Please cite the state regulations that allow that. In NYS, colleges can’t confer degrees unless students show successful completion of high school equivalency. How many state homeschool regulations have you actually checked?
How Is Getting Into College/Universities Using A Homeschooling Diploma and Transcript Honestly Fair?
@neogeezer: I appreciate your honesty about everything, but I’m not talking about there being any kind of totalitarian state. It’s ironic you say that homeschoolers can be extremely defensive, and then post something like that…And fair isn’t meaningless when we’re talking about potential fraud.
@albert69: Look, I’m talking about ANYONE using homeschooling transcripts to potentially cheat and lie, not honest homeschooled kids.
@austinmshauri: Sure, directly from the HSLDA site https://www.hslda.org/laws/
New York state is one of the very few red states, so of course their regulations may be very strict, but most states aren’t nearly as strict at all. The map actually shows that there are somegreen states, which don’t require any kind of notification.
But you can’t give one example where that has actually happened, can you?
@albert69: My entire point is, how could you prove whether there was fraud or not, if colleges accept homemade transcripts?!
I think your question has been answered: given the resources available to most colleges, especially state schools, whether fraud could technically be proven or not, it often goes undetected.
In addition to transcript fraud, that also includes fraud in referral letters, extracurricular activities, awards given, essays, etc., and these opportunities for dishonesty are available to every student regardless of background. People of sufficient means hire paid advisers to “package” the applicant in such a way as to create an student who does not even exist in reality. Essays are written by hired professionals, or if the funds are not available, by friends or family. All of these are “unfair.” Wah.
The entire process is flawed, and you’re getting hung up over a drop of rain in a huge, polluted ocean.
@neogeezer: I agree with all of that, but what I’m talking about is much more than “a drop of rain in a huge, polluted ocean.” Everything else you mentioned would have to involve multiple people; that’s nowhere near the same thing as someone printing something from their own computer.
Although, like how I said before…I semi-honestly wish doing something like that would have occurred to me. The people that get away with it are ingenious in a way.
Given that homeschooled students represent only 2-3% of K-12 U.S. students, and considering that my daughter’s college is comprised of less than 1% of former homeschoolers, I’m thinking it’s not a real big problem compared to those presented by the other 97-98% of students.
OP is probably going to say that most of those others are probably cheating their way in with home school transcripts. What do you say, at least 10%? 30%? Maybe even 50%?
What is is you’re angry about. Maybe there is some room for dishonesty on a small scale. But do you really think griping about it on here is going to change anything? And even if you could, would you be willing to fight the home schoolers everywhere who would be angered at your suggestion that their education may not be sufficient and that their system encourages cheating and lying?
Forgive me if someone has already pointed this out, but colleges don’t just take a home-printed homeschool transcript and say, “Oh, look, wow, this kid has a 4.0 GPA at this place called The Kitchen Table School! Let’s admit her right away!”
See, if The Kitchen Table School isn’t accredited, then it’s going to be obvious to admission. There won’t be that little accreditation stamp on it, and the colleges won’t have heard of it. Besides, the applicant has to indicate that they were homeschooled during the application process (and when taking SATs.) The transcript printed out by mom is only PART of the packet, because additional rules kick in for homeschoolers, which can include an extensive supplemental packet or portfolio to show what was studied, specific SAT/ACT score minimums, or the test-optional policy might not apply to homeschoolers, etc. Denison, for instance, requires homeschoolers to provide an “Academic Portfolio with a detailed syllabus that lists the subjects studied each year, the dates each subject was studied, a description of each course of study, required texts and reading, and evidence of laboratory experience in the sciences.” And that’s just for starters.
You can pretty much google any university to find out what they require. It’s on their webpages.
https://admissions.uoregon.edu/otherapplicants/homeschooled
http://denison.edu/campus/admissions/apply-to-denison/home-school-applicants
https://admission.princeton.edu/applyingforadmission/tips-home-schooled-students
In addition, some homeschoolers are enrolled with accredited independent schools that oversee the learning process (and those aren’t print-at-home transcripts.) Plus, many homeschooled kids do go to CC during high school, and one reason that’s recommended is that you need grades that aren’t from mom to show admissions. And of course, all homeschoolers have had to abide by their state laws to graduate, which include reporting requirements.
So no, you can’t just print a transcript that makes a kid into a 4.0 student who won all the awards and get some kind of fraudulent advantage that way.
Very true, @MomOnALaptop. I don’t think any school would admit a home schooled student without SAT/ACT scores at least, and probably dual enrolment or AP credit. I had dual enrolment and SAT scores. But I guess OP thinks that someone could just get lucky on the SAT, BS their way through a couple AP exams or dual enrolment classes, and write a transcript of complete baloney and get admitted to college.
Well said, MomOnALaptop.
@neogeezer and @albert69: So…I’m NOT saying most homeschooled kids cheat, or that a certain percentage of them are lying. I’m saying that anyone, could use homeschooling transcripts and pretend to be a homeschooled student, and then use them to lie so that they could attend a CC or even a university. I do think that’s a major problem…Look, if either of you found out that a public school was allowing it’s students to make their own transcripts from home, you wouldn’t think that was insane? Like how @albert69 mentioned about the Atlanta schools, relying on tests scores doesn’t always prove there isn’t cheating or fraud, at all.
@MomOnALaptop: My point was, that aside from the tests, what would stop someone from lying on the transcripts themselves, about anything they wanted to? Also, I’ve seen parents and kids post on this forum about how the colleges didn’t bother to ask for proof of the homeschooling at all. They just wanted to see the tests scores and transcripts. The problem with that is, what if someone committed fraud on the transcripts? How could anyone ever prove it? Also, if you look at the HSLDA map I linked to, not all states require homeschoolers to report anything. Also @albert69 too: If someone started off at CC first, they wouldn’t necessarily need the SAT or ACT (once they graduated) if they wanted to attend University later. But, they could still pretend to be a homeschooled student, and so skip taking the GED or make up a transcript, which would be committing fraud if they hadn’t graduated Highschool.
