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Pre-College Issues Home Schooling and College
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<p>Thanks, Nan!</p>

<p>He has fallen in love with UT Austin, but not with any others. And, he really doesn't know yet exactly what he wants to do. He feels pressured if he has to make a decision that is binding for the next 4 years. </p>

<p>What I don't like about the private school scenario is that, what if we neutralized the credits, and then he changed his mind? They would be lost.</p>

<p>His best friend spent 1 year at Rice and it didn't work out - probably because he just wasn't prepared for the work load. He went from homeschool to a very rigorous load and he just didn't have the study skills. Very smart kid, but he blew some circuits after only a few weeks.</p>

<p>My son is taking it gradually. He's been taking 2 classes at the cc, and he has a awesome part-time job selling computers, which I consider every bit as important as the college classes!</p>

<p>So, at this point we are definitely leaning towards him continuing to have flexibility - he may want to just go to UT part-time for 4 years rather than full=time for 2 years. But at least he'd have options.</p>

<p>It sounds like applying as a freshman is appropriate for someone who is very, very sure about which college s/he wants to attend, and is very sure that s/h wants to be there for 4 years.</p>

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<p>He got a brochure from Southwestern U. and some things it said really got his attention: they have peace rallies, very liberal campus, and a mission statement about preparing the students to really make a difference in the world in a lasting way - like working from within the system to effect changes for peace, rather than just attending a protest march that accomplishes nothing. There were some student profiles that said things like being vegetarian (which he is) and not only thinking outside the box, but eliminating the 'box' entirely!</p>

<p>Wow, wow, WOW! These things sounded SO cool! And then, the college is very small - only 1200 students, and is located just 20 minutes north of Austin. So, he could have the 'small school' benefits (as opposed to getting lost in the huge UT system) but have easy access to the socail scene at Austin.</p>

<p>It really sounded like the best of both worlds, so I immediately called the SW admissions office to see if it was even feasible.</p>

<p>Well, for a school that is described as 'eliminating the box' they sure were rigid on their admissions. They totally did not know what to do with a homeschool student. At first the woman sounded impressed at some of his accomplishments, but was still rigid on getting his stats in comformity with high school students.</p>

<p>She said he would have to drop all his credits and apply as a freshman, because it was required that he have the full 4-year experience, take the SAT, and basically compete on the same basis as the high school freshman.</p>

<p>None of his accomplishments (like being webmaster for 2 homeschool co-ops in 9th grade) seemed to be worth anything.</p>

<p>Finally, as a last effort, I proposed a radical idea: Hey, why don't you let one of your Psychology profs (their flagship major is Psychology) interview my son for an hour. I guarantee that he will be so impressed that you'll want to admit him. (my son has an uncanny maturity and dept of perception that is rarely found in adults, much less 17-yo's)</p>

<p>I knew it was a radical idea, but I proposed it anyway, partly to test their response, since I knew his chances were already nil.</p>

<p>They were unwilling to work with me, unwilling to consider any alternate approaches to evaluating him.</p>

<p>I can understand a huge school having tons of beauracracy - I would never dream of suggesting such a thing to UT admissions, but I thought a small school might be more open-minded, especially since they portray themselves that way.</p>

<p>But, no.</p>

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<p>Well sorry for the long rant but I guess I'm feeling a bit soured by that experience.</p>

<p>Oh, and even if he had been accepted, (and this school bragged about their major endowments) the absolute most scholarship $$ he could get (and she made it VERY clear that his chances of getting the max were virtually nil) would be $13k shaved off the $23k (per year) pricetag.</p>

<p>I'm already finding scholarships for my son to apply for, to help shave off some of the $10k pricetag of UT.</p>

<p>Anyway, bottom line is, it seems that in order to have any chance at getting in to a private school, he'd have to permanently let go of his credits, just for a slim CHANCE of being admitted - then if he did not get admitted, those credits would be lost, so he'd be stuck taking those classes over again at the state school (since those 'lost' credits that are rejected at private schools are part of the required core curr at state schools).</p>

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<p>lealdragon, I don't understand why applying to one school and counting his college credits for highschool, would prevent him from applying elsewhere as a transfer and taking the college credits.</p>

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<p>other reasons not to care about transferring credit:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>student is interested in schools that admit a much higher percentage of freshman applicants than transfer spplicants.</p></li>
<li><p>student needs grants/scholarships earmarked for freshman.</p></li>
<li><p>student wants to access support available to freshmen, like on-campus housing, counseling, orientation.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>It really boils down to what your goals are. If you want to graduate as quickly as possible, going to a state U that will take all you CC credits may be the best course. If your goal is to go to a very rigorous 4 year college and have the full 4 year experience there, you may be better off viewing your CC courses as your version of high school and worrying about appropriate placement rather than credit.</p>

26

<p>Hi Leal -- </p>

<p>the biggest problem with homeschooling in high school is that there is no standard way to do it -- there are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschooling students! that is the great thing about it, but it makes it difficult for admissions people to evaluate these students against what they are used to looking at.</p>

