So I’m starting my application process but I’m homeschooled and there’s so many things I don’t know what to say or put, so I was hoping for advice from any homeschooled kids or parents and to ask some questions etc, especially if you’ve already gone through the process 
Homeschool parent here, just completed the process with my daughter, about to graduate and accepted to the college of her choice and a number of others, public and private. I’d be happy to help - what would you like to know?
What did y’all put for guidance counselor? Yourself or maybe a virtual school, or college classes(or whatever supplementary schooling thing you guys used) counselor? Also would it be wise to explain why we chose to homeschool in the optional additional essay?
And do you have any advice in general? Congrats to your daughter!
I was the guidance counselor for my daughter; that’s how all the homeschool families I know did it. The guidance counselor has to do a lot - write a rec letter, issue the transcript, prepare a school profile.
My daughter took many outside classes, through co-ops, online schools, CCs and a four-year university. We prepared a consolidated transcript showing all of them on one page, followed by pages of detailed course descriptions. I had the backup transcripts from the various programs, but was never asked to provide them. You will be asked to have transcripts sent from any colleges from which you’ve taken courses.
My daughter used the optional essay to talk about how she homeschooled and what it was like for her. In the school side documents - the counselor letter, etc., we talked, from the parent perspective, about how/why we homeschooled.
The Common App can be very confusing for homeschoolers. I just went through the process this year so please do not hesitate to ask me any questions!
Parents are the guidance counselor. Whether you put down Mom or Dad, that’s up to you and your family. What type of homechooling did you do? Did you have outside teachers or was it just your parents? Did you use an umbrella school/online school or take any classes at a community college? Knowing what method you used will help us advise you better.
I think talking about why you homeschooled is better for the parent/counselor/teacher letter. Their perspective is better to portray WHY. If you would like to talk about homeschooling though in an additional, optional essay though, I see no reason why not. But if your essay is going to be similar to your parents talking about it, skip over it. If it’ll be too repetitive for you to cover it, just let Mom and Dad handle it.
I working on the same thing as the OP, only I’m the homeschooling parent. I’m in the process of transferring my son’s transcripts from Excel to Word. (Why did I only recently realize that I should have made them in Word from the beginning?) Anyway, it seems like many of the colleges my son wants to apply to ask for a complete list of books and other curriculum your child has used. Do you really have to list EVERYTHING? American and world history alone would take up pages. Plus, many of our books & DVDs have either been packed away or given to another homeschooling family that was just starting out. Can I list a few and put “additional resources were also used?” I am also providing a course description. In case it matters, my son will be applying to Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Brown, and Rutgers. (Those are his main choices. He has 2 back-ups as well.)
Thanks so much for the help. We don’t belong to a co-op and the only other homeschooling family we know with a teenager still has a year to go before they worry about it. My son will be putting in his applications in Nov-Dec.
It really depends on your style of homeschooling. Did you use a formally laid out curriculum like purchased from somewhere like Oak Meadow, My Fathers World, Apologia, Saxon etc.? Or did you design something yourself using a variety of books?
Since you are providing a course description, you can simply list a list of the main texts used at the bottom. So like when you write the course description for World History, at the bottom, you can say Resources Used: ifsflfjdlfjsf by X, oifjsofjosdijf by Y etc. It’s most efficient to list the main textbooks used and the main novels/readers. So for example say you used Notgrass US History, you would list Notgrass US History Exploring America and the assigned reading that came with the book such as To Kill A Mockingbird, Uncle Tom’s Cabin etc.
I don’t personally think it’s necessary to list every video and book (like say from the library), especially if they’re sold or packed away! Unless you and your family actually want to spend an entire weekend poring through boxes/totes. 
If you DO want to list those books and videos that your child used, you can list them separately in a list like a video log and a reading log.
You can always email the admissions offices and ask if you can explain additional resources were used but they have been sold/packed away. Every college is different especially in their homeschool-friendliness.
I completely understand the situation of non-co-op homeschool families because they don’t always have other homeschool families who can help them or know enough to help.
Thanks for the help. We’ve always been completely independent and eclectic (and secular) in our homeschooling. I created a 2 year American History curriculum from a TON of books and DVDs. The list might be on some back-up file somewhere. I do have a few of the main books though that we wanted to keep for our own home library & didn’t give away.
