I’ve been reading posts from homeschoolers on this board for a while now. It was really interesting to read at first, until I started to read the Q’s posted by homeschooled kids or their parents asking about how homeschooling transcripts and diplomas are used by colleges,Reading the responses from everyone almost made my jaw hit the floor in awe. Almost everyone who responded said that it was perfectly fine for them to simply print up a diploma or even write their own transcripts!!!
I’m not saying that the kids’ work or effort wasn’t legitimate. What I’m saying is, how is it FAIR that someone can just print a diploma or transcripts up from their computer, and then use them for college entry? The fact of the matter is that anyone could simply write a transcript and say they were homeschooled. Actually, I read a few forum posts where the parents said that the colleges/universities didn’t even ask for confirmation on whether the kids had been homeschooled or not; they just accepted their apps and test scores without asking any questions!
I don’t think it’s fair at all, or ethical to be totally honest.
How do you propose that home schoolers get transcripts then? As for “just writing a transcript” that wouldn’t get then very far once they got into college. If they didn’t know math or how to read, it would become apparent very quickly. It’s actually a lot harder than you think to write an honest transcript. At any rate, it speaks to the fact that home schooling must be reasonably successful at turning out college ready. You really think there has never been cheating on regular public schooled transcripts?
What bothers me, is that making a transcript looks like it could be so easy to do. All you would have to do is do an image serach on Google and find the the perfect templates and pics. Yes, the homeschoolers have high test scores that usually show they have very good math and reading skillz, but if all it takes is a high test score, and the rest can be made on a home computer, how is that ethical?
It’s ethical if the parents write it honestly. But what other option do home schoolers have? Why should honest home schoolers not have the option of showing what they’ve done? A lot of colleges have placement exams, so if parents lie and say that their kids have done through pre-calc, but can’t get past Algebra on the placement test, then it will become apparent.
I’m appalled that people are even suggesting forgery.
It would be too easy to just create your own BS starting in 9th grade. It could be like “Zach’s Country Academy”.
What would be wrong with that as long as you kept everything above board? You’d be first in the class and pull down nearly all the awards for sure. You could even let your siblings be admitted as they grew older. That way the entire school size would be at least bigger than one.
@JustOneDad I never thought of trying to impress colleges with the name of my school. I think giving it some BS name would look hokey, homeschooled makes sense.
Actually, no, they can’t. If they lied and were found out, their acceptance would be rescinded. If they were lucky enough to stay in college long enough to get a diploma, it would also be rescinded and they could be sued and/or jailed if they received college grants through fraudulent means.
If a college requires homeschoolers to have high test scores (which you admit they have) and to submit a transcript to be considered for admission, how is it unethical for them to be admitted if they’ve met that college’s requirements?
The test scores ARE confirmation of their academic work. Homeschooled students transcripts are often times reinforced by grades from local colleges, AP courses, and SAT and/or ACT scores, so why would colleges need to ask any questions? Are you saying accredited universities are untrustworthy? Are test scores provided by the College Board unreliable? Colleges accept transcripts from your school without question, don’t they? Considering what’s been [happening in Atlanta schools](http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/14/us/georgia-atlanta-public-schools-cheating-scandal-verdicts/), maybe it’s not the homeschool population they need to worry about.
So, how could you verify whether someone was lying or not, if the colleges don’t ask for any proof, aside from the test scores? The teachers from the Atlanta schools were eventually found out because they committed fraud. How could a college verify from a homeschooler whether there was any fraud or not? If you applied the same reasoning to the Atlanta teachers, how would the scandal have ever been found out? The students’ test scores should have been plenty of proof that everything was fine.
If test scores, AP tests, and dual enrollment classes aren’t enough for you, what “proof” are you asking to see? Every book ever read by each student? Every math problem worked?
You really think home schoolers are out to scam the educational system? We’ve already explained that to you - the reality that it would not gain them anything.
No, not the homeschooled kids, but literally anyone; like a HS dropout for example…Anyone, could write something on their computer, so what would stop them?
No, of course homeschooled kids aren’t the same as highschool dropouts. I never said that they were. What I said in my original question was: “What I’m saying is, how is it FAIR that someone can just print a diploma or transcripts up from their computer, and then use them for college entry? The fact of the matter is that anyone could simply write a transcript and say they were homeschooled.”
And so far, not one person has given me a straight answer. At all.
It is fair. Home schooled kids go to school at home, thus their transcripts should come from home. Simple as that. Public schooled kids go to school at the school, so their transcripts come from there. That simple.