<p>My son is a rising senior and has had a great education. He will have a great transcript, syllabi for courses, many standardized test scores with very high scores. He will be applying to top schools and some public safeties. </p>
<p>My question is whether homeschooled applicants have received any requests from colleges for specific documentation, writing samples, test samples or anything like that once they have applied? I could probably dig up most of what my son has done, but just want to be ready if this is going to be a common request during the Fall. </p>
<p>Our record keeping has been good; our archiving, less so. Do other homeschool families here think there will be lots of requests from colleges? What has your experience been? Thanks!</p>
<p>As I recall, some schools had a homeshooling supplement they required to be submitted but I don’t remember it including writing samples from your kid - it was more info about your homeschooling. I don’t even think we needed any syllabi. The standardized test scores were very important though so it does help to have that. And of course an excellent transcript - I managed to keep mine to one page which wasn’t easy but someone else advised me to do so!</p>
<p>Other than completing the homeschool supplement to the Common App, we didn’t need anything extra for every school except Pitt (and Penn St + Temple would be similar). We didn’t even do course descriptions - not even on the Common App, but our courses were quite common and my guy had high test scores as well as LORs from community college profs. I think descriptions are more important with borderline candidates or unusual classes.</p>
<p>Pitt wanted a final transcript approved by a third party. It seemed weird because we’re in PA and our state doesn’t require anything like that of homeschoolers. My guy got accepted with merit aid anyway (without a third party approved transcript) and I suspect not having one would have been a formality for him, but I’d have wanted to get that in writing had he chosen to go to Pitt since their letter claimed kids could take fall classes, but not spring classes unless the issue was resolved. (They say the Dean can come up with alternatives.) Since he’s going elsewhere it isn’t an issue.</p>
<p>I now recommend homeschoolers avoid those schools and choose to apply elsewhere. There are so many schools without hassles, why worry about those with them? But, if you wanted those schools anyway, at least go in with your eyes open.</p>
<p>Yes, I am currently uncertain about whether to go with course descriptions or just the textbooks/reading lists for each class. Seems silly to describe the contents of a Chemistry class where the material was exactly what one would expect in a thorough chemistry class. But for Bio my son has an AP 5 so I have no problem leaving the ourse specifics out, and with chemistry (whitch was just as rigorous) it feels a little incomplete…</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks again, and anyone else with stories of what colleges did (or did not) request please let us know. Also, anyone who has input as to what kind of presentation of transcript and/or course descriptions have worked at top schools, that would be appreciated as well.</p>
<p>We have had a teacher sign off on our curriculum ech year for submission to the state just to be safe. I am hoping to not use it at all in the application process, as the official transcript for the applications will be more polished, cover the interesting stuff that was superfluous for the state, and be designed to be easily understood all from one page (with some sort of further detail in subsequent pages).</p>
<p>I sent my kids’ transcripts with course descriptions and a booklist. We found the easiest way to gauge whether schools were homeschool friendly were if they had a homeschool applicants section on their admissions page. For any that didn’t, I had the kids email admissions to ask. From the responses we received, it was pretty easy to figure out where to apply. The only school that asked for anything extra (that we actually applied to) was Bucknell, who wanted two additional writing samples, graded, one from an English class, and one from another class. Dd was waitlisted there, so I thought that went pretty well. 19 schools applied to , 18 acceptances and the 1 wl (3 kids all at once)</p>
<p>The only school we researched and stayed away from was the U of RI whose website stated that hsers needed 5 SATII scores (all other applicants needed only 2). We found this very hs un-friendly.</p>
<p>My son never had to submit any writing samples or coursework. He applied to, and was accepted by, 10 colleges including Princeton, Caltech, Vanderbilt, Penn, and MIT. So, I think if you can avoid schools like the ones tozubri and Creekland mentioned (my son also was accepted by Pitt with a full tuition scholarship, but it was a little bizarre what they asked for), I think you’ll be absolutely fine without having to dig up schoolwork.</p>
<p>I did course descriptions attached to the transcripts. Some of the descriptions were simple; some were copied directly from the community college; some were more detailed (home made courses). It seemed to work well. Some people don’t go into as much detail as I did and it seemed to be fine for them, too.</p>
<p>I wish your son the best. He sounds awesome!</p>
<p>And in our state an evaluator looks over a portfolio each year, signs off on it, and then we submit the portfolio w/evaluator page to the school.</p>
<p>That didn’t count for Pitt. They wanted a transcript from a third party.</p>
<p>It seriously is strange - and shows they aren’t particularly homeschool friendly even if they will admit homeschoolers without the above. Their letter specifically says they can take fall semester classes, but not spring semester, if the issue isn’t resolved.</p>
