Chances For Homeschooled Person

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey Guys,</p>

<p>I'm homeschooled and applying for colleges this year. I'm starting to become nervous because I'm not certain of how my credentials compare with those of a traditionally educated student in the eyes of an admissions board. Below is a list of some of my achievements, let me know if you guys think that they're good enough for some of the more prestigious institutions, i.e. Harvard, Yale, Stanford, NYU, etc...</p>

<p>4.0 GPA*</p>

<p>Core: 4 Years of English, 4 Years of Math, 2 Years of History, 3 Years of Social Studies, 4 Years of a Foreign Language, 4 Years Science with 2 Labs.</p>

<p>Electives: 3 Years of Instrumental Instruction, 1 Year of Music Theory and Composition, 1 Year of Classic Literature, 1 Year of Physical Education, 1 Year of Home Economics, 2 Years of Vocal Instruction.</p>

<p>*All classes are to be considered the equivalency of a traditional high school Honors class, except for U.S. History and Biology which I will be taking the AP test for this May.</p>

<p>Extracurricular's / Other: </p>

<p>I've started working since 13 as a cook and cashier for a local restaurant. </p>

<p>At 14 I was a chairperson of a company that distributes ATM's and dealt with online
ventures. </p>

<p>At 15 I became Founder and CEO of my own company which sold a specific genre of hobby items. </p>

<p>At 17 I became Founder and CEO of an online entertainment / education website, which now attracts thousands of people a day. I also manage 7 employees. </p>

<p>In addition to the above, I work for a large advertising agency doing SEO and design consultation for clients. I'm also working with a small design firm developing smartphone apps.</p>

<p>Currently, I play guitar, play piano, and sing: I used to play both trumpet and tuba in a band. I also am a budding composer, composing over a dozen songs which range in styles from classical, to jazz, to pop.</p>

<p>I don't have any community service hours because I take care of my 90 year old grandmother a few hours a day. </p>

<p>Neither of my parents graduated from college, and our household income is around $50,000 - $75,000. </p>

<p>Lastly, I haven't taken my SAT's yet, but I can almost guarantee an 750+ on my two subject test and 2100+ on the regular SAT. </p>

<p>Also, I was able to get two letters of recommendation.</p>

<p>So what do you guys think, do I have a shot? </p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>iBP</p>

2

<p>Your lack of subject and AP tests puts the rigor of your high school curriculum into question. You need to at least 4 or 5 subject tests in the 750+ range to be a serious contender (I believe Princeton and Harvard actually require it), since otherwise nobody knows whether you actually did anything in high school. Of course these issues are ameliorated somewhat if the classes were took through CTD/EPGY/ some other reputable online provider.</p>

<p>The situation is similar with your ECs. The business ventures sound good, but what do their financials look like? If the numbers back up your claims, it would be an awesome activity to have. If not, it won’t do much.</p>

3

<p>I know for a fact that Harvard and Yale only require two, I’m not 100% sure about Princeton and the other five.</p>

<p>As for my schooling, it was taken through a reputable computer course that has been around for over a decade. In addition, I have taken other classes outside of the core curriculum, hence the two letters of recommendation.</p>

<p>Finally, the businesses are doing spectacularly relative to their ages. The most recent of the two, is only nine months old and is able to sustain 7 employees with its own profits. </p>

<p>I actually don’t need to go to college to get a good career, I’m more interested in the educational and social aspects of it. That’s the reason why I want to go to an Ivy, if I don’t get into one I’ll just forget about college and retire in a few years. </p>

<p>-iBP</p>