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The Department of Education reported in 2003 that 2.2 percent of the American school-age population was homeschooled. And experts at the Graduate School of Education say that a majority of those families choose to homeschool their children for religious reasons.</p>
<p>But even as the homeschooling trend takes root nationwide, a disproportionately tiny number of these students ever win entry to Harvard.</p>
<p>A GROWTH INDUSTRY</p>
<p>In 1989, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons 67 said that around five to 10 homeschooled students applied to Harvard yearly.</p>
<p>Following the rise in the number of homeschoolers nationwide, between 100 and 200 homeschooled students applied to Harvard this year, says Director of Admissions Marlyn McGrath Lewis 70-73. Lewis adds that many other applicants were homeschooled for part of their education.</p>
<p>Its a growth industry. Weve probably had an increase in numbers over the past 10 years, she says.</p>
<p>Lewis says she cannot give exact figures because the admissions office does not place homeschooled students applications into separate categories.</p>
<p>Despite this increase in the number of applicants, Lewis says Harvard usually only accepts between three and eight homeschooled students each year, a number significantly lower than this years overall acceptance rate of 9.3 percent.
<p>I actually have run into a few homeschoolers at the UChicago, as well as many people who were homeschooled through 8th grade. Homeschooling is on the rise.</p>
<p>I did not apply to Harvard, though, but I am a homeschooler. I was accepted into the three schools to which I applied, and I credit homeschooling (which allowed me to study subjects normally not taught in "regular" high schools) for helping do this.</p>
<p>I have three homeschooling friends at H., two of the three graduating this year. Three different subject areas: one is a theater concentrator, one in environmental sciences, one in math. </p>
<p>My d. found welcoming responses virtually everywhere she looked (with the possible exception of Pomona, which was a pain in the butt.)</p>
<p>I've read about homeschoolers at Harvard before. But I don't want this to be about Harvard alone. The article might be best on the homeschool forum, but I gather it does not have as much traffic as this forum.</p>
<p>The year my son applied to Stanford, there was an article in the Stanford alumni magazine about homeschoolers at Stanford. Stanford was quite welcoming of homeschoolers and the article quite positive. That year Stanford's admit rate for homeschoolers was twice the rate for nonhomeschoolers. I don't know if those stats have changed, but I think being homeschooled may have helped my son get in.</p>
<p>I don't know the reasons the rate would be different at Stanford. Perhaps a different attitude from the admissions dept--I know the head at that time was quite positive toward homeschoolers, and I'm sure the attitude would filter down. Perhaps the fact that Stanford tends to be more laid back than Harvard and would attract more homeschoolers? I don't really know.</p>
<p>One reason could be that some homeschoolers use Stanford's EPGY program to augment what they do at home. I anticipate that more colleges will be providing similar options for home-schoolers going forward.</p>
<p>If I recall, the Stanford admissions website has a whole section directed at homeschoolers. It certainly does its best to be welcoming of homeschoolers. Eagle also makes a good point about EPGY. It makes Stanford more familiar to homeschoolers and vice-versa. For example, college-level EPGY course credits can be used at Stanford but not at some other colleges.</p>
<p>H.'s rate of admissions of homeschoolers is likely NOT lower than everyone else, when you take out the athletes (by definition, there are very, very few homeschoolers in high school team sports), legacies (there are H. legacy homeschoolers - I know a few - but they are few and far between), developmental admits (multimillionaire homeschoolers are few and far between), sons and daughters of Senators, Congressman, Ambassadors, etc. (there are very, very few), desired URMs (there are URM homeschoolers, but percentagewise it is still low), or even those who can afford full-freight. Take those out of the equation, and I expect one would find homeschoolers are admitted at roughly the same rate as everyone else.</p>
<p>My oldest dd's college, Hillsdale, has been quite welcoming of hsers--in fact, close to half of her Honors Program were hsers. The Air Force Academy has a special section devoted to hsers. The only academy that we found that was less than welcoming was the Coast Guard--but she was still received an Appointment. There will be several hsers at Navy this year. For a list of colleges and universities that have accepted hsers, look here: </p>