My son (now 17) did have 4 months of homophobic bullying hell in a public school last fall. (I’d been injured and was in physical therapy 3+ days a week. The school said they were welcoming of LGBTQ students. They lied.) We pulled him out when the first semester ended. As we don’t have official transcripts, just the PDF when we still had access to the school’s website, I’ve included the books and teachers of those classes. I’m going to include a copy of it in his transcripts.) Through a relative we were able to acquire the same textbooks. In other words - not worried about 11th grade curriculum listings so much as I am 9th and 10th and the additional subjects he took at home while in 11th and the ones he’ll be taking this summer at home. (The severe bullying lead to PTSD and put him even further behind in math.)
He got sponsored to take a community college class this fall in his major. We know that will look good and give him an academic letter of recommendation. (We’d been hoping to get 2 from his favorite teachers at ps, but that’s no longer and option for reasons I won’t go into on a public forum.) This summer he’ll be doing more math at home, taking a Red Cross CPR & First Aid class, and cramming for the standardized tests.
We can’t afford for him to take more community college classes nor AP exams. We’re going to be hard pressed just to pay for just one shot at the SATs, 2 SAT subject tests, ACTs, and college application fees. (We don’t qualify for wavers and are having to pay out of pocket for our son’s therapy.)
Sorry for the ramble and hoping this makes sense. It’s all so daunting. He’s followed his own path, not that of many homeschoolers who all seem to have a ton of community college and co-op classes under their belts as well as AP classes, internships, etc. And each school seems to want something different from homeschoolers. On top of that, my son could technically graduate high school now, but he wants the extra year in order to have more time in therapy to learn how to handle flashbacks and panic attacks. Plus, he needs to cram in a lot more math just to score anything on the standardized tests. (He’s only now finishing up pre-algebra. He’s been reading law books since he was 12. He’s a true asynchronous gifted person.)
In your case then, it may be helpful to submit a homeschooling essay/letter along with your standard letter of recommendation for your student, explaining your eclectic style and your reasons for homeschooling. A lot of colleges like to see that. My parents said they sorta implemented the two in one letter but it may be easier on the eyes for you to separate yours.
*not that of many homeschoolers who all seem to have a ton of community college and co-op classes under their belts as well as AP classes, internships, etc. *
Don’t fret. I didn’t do this as a homeschooler either. I didn’t do CC, co-op, AP’s and I am just fine. I’m very proud of my accomplishments and I don’t feel like I needed to do those other things to get where I currently am. Every homeschool experience is different; that’s why it’s called homeschooling! Homeschooling is supposed to be unique to your student.
I wish your son the best of luck with everything! He seems like a very bright student and a fine example as a successful member of the homeschool alumni community. 
Thank you so much, TheDidactic. It really helps. I swear I go from worrying to death to knowing that we’ve done the best with what we resources we have. I did plan on writing a letter, as the “guidance councilor” which I saw here is required, or whatever letter(s) are needed, explaining why we homeschool, how we did it, that the trauma set him back, but he worked hard to catch up while healing, etc. My son will be writing his essays on his love of law and where his drive to pursue it came from. He has a number of outside activities and some guaranteed letters of recommendation. Just not enough “academic from a non-parent” ones. (I think Yale requires 2-3.) We’re hoping for those from the community college class.
The standardized tests are what I’m worried most about. He didn’t do so well on his PSATs, but those were taken during the public school hell. One person suggested to me that if he doesn’t do well on the ACTs, SATs, etc, he can take another gap year, get more community college courses under his belt, and take the tests again when we can afford another round. The first is 3 months away (Sept) which seems like both a long and short time.
Sorry for the ramble. Thank you again for the help and sharing your experience. It truly helped.
I can’t believe we’ve been homeschooling for 11 years and now it’s the last rush/push towards college admission.
No problem. Always glad to help. My parents and I didn’t have anyone to talk us through the process so we were alone. I’m happy to be that voice of semi-experience for another family. I didn’t have any outside teachers at all besides my parents. I was fortunate enough to have a family friend who was a professor write one, but otherwise my LOR’s came from my soccer coach, my parents, and my boss/supervisor from the camp I volunteered at. It’s not the ideal situation because I didn’t have “outside academic” recs but again, homeschooling is unique to each person. Not every homeschool student should be expected to curtail their experience a certain way to allow for non parent academic recs.
