<p>I am interested in attending a homeschooling program due to the fact that I please year-round, national tennis. however, I am afraid if I attend the homeschooling program, that I will be at a disadvantage for college admissions. but, the homeschooling courses, from laural springs, do offer many honors cirriculum, and college credit classes (like AP's). If i did attend this program and take hard courses, would colleges still look at this as a joke? I am probably going to be a recruited athlete however, but I am still afraid of not being accepted because of academics from this program.. </p>
<p>I'm acquainted with Laurel Springs. It's one of the programs sponsored by a chartered homeschool for which I worked. It's very good. Just know that that generally the colleges will ask for more extensive work samples from homeschooled students. Sometimes more standardized tests are also required. (More SAT Subject Tests, etc.) You have to check with each college or U, because the admissions criteria vary from college to college for this category of student. Last year one of my students got into Berkeley. He chose other courses than those of Laurel Springs; he also chose some of the UCCP online courses, which UC sponsors. He is not a recruited athlete himself, nor does he have any other special hook. Someone said that Princeton accepted 30 homeschooled students this year.</p>
<p>If any teachers have been involved with your homeschooling, try to get descriptions from them of the extent of your work, even in one area. Ditto for tutors. You might be allowed to supplement your application with such summaries or recommendations. Ask to see, or have your parents ask to see the profile sent to the colleges, if your homeschool is an actual entity like an institution, non-profit or pubic charter.</p>
<p>Check out College Confidential's homeschooling forum. The posters are a very friendly and helpful bunch who will be able to answer your questions. But to briefly address your question, most higher tier schools are very receptive to homeschoolers.</p>
<p>We homeschooled our son, also because of a year round national sport, who will be going to Wheaton College, MA, next fall. We have a good friend who was a dean at Brown for 13 years and is now a college search private consultant. She homeschooled all five of her children, all went to excellent colleges, including two to Brown. While at Brown, among other things, she did a lot of work with Brown students who were homeschooled. Her website is CollegeGoals.com and her name is Joyce Reed. You can email me for details at <a href="mailto:tjpmd@cox.net">tjpmd@cox.net</a>. You also can call Joyce Reed at the phone number on the web site. Good luck.</p>
<p>Check out K12.com - they have a popular high school curriculum with lots of advanced courses. You can also do it for free through a school district in your state (& it can be anywhere in the state) as a member of a virtual school. It was founded by Bill Bennett, former Secretary of Education and author of many well received books on education.</p>
<p>Also check out apexlearning.com. Paul Allen founded it, I believe, so it's probably great.</p>
<p>I think using a top curriculum can help your case with colleges, and will also increase your chances to perform well on standardized tests (even more important for a homeschooled student). Homeschoolers do score higher on average, so this move could end up making it easier for you to get into a better school.</p>