Enough rigor/extracurriculars???

Pre-College Issues Home Schooling and College
1

<p>Hello, everyone!</p>

<p>I have been homeschooled since day one and was just wondering about the rigor of my classes/chances of getting into USC, NYU, or <em>maybe if I get a really good SAT score</em> Princeton.</p>

<p>9th GRADE</p>

<ol>
<li>Algebra I</li>
<li>English I</li>
<li>French I</li>
<li>Physical Science</li>
<li>Medieval, Reformation, and Renaissance History</li>
<li>Physical Education
(1/2) Health
(1/2) Work Education</li>
</ol>

<p>I did 35 hours of community service (pretty bad, I know), participated in an academic enrichment camp, worked, and attended a three week educational trip to the United Kingdom.</p>

<p>No honors courses for last year so I'm stepping it up a bit...</p>

<p>10th GRADE</p>

<ol>
<li>Honors Geometry</li>
<li>Honors Algebra II</li>
<li>Honors English II</li>
<li>Honors World History</li>
<li>(Possibly Honors) Biology</li>
<li>French II
7.Computer Applications</li>
<li>Work Education</li>
</ol>

<p>This year school year (I began 10th grade on June 1st) I've already put in 11 hours of volunteer work and will continue to volunteer at the same place about 3 hours a week and 2 hours a week at another location. I am working this school year at the same company as I did last year, and will be in the National Home School Honor Society and hopefully the National Society of High School Scholars. I also plan on attending an education and mission trip to Germany or France next summer and then head back to the UK for a bit. AND I might run Cross Country.</p>

<p>I'm also thinking about adding Latin to my studies next year (as well as one AP course) and also one or two dual enrollment classes at the university here.</p>

<p>So, is that enough rigor for this school year? Enough EC's? Enough volunteering?</p>

<p>Thanks, you guys – I'd love to hear your thoughts!</p>

2

<p>Hello FilmMaker1,</p>

<p>Looking right now at your coursework, I would say that it’s not particularly rigorous. It’s not poor by any means, but not up to the same standards as many applicants applying to similar schools. </p>

<p>I ask you, also, how do you define an honors course if you’re homeschooled? Does that involve more coursework than previously said classes, or more rigorous material in general? Make sure colleges understand what that entails exactly. Otherwise, it’s just an empty word.</p>

<p>As for volunteering, the hours are less important than the substance. Where are you volunteering? Is it something you are interested in or just something to bolster your resume? I understand that that’s particularly difficult to find something you’re interested in to volunteer for, but it really makes a difference. </p>

<p>As for Latin, it is a great language to learn. Will that replace French, or will you continue your studies of both?</p>

<p>Best regards.</p>

3

<p>FilmMaker1,</p>

<p>What are you passionate about? What do you love to do? What do you excel in? Answer these questions as you decide on ECs. Your ECs should be there because you enjoy them, rather than being there because you’re trying to impress admissions.</p>

<p>Test scores and outside validation will be important for you. Do you take any of your classes from other people? Will you have access to AP/college level work? </p>

<p>If you are shooting for schools such as USC, NYU, and Princeton, you need to know that they look for top students with top scores.</p>

<p>I know of a local homeschooler who was accepted to NYU and ultimately ended up at Pepperdine. I think his SAT score was somewhere around 2000-2100. He had taken a few college courses and he was heavily involved in theater, both as an actor and as a director.</p>

<p>My son was accepted into Princeton. He had some national awards, very high test scores (SAT and SAT II), a lot of college, strong ECs, and strong letters of recommendation. He was homeschooled from the get go, as well, but was a part time college student for a number of years.</p>

<p>I don’t want to discourage you because I am sure you have some strong interests and you sound motivated. Challenge yourself, follow your passions, and I’m sure you’ll end up in a great school.</p>

4

<p>In general, if shooting for Princeton, taking Algebra I by seventh grade or eighth at the latest with very high scores seems standard. You can’t finish AP Calculus by your senior year otherwise if you don’t skip Prevalent or cover a year of math in a summer. </p>

<p>You can self study AP courses to strengthen your position so long as you score high on the AP tests, mostly 5’s or better yet all 5’s. </p>

<p>Also, they will want to see how you took advantage of the flexibility homeschool afforded you. So, you don’t want to look as though you are mimicking public school even as you cover as much and as rigorous material. </p>

<p>I would recommend you find a way to get at least a year ahead of where you are in math, start your own community initiative using your film skills-- perhaps a video library of olsters recounting the history of the area and what their lives were like back then, or a documentary about the lives of migrant worker children who come through in season, or the method problem in a rural county (if you can do that safely with adult supervision), or a fundraising spot for a worthy cause and get it run as a public service announcement. Basically, create something amazing and effective to send to schools, and document results.</p>

<p>You need to show how you are different and special, and you need to show that you are just as caught up with school as the thousands of applicants in the pool. Don’t compare your preparation to those around you but to the pool of applicants. Look up the scores of the middle fifty percent of accepted students for the schools you want to go to. Best to get a higher score but at least try to get in the muddle or higher.</p>

<p>Also, be prepared to show in some way that you would fit in well even while being unique. My son included a photo of himself in a jovial moment with kids of various races at a summer camp. It was a random photo, but it told a story. He also included a letter from a teaching assistant from Princeton, and that student described his intelligence very, very favorably. On his extracurricular resume, he included significant things he did to help our family survive through my cancer. Don’t leave out outstanding things you do for your family. Also, include things you have done that required taking a stand. Show your character without coming off as self-righteous. If you have hobbies, find ways to extend them into community service that makes a difference. </p>

<p>All the students I advise have turned out to have far more to share than they realized, and they all have had potential to make their last couple of years outstanding. Few realized their potential was so great.</p>

5

<p>HallMLuke: An honors homeschool course includes more coursework and a higher level of difficulty than a CP course. I don’t have my hands on the papers from the organization at the minute, but it’s essentially equivalent to a private school’s definition. In regards to my volunteer work, I LOVE it! I’m volunteering at my county library because I value learning and knowledge. I believe that books lay the path for one’s intellectual growth. I’m also looking into being the web caster for our church’s online broadcast. As for Latin, it will certainly not replace French, but merely be an additional course.</p>

<p>sbjdorlo: I love to learn, read, make films, art, English, mathematics, science, history…how about just liberal arts? I excel in English, as I scored in the 99th percentile in both Language Mechanics and in Total Language (I also tested in a group). So, being in a library pretty much propagates my desire for everything I love. As for classes outside of home, I take Honors English II at a Homeschool Resource Centre and I am tutored in Honors Geometry and later in Honors Algebra II.</p>

<p>Journier: I realize that my chances of attending Princeton are slim. I’m thinking, however, that graduate school at Princeton could be a viable option! I’m taking two maths this year in order to be in calculus when I graduate. I’m considering beginning pre-cal next summer and completing it by the end of the first semester. Then, go ahead and start with calculus in the second semester of my junior year. We shall see. In regards to letters of recommendation, I have two friends who graduated from Oxford University, one from St. Andrews University, one from Columbia University, and another friend of mine is attending Yale University this fall for his graduate degree. I feel confidant that they can assist me with great letters of recommendation.</p>

<p>Thank you all for the feedback! Please let me know about anything else you can think of that will improve my preparation!</p>