern about homeschool can be the isolation. (Fewer h-s kids study in isolation today, but it will be up to you to show how you engaged beyond courses or tests.) A lot of h-s kids have some extraordinary opps that go so very far beyond online courses. But a competitive holistic college is not just focused on transcript and scores.
Look at some colleges for their h-s explanations on the admissions web pages. See what they ask and ask for.
I agree withe cpt that testing verifies grades. But an extra effort is required to show that, without a body of other students around you, class discussions, collaboration, activities made for you, you still fit the colleges’ wants, those traits and experiences. Sucessfully gaining admissions is more than just completing h-s degree requirements.
That makes a lot more sense! Thanks, everyone. I will be sure to send out some emails and look more into their admissions sites.
“Solved” (?) (can i lock it myself? lol)
Many online schools, both high schools and colleges, have those things. My daughter took high school classes on line where she had group projects, and also took some online college classes where they had group discussions. A co-worker took online courses from Stanford and worked with other students all the time (he wrote the papers since his English was the best). Our boss proctored his exams.
As a full pay international student, if you cast a wide net in different selectivity ranges, you’ll likely find a college that will accept you. It’s the most selective schools that can be an issue.
@cptofthehouse What would you consider the most selective schools? (specifically, on my list below)
Babson (Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Design; Quantitative Methods; or Entrepreneurship) (27%)
Northeastern x3 (see major list in other doc)
U Washington (Industrial Design)
OP, your issue is how to make yourself competitive for whatever colleges you target. You have an interesting context, but need to flesh out the backstory. And the front one.
You say, next to no ECs. You need to figure what else you ARE doing that may be valid. There they are, looking for engagement, and can you show that? It’s not only school activities. What shows vision, activation, commitment, resilience. and more?
A lot of h-s kids go beyond in their course selections. Not just their own umbrella plan. You need to sit back and think. Learn what those targets look for and what makes you an obvious match. Show, not just tell.
And know what’s different between industrial design vs entrepreneurship.or organizational studies.
Babson and Northeastern will likely want more holistic info from you than UW. The big state schools tend to be more numbers driven, (not all of them, not all departments either). You have to do your homework researching what the various programs and majors want, not necessarily just the school.
Sorry, I don’t quite understand what you mean by “You have an interesting context, but need to flesh out the backstory. And the front one.” I think what you’re saying is I need more depth rather than my story, and can’t rely upon it for admissions. There needs to be something more than a story and stats-- preferably, engagement.
I guess I was kind of asking what I could do to show engagement (in my other thread). I still don’t really know what I could do, given that I wouldn’t want to sacrifice my location for any activities.
Could you please elaborate on what kind of engagements would be good? Maybe a basic summer job?
I know the difference; I’m not too sure why you said this, to be honest. Industrial design is an in-depth major on the product design aspects of entrepreneurship and has little to no business information. Entrepreneurship doesn’t have much focus on designing (CAD/Drafting/Material Research) but does include some market research and innovation classes. I have no clue what organizational studies is though-- never heard of it.
Thank you for the help! Sorry that I am so slow to catch on here :neutral:
@cptofthehouse I appreciate all the help you’ve given me throughout the past week!!
I never thought about that, but it makes a lot of sense! I might want to slightly pivot and include more ‘big schools’ on my list. They seem to be fitter my overall style, excluding the programs I’m looking for. I’d probably do better, overall, at a school where I just go and sit in a lecture.
I’ll be sure to do that research. It should all be in the program/department site, correct?
@FakeName1332 I have been homeschooling for 25 yrs and have graduated 5 of our kids from our homeschool. In my yrs of interacting with admissions, I am going to disagree that you will be considered homeschooled. You will more likely be classified as a non-traditional student. I would contact admissions and ask if you have an accredited transcript if you face additional requirements.
FWIW, our experience as straight forward homeschoolers is counter to what @cptofthehouse posted. My kids’ transcripts have been accepted as valid representations of their coursework. Some of my kids have dual enrolled b/c that is the approach they wanted to take. Some haven’t. My current college student (a rising jr) took only 1 dual enrollment course (spring of sr yr, so no grade during the college application season). She had no AP courses. We do not homeschool to replicate ps, so our approach to education does not climax with AP courses as the “goal.” My kids have had advanced courses that represent their interests and their individual educational pursuits (like French history taken in French or a sr yr Shakespeare capstone thesis for English, etc.) I write thorough course descriptions describing their courses and our school profile provides the details for our educational philosophy.
But, all of that is moot b/c I don’t think you will be considered homeschooled. That said, your admissions officer may be the same one that evaluates homeschoolers b/c non-traditional students and homeschoolers make up such a small percentage of applicants that they are often lumped together for review.
@mom2collegekids First off, kudos to you and your children! You sound like such an incredible mother-- your boys are lucky!
Thank you for your input. I have to say, I didn’t really think I would be considered a homeschooled applicant, even after some comments said otherwise.
Regardless, the SAT IIs and all the stuff should still apply to me, although slightly less than a h-s app. The major thing that this does for me is allow me to ease off on the SAT 2s and maybe take 2 instead of 3. What a huge relief if that is the case, considering I would only do well in Literature and Math
Thank you for the help:)
Definitely ask the admissions people of the specific colleges in which you are interested. Some colleges will say they consider you a homeschooler and some won’t. I’ve been looking through many college admissions’ sites for my own daughter who uses an umbrella school and a lot of online classes. Some colleges want her to apply as a homeschooler even though she’ll end up with a diploma from an accredited school.
I homeschooled for a short period of time out of necessity. I found a group of incredible homeschooling families that were kind enough to include me into their network. One of the active moms also dealt with the state testing that was either required or recommended (I don’t remember which) each year and keeping a portfolio. This group was heavy on having kids go on to college and had a great success rate with kids going to CMU,Harvard, Duke, Pitt, GWzu and Villanova just in the short time I was there along with getting loads of merit money from a number of local schools.
Because this group did have college in their sites as a main purpose,they worked to optimize that result. SAT2s were very important in their scheme of things. Necessary? Probably not. Most schools will take homeschoolers that Have completed some recognized high school curriculum and the test scores. To get optimal results at all ranges of schools and get merit money, SAT2s and outside Recs are a big plus. The SAT2s do provide a level field in assessing the understanding of subject matter when it’s just the kid and the test questions with no mama or tutor in the picture.
My brother had his kids in a hybrid school situation right now. Online, homeschool and yet a lab school. No grades. The program has SAT2s and AP exams integral to it.
For some schools, those exams are vital for homeschoolers and online schools. The UCs, for example, want them.
It all depends on what options you want to pursue and to make it easier for the schools. I have known home schooled kids accepted to state schools with a ne’er a questions, no exams and parent generated grades. Then I know some states and schools on a GED.