If that was the case, they should have been telling us this 4+ years ago! I don’t know what your son’s stats were but honestly, improvement is always possible with a little study from books. Princeton Review, Grubers, Barrons, and obviously the official test books really helped me out A LOT. It’s definitely worth the investment to look into them. If he is going to study out of them now, it would be most beneficial to get the SAT out of the way before January because that’s when the new SAT takes over. If your son can’t get his SAT up to a satisfactory score by then or earlier, it is worth it to take the ACT. (I actually took SAT and ACT consecutively. SAT in March of Junior, ACT in April of Junior, SAT in May of Junior, ACT in October of Senior, SAT in December of Senior)
But anyways I completely understand where you are coming from. My mom was just settling into your spot last year. She amazingly plowed through it all and we pulled through senior year as a family. It’s tough being the guidance counselor, teacher, AND the parent. Parents of regular schoolkids complain about how stressful senior year is for them…they need to live a life in your/homeschool parents’ shoes! Yes, this is the last push, what homeschooling all these years has built up to!
Because of the ps trauma, there was no way he could take the SATs in June. His testing is going to look like this: Sept 12, 2015 - ACT w/writing, Oct 3 - SAT subject tests (2-3 of them,) Nov 7 - SAT test, Dec 5 - more SAT subject tests if K wants them.
I talked with K last night after having realized he was asleep when hub and I had sat down and figured out when the next test dates were and the deadlines for registering for them, on top of deadlines and costs of the 5 colleges K wants to apply to. It was a budgeting type of thing. Normally, K’s always included in these things. Anyway, I realized last night that I’d just assumed he’d be taking the Biology SAT subject test (not realizing it was 2 different ones) and the US History one as he’d done really well at ps in those subjects and they were fresh in his mind. I showed K the site and we went over things. He wants to take both Biology tests, US History, and Literature. I’m all for it as I figure it can’t hurt to show colleges proof that he was indeed well educated at home. If he does well on them and poorly on the math part of the SAT (we’re assuming a lower math score,) then hopefully colleges will see that math may not be his strong suit, but clearly he’s had a well-rounded, solid education, in addition to his passion for law. (Law and political science being shown on his transcripts and the community college class his signing up for with hopes of another class in the Spring.)
He’s asked that I prepare for him a list of test prep sites. We already have the SAT study guide and know that Khan Academy has free prep as well. Before leaving ps, we bookmarked the website his English teacher got her SAT vocabulary words from. We also have a well stocked home library and he has free range of the internet.
Not sure if I’m coming across well. My son’s always had a huge say in his education. Just sometimes there’s miscommunication, like in all families, and we’d forgotten to give him a choice in the subject tests. It’s his life and his brain. He knows what he knows best. He also knows that he just needs this 3 month push to get ready for the ACTs, and a little more time for the other tests. After the college applications are in (Dec.,) the pressure will lessen. Then he can go back to half child led, half parent required learning. (Hub and I are giving him a financial literacy course so he doesn’t make the same mistakes we did when we were on our own. He’s already acquired a ton of other independent life skills - cooking, cleaning, laundry, home repair, car maintenance, etc.)
Knowing we’re not the only homeschoolers in a similar situation (of not following what everyone else does) has helped a lot. We’ve never fit in with any of the homeschooling groups in our state nor online. And eventually, we just stopped needing any kind of help until now, tbh. K’s not an extroverted person who always needs to be doing things. He’s happy at home doing his thing with a few field trips. He has an activity he loves and has been doing since he was 12, created 2 more this year, and is active in a couple of online communities. When we toured Princeton, the administration officer said that they don’t judge prospective students on how many activities they do. (One girl there was afraid that her dabbling, but not excelling at or sticking with, multiple activities might hurt her chances. The admin said it didn’t matter either way - a lot or a little. Just do what you love.)
Just one note, a person can’t take both Biology E (ecological biology) and Biology M (molecular in the same sitting). Since he can take 3 tests at a time, it’ll save time and money if he just chooses which Bio test to take and take that with US History and Literature in the same sitting. I took US History and didn’t have a problem with it; I’ve heard literature isn’t too difficult.
@FarscapeFan I’m sorry that your son has been through such a difficult time and as a fellow homeschool parent sympathize with the scramble you’re in. On top of everything else going on, his college list seems to me too reach-heavy. The recommended preparation for the super-selective schools is four years of math (e.g. https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/preparing-college/choosing-courses). Extraordinary strengths and accomplishments in other areas could compensate for falling a bit short of that, but not having any high school math except for test prep seems like it will be problematic. Have you and he considered the Colleges That Change Lives schools? (http://www.ctcl.org/) A number are test-optional and in general they’re the kind of schools where a compelling personal story and an interesting student-led education will count for a lot. It’s so insanely difficult to get into HYP these days; he needs some ‘match’ schools between those and his backups.