<p>A few things I have learned (my son is not in college yet, but he does take lots of college classes)
-- there is usually only one person in the admissions department that is familiar with homeschoolers and that is the only person you can really speak with. The person who answers the phone is generally clueless.
-- you do not have to submit the same transcript to every college. You could submit his high school transcript with the CC classes listed as high school classes to the private and a totally different package to UT. As long as you don't make up stuff, you are fine. there isn't a national clearing house regarding this
--if you are positive you son wants the UT experience, then it sounds like you are headed in the right direction. But if you think he might benefit from something else, you might start looking around at other options.
-- as far as your disappointment in the admissions office at the smaller school, I think you have very unrealistic expectations regarding what flexibility they have in admitting students. They answer to the college president and other departments and have rules regarding admitting students. Although your son sounds great and very accomplished, to be honest -- he sounds very much like other competitive homeschoolers. many, many homeschoolers take college classes early and do well, participate in activities and hold down jobs. Many regular high school kids do too. Expecting them to interview him and accept him based on that interview doesn't make sense to me. If he is interested in applying, why not take the SAT and submit a transcript -- it isn't that difficult. </p>

<p>My son is interested in selective colleges and he wants the four year experience -- he will submit his college transcripts, but does not expect any credits to transfer (and he will have a ton). He is hoping to place out of some basic courses, but if he doesn't, he is ok with that. He knows what he wants and he is planning accordingly.</p>

27

<p>I just read back through the thead -- and it does seem like you and your son have decided that the UT route as a transfer is the best option. I have to agree. He can attend college for 4 years if he wants -- he could triple major if he desires. only take the minimum number of credits each semester, no summer classes, he could study abroad, etc. It gives him alot of flexiblity.</p>

<p>He could have the "4 year college experience" if he wants it -- or he could finish up early. </p>

<p>As far a drawbacks to being a transfer student over a freshmen, there are a few -- he may not be allowed to apply to the honors college, he may not be allowed to live in the dorm (or in the freshman dorm) and may have to live on his own or with older kids. There may be a group or club that he misses because you have to join as a freshman. To me, these seem fairly minor and it sounded like he would be living at home anyway. And he may be able to apply to the honors program since he is transferring from a CC in the state (that is how it works here).</p>

<p>financial aid and scholarship money is the other hang-up -- it is less for transfer students, but you are right in that you are saving the two years of college credit he has! Plus, there are alot of scholarships out there that are available only for juniors and seniors. Plus scholarships for kids transferring from CC to University.</p>

<p>You are lucky to have a great school right there -- although we have a 4 year state university where I live, it is lacking severely in academic rigor and is not what my son is looking for, so it isn't really an option. </p>

<p>I think your plan sounds great -- but many parents get stuck in a certain mindset and can't get over it, plus there is so much misinformation out there regarding homeschooling and college admissions -- you put both topics together and I can see why people stick to what they are told.</p>

<p>I don't know how many times my mother asks me -- is J doing any math? The kids here in school have to do math, My son take college classes and is ahead in all subjects, and yes -- he takes math, but if it isn't taught at the local high school, my mother just doesn't see how it could "count".</p>

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<p>'...Although your son sounds great and very accomplished, to be honest -- he sounds very much like other competitive homeschoolers...'</p>

<p>I didn't mean to imply that there aren't other homeschoolers with similar accomplishments. I was just listing the webmaster thing as an example of something they didn't seem to value.</p>

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<p>'...you do not have to submit the same transcript to every college. You could submit his high school transcript with the CC classes listed as high school classes to the private and a totally different package to UT...'</p>

<p>Ah, this is the part I didn't know! I thought that once we 'neutralized' the college credits, they were gone.</p>

<p>This clears up my dilemma - thanks to everyone for your responses!</p>

30

<p>sorry -- I didn't mean to accuse you of bragging or anything like that. I think many times people don't put alot of value on some activities of homeschoolers because they think that they are less than they are or they think that the kid did it just because they were homeschooled. I know that admissions offices are very driven by statistics over extracurriculars -- it just makes things easier for them.</p>

<p>definitely make several transcripts -- even what you list as activities, etc can be tailored to the school. It leaves you with alot of options!</p>

31

<p>No prob - thanks!</p>

<p>He very emphatically does NOT want to live in a dorm - he says it's too noisy and chaotic (he spent a few nights in a dorm at the Honors Colloquium), and he likes his space so really does want a private room. He's already got a space reserved at one of the housing co-ops - Austin has several co-ops just 2 blocks from the campus, and they provide the best of both worlds - anywhere from 15-120 students share a large house (or apartment-style, in the case of the larger ones). He opted for one of the smaller ones, which is a house. He'd have his own room and could take his cat! The different houses have different personalities - some have a lot of partying and some are more studious. Some are vegetarian houses, etc. So the idea is to find the one that fits. The students share in the chores of the house, and it's a lot cheaper than dorms. They have home-cooked meals. It's really a lot better preparation for the 'real world', imo, too. And they have a great social scene - in the smaller ones they really do become very close friends.</p>