...Am I doing it right?

Pre-College Issues Home Schooling and College
1

<p>I apologize in advance if this isn't the correct sub-forum to post!</p>

<p>Hello, just another homeschooler here. I've been homeschooled since 7th grade but always had my doubts on some things that haven't been cleared up yet. I've been studying under my dad's plans but, since homeschooling is a first thing for both of us, I sometimes wonder if I'm doing this right; I honestly didn't give the process of going into college much thought until now.</p>

<p>As of now, I don't have much done. I haven't taken any online courses or such, so I'm not sure how my future applications will result in comparison to those of students whom attend high schools. The term "GPA" is still quite vague for me, and and I'm unsure as to whether I need grades (I find it difficult to understand this, since as far as I know, my dad could honestly just say I got A's for everything, which isn't that helpful in terms of accuracy).</p>

<p>The only thing I've been focusing on for my high school years is studying and taking standardized tests. I took these so far:</p>

<p>CLEP - College Mathematics (69)
SAT II - Biology M (790)
CLEP - Biology (I honestly forgot; I'll need to check for the exact score, but it was over 70)
AP - Biology (5)
AP - Chemistry (4, is this going to affect me greatly? I think I didn't quite do so well in the FR section)
SAT II - Chemistry (800)</p>

<p>I'm going to take SAT I this March (originally January, but I felt I wasn't ready yet), AP Calculus AB, AP US History, AP English Language, and AP Physics B this May, and SAT II US History the following June. For SAT I, we're really hoping on getting a high score in one go instead of taking it the maximum three times. As for the next school year (senior year), I'll be taking more AP exams, probably Calculus BC, Computer Science, Physics C, and World History; those are tentative, I guess.</p>

<p>Can I actually go to college with this? I'm partially worried. I've accumulated about 200 hours, and am working on getting it to 250. I might be able to get letters of recommendation via the math team coach and other teachers I'm currently meeting. What does one need to actually be admitted into college?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot,
Jane</p>

2

<p>Jane, it sounds like you and your dad have things more than covered. In general, keep doing what you are doing, and continue with your plan for the SAT I. (Use an SAT prep book so you’ll know what to expect.)</p>

<p>I think it’s typical for homeschoolers to have high GPAs. At my house, if my kid’s not mastering the material, they work on it until they do. It’s reasonable that the colleges will not find that unusual. Your GPA will not hold as much weight as your various test scores (SAT I, SAT II, AP). Your essay will be important, as will your reference letter.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, the majority of schools will expect grades and a regular high school transcript. Remember that you need to speak their language and lay out your information in a format they are used to seeing. I found this book to be very helpful; it gave me everything I needed to know to pull together a transcript and more.</p>

<p>[Setting</a> the Records Straight: How to Craft Homeschool Transcripts and Course Descriptions for College Admission and Scholarships: Lee Binz: 9781449583552: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Setting-Records-Straight-Descriptions-Scholarships/dp/1449583555/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359355840&sr=8-1&keywords=lee+binz]Setting”>http://www.amazon.com/Setting-Records-Straight-Descriptions-Scholarships/dp/1449583555/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359355840&sr=8-1&keywords=lee+binz)</p>

<p>My D applied EA to a handful of schools. She’s made her decision. I was surprised to see that homeschooling still seems to be a “hook.” It made her stand out; I believe her efforts were recognized.</p>

<p>Have you started touring any schools? Do you have any particular place in mind? You or your dad can always talk an admissions counselor to get a better idea of what they want from homeschooled applicants.</p>

<p>It’s good to be thinking ahead like this. It sounds like you will do just fine.</p>

3

<p>Hi OP,</p>

<p>Are you a junior? You seem to be right on track with great SAT II scores!</p>

<p>Yes, you will need some outside validation. The math team coach and other outside teachers sound perfect for letters of recommendation. </p>

<p>You are on the right track and can most definitely get into college if you want that. :-)</p>

<p>Ask more questions anytime. This is the right forum. You can also ask questions in the parents forum if you want a broader audience.</p>

4

<p>If you don’t know, those SAT and AP scores are amazing and indicate that, if you do well on the SAT and take challenging courses, you could get into a lot of great schools.</p>

<p>Have you considered dual enrollment at a local college? That would allow you to take more advanced coursework, and validate you to top schools.</p>

5

<p>Oh I forgot that I took SAT II Math Level 2 (800) the past December. I know math is “mandatory”, but should I also take Level 1? I heard the curve isn’t quite as favorable as Level 2…</p>

<p>@marbling: Thanks a lot! Your reply gave me a great boost in confidence for my current studies, and cleared things up about my GPA. Not sure how recent this was, but I’d like to say congratulations for your daughter! Also, that book seems like it’ll be of much help next year when I start sending in applications. I haven’t been to any schools yet, nor have any specific ones in mind (not sure which are out of my league or such, haha). Again, thanks a lot!</p>

<p>@sbjdorlo: Yes, I’m a junior! Thank you, and I’ll keep the parents forum in mind. I was confused whether to post my questions here or there, since the parents section seemed to be directed to parents.</p>

<p>@mmmgirl: Wow, that’s really great to hear; I do hope I’m able to get into such school. Oh, I haven’t actually; or rather, I didn’t know of it. This calls for research; thank you!</p>

6

<p>Wow!</p>

<p>Those scores are great. SATII Math Level 2 800 perfect score. JAW DROPPER!
You are doing great, if you score like that on your SAT I and take challening courses like mmmgirl said you will be able to get in alot of great schools!</p>

<p>About GPA:
We do this:
A= Complete Mastery no exeptions
A-= Almost complete mastery makes tiny mistakes
B= Almost complete mastery with many tiny mistakes
B-= Average Mastery with few average mistakes
C= Average Mastery with average mistakes
C-= Average Mastery with lower mistake
A=4.0
A-=3.5
B=3.0
B-= 2.5
C=2.0</p>

<p>hope that Helps!</p>

7

<p>OP,</p>

<p>Those are amazing SAT II scores! Are you looking to go into math/sciences and apply to those types of schools? If so, you are right on the money with those scores! :slight_smile: If you are looking at schools such as Ivies or LAC, you’ll probably need to take a humanities SAT II since all yours were in the sciences. You still have plenty of time-no worries.</p>

<p>And no, you definitely don’t want to take the Math I since the Math II is a higher level test.</p>

<p>I don’t think any school is out of your league with those scores. You might want to follow the advice of having some reach schools, some match schools, and some safety schools on your list.</p>