<p>When my guy e-mailed Pitt asking about homeschool requirements prior to any applications, he was told they needed nothing extra. We were VERY surprised to get the transcript requirement letter in the mail… and were going to withdraw the application… but then he got his acceptance letter and merit aid offer. Incredibly strange.</p>
<p>All other colleges my two older boys applied to were perfectly “normal” with homeschooling, and again, we didn’t even do course descriptions. We did submit an overall reading lists, but textbooks weren’t on it - just books read for classes or pleasure. We chose to do that. It wasn’t required. We had it anyway from our portfolios and it demonstrated my guys’ interests so, why not?</p>
<p>I don’t know if I can put a link on here, but I’ll try. On this thread (homeschooling site) I typed the exact letter, and then there was discussion on it. At the time of this discussion he hadn’t been accepted yet, but he was before we had totally finished contemplating it. In the end, he chose the U of Rochester instead - though Pitt made his top 3. It was probably his 2nd choice, BUT, I’d have needed some confirmation in writing that this wasn’t going to be an issue or he wouldn’t have gone there.</p>
<p>When my son was applying, several of the schools had additional homeschool requirements listed on their websites, things like portfolios, sample papers, etc. I contacted the admissions person who would be handling his application. I sent them a sample of the course descriptions I was doing (books and the type of description you see in a high school) and asked if it would be acceptable. Everyone single one of them said yes even if it didn’t meet their requirements on the website. I think a lot schools think they have to ask for something more from homeschoolers but don’t know what so just put something up.</p>
<p>Two kids go through the process so far. We just submitted lists of what they had read, sorted by general school subject. No courses or grades listed even in the home school supplement. No problems and no requests for additional info.
After application I saw that Johns Hopkins wanted a graded transcript from home schoolers. I wrote a letter saying that compared to his friends, he seemed well educated, and that he hadn’t done courses or received grades. They accepted him and sent an “early write” letter. The other 5 colleges that accepted him sent “early write” letters as well.
But they never applied to public colleges where I suspect you could get tripped up meeting bureaucratic check lists. I think if private schools want you, they take you.
I think there are individuals suspicious or even hostile to home schoolers. In my family I suspected one instance. My daughter got a 236 PSAT in a not particular high scoring state (Illinois) and was not chosen as a National Merit Scholar. I’ve heard they hire school guidance counselors and teachers for brief periods to review the applications. Please correct me if this isn’t true. Her other accomplishments were enough to end up at Princeton. So nothing to complain about. But I suspected somebody’s bias.
A few years ago there were a few terrible encounters with Davidson detailed on this site, but I have no idea what Davidson is like now.
Generally, I think schools are used to home schoolers by now and people have few problems.</p>
<p>Wow danas, I am really surprised that your D was not a NM Scholar. Part of the problem may be that she didn’t follow their weird rules exactly. I had a friend walk me through the process on my son’s app. Of particular importance was assigning grades to all classes, even the self-study ones. </p>
<p>My son was a NM winner and that has been the sole means of why he won’t have debt after college because his was a corporate scholarship worth 6K a year for four years.</p>
<p>OTOH, he applied for several union scholarships (my husband’s a Teamsters member through his job) and he got nary a bit. I have to believe that they prefer public school kids over homeschool kids.</p>
<p>It’s good to know, though, that schools like Princeton regularly admit homeschoolers. My son was also admitted (will not be attending), so I would definitely say the majority of colleges are on the right track as far as homeschoolers.</p>
<p>On the same line, for those who sent portfolios or other works, how much did you send? I asked the admissions office (or rather my son did) how much to send, as I’d read somewhere on CC that admissions didn’t like being overwhelmed. They said send whatever we thought would best represent the body of work done… that could be a couple of essays or 1 or 2 things per class for 4 years or anything in between! I was thinking to send 3 essays, one of which was a history essay), 2 math tests, 2 chemistry tests, and a speech (the text, not a recorded one). Do you think along with the very detailed course descriptions this will be adequate? I mostly included 10th and 11th grade work.</p>
<p>Are you saying colleges are asking for actual work samples? None of my son’s colleges asked for that. I’m sorry I can’t help you there, but maybe someone else has some experience with colleges asking for actual work samples.</p>
<p>The first place we’ve applied is Berklee (Music) – from their website: “Must submit a homeschool portfolio outlining all course content, textbooks used, examples of work done, and grades received.” – so son emailed to ask about “examples of work” and was told send as much as you think would represent adequately the body of work done. Several other schools to which he’s applying have the request for examples of work as well as the transcript with course descriptions.</p>
Part of the problem may be that she didn’t follow their weird rules exactly. I had a friend walk me through the process on my son’s app. Of particular importance was assigning grades to all classes, even the self-study ones. </p>