<p>We have homeschooled all the way through, and are now beginning to look at college entrance requirements. Although we have done Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, we probably have been a bit weak on actual lab experiments. Now we see that some colleges ask for "evidence of science laboratory experiences." What exactly does this mean, and what would we have to provide?</p>
<p>I know there are kits available for that which may be bought online. Do the experiments. Photograph the work. Save the worksheets. Make laboratory reports and save it too. This way you can claim to do laboratory work.</p>
<p>Thank you, @moneyp.</p>
<p>Those are lab sciences and they are supposed to include a lot of lab work at the high school level. I just asked my daughter how much lab work they do in 1st year bio and she said “every day, or at least every other day”.</p>
<p>We have used LateNiteLabs - also happens to be the virtual lab software used by the local college here. Saves you on having to purchase all sorts of supplies.</p>
<p><a href=“https://latenitelabs.com/index”>https://latenitelabs.com/index</a></p>
<p>You should have multiple lab assignments for each science course, otherwise your homeschool has not provided any where near a standard high school science education (I homeschool, too, and what we offer at home should be at least as good as what is at the local public, but really better.) When you prepare your homeschool transcript, you should include the standards you used for each course, along with the curriculum, and for the sciences, you should describe what you used for labs.</p>
<p>I will just add that what will be more important than even providing portfolios of science labs will be high ACT and SAT scores, especially if you have been the one assigning all of the grades. We do a mix of curricula I choose and grade, co-op classes with other teachers who do the grading, and online classes where other teachers do the grading - so I have a lot of objective input about my kids’ academics, not just “mommy grades” (which is a term I could choose to resent, but it is the way many view the grades on homeschool transcripts, whether fair or not.)</p>
<p>D has nearly perfect SAT scores, 5s on AP exams (including on Calculus BC), and we’ve had notification that she will be recognized in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program (nearly perfect score for the PSAT, too). She plans to major in music, so ultimately the audition will be the most important thing, but we want to make sure that we have everything else in order. She’s just taken some SAT Subject Tests and will take a couple more.</p>
<p>Well. then what are you worrying for? 
Slam dunk (nary a word will come up about science labs.) Best wishes.</p>
<p>What schools ask for proof a lab experience? I haven’t seen this.</p>
<p>Oberlin is one.</p>
<p>Denison requires homeschoolers to submit a graded lab report. I didn’t think it was a big deal (but then I had done extensive lab work for all my science classes).</p>