@Everyone: I’ve been repeating myself over and over again, and this is starting to get really frustrating…I thought it was all funny at first, but I can’t do this anymore. If anyone else replies to me with a question that would force me to repeat myself again, then don’t expect a response from me because I won’t be replying to you. I’ve repeated myself 15-20 times now, and I don’t know how to keep explaining the same thing over and over again in a different way.
Well, we have repeatedly told you that kids cannot just claim to be home schooled and get in with a fabricated transcript because there are other methods of verification, like test scores, (in some states) state government verification, and placement exams to determine incoming students true levels. But you continue to insist that there is noting to keep someone from making a fraudulent transcript and skating into college. There isn’t anything to keep people from writing fake transcripts, but I don’t think that someone would get too far with just a home-written transcript and nothing else. There is nothing to stop you from rushing a bank and trying to rob it, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get caught in the act.
Also, I was saying that you probably think some percentage of the majority of college students, who are not legitimately home schooled kids, cheated their way in. Certainly seems like what you are saying.
As for those Atlanta test scores - I don’t think they were talking about SAT/ACT scores. I think they were talking about specific standardized tests that only public schools use.
@albert69 There doesn’t need to be any verification for a homeschooled student, or at least not everywhere. In strict states there may be regulations, but I’ve seen students and parents post on here about not even needing to provide evidence for the homeschooling to the colleges! That was my entire point: Whether tests are required or not, it would be effortless to lie on the transcript…And they could go very far, if they started off at CC first. My other point about the Atlanta school issue, was that there were multiple people who caught the cheating scandal. No one can catch anything printed from someone’s home computer!
If extensive high school isn’t needed to be successful in college, which is what you are alluding to, then the people lying (assuming they exist) aren’t the real problem - requiring education in any form, public, private, home schooled, or otherwise is. If it isn’t needed, colleges shouldn’t require any form of prior education, at least not community colleges. If having real education makes no difference, seeing as someone lying can have the exact same opportunities, then that doesn’t say much about the public education system.
@albert69 The public education system at least has a chance of catching fraud. Someone printing a homeschooling transcript from their computer doesn’t have much of anything to stop them. Your answer is really funny though; to say that everyone should just give up on education honestly made me laugh. I understand that you’ll never agree with me, but I think that I’m pointing out what could honestly be a huge potential problem…I was serious about saying it was ingenious in a way, but it’s definitely an issue. I’m actually shocked that no one has asked a question like this before. You would think that on a site as serious as this one, someone would’ve mentioned this already.
But what folks here have said repeatedly is that a home school transcript automatically doesn’t bear as much weight as a transcript from a public school that the college has heard of, so the college verifies that transcript with extra test scores, etc. So yes, it’s easy to print out a piece of paper, but it’s not worth very much without the SAT/ACT and AP and dual enrollment scores to back it up, and so it’s usually futile.
It might be similar to my situation, many years ago. I went to a very small religious high school full of sweet faithful people, but with hilariously weak academics. I got 100 in every course I took, and I ran out of courses to take by senior year except for shorthand (yes, it was a long time ago). There were two (!) people in my grade; I was the top 50%.
I applied to an Ivy school and there is no way on earth that the transcript from my tiny high school could hold any weight with Admissions. However, I nailed the SATs and I filled my time senior year with courses from our local CC, including a lab course, and got 100s in those too. (I also hung out at the mall a lot while I waited for the 2x a day bus to take me home.) Those extra scores verified my high school transcript, which desperately needed verifying. Most homeschool curricula are much more rigorous that my high school was, and they get verified just like my high school did.
A person making up a transcript will either fail to get into college because their supporting test scores and external advanced classes will uncover the sham, or they’re the rare geniuses who can ace the SATs and AP exams without a high school education. In the case of the latter, their tendency toward deception will probably catch up with them later and in an explosive way, and there’s nothing you and I can do about it but read about it in the news.
@austinmshauri It just occurred to me that you replied today! Why didn’t you comment on my HSLDA link?
I’m another homeschool parent who has gone through the admissions process with two homeschooled students. As others have said, anyone can print up any sort of transcript and claim anything. It’s making it pass the sniff test of the admissions counselors that would be the big hurdle. If you do find someone who has successfully done what you’re worried about, I’d love to see what they submitted. Creating transcripts for my children was a LONG, tedious, process. I had to keep records and backed up the transcript with several pages of course descriptions, curriculum used, etc. Not only that, in an interview with a college alumna, we were told that it was good that our child’s SAT scores backed up the grades she saw on the transcript.
I’m going to assume that if one can fabricate a transcript, they can also fabricate recommendation letters (even for public schoolers). How many college admissions counselors would really bother to call or email the all those recommenders? (How unfair is that? Someone could clam anything in a recommendation letter they write for themselves! Obviously, I’m trying to make a parallel point.) Even with that admission (that it could be fabricated), the counselors will compare the transcript with what the person says in the letter.
Yes, you’re right. Someone COULD do what you say. But I think the point is also that just because SOMEONE could work the system doesn’t mean it should be abolished or highly regulated for everyone. Just because public school teachers and administrators get caught cheating on standardized tests doesn’t mean that no one should be allowed to show what they know through them. Just because people can get fake IDs to go drinking before they’re the legal drinking age doesn’t mean that the concept of having an ID to prove who you are, how old you are, or what you are licensed to do should be stopped. There are people who are going to be dishonest in almost any arena of life. If they do squeak by the hopefully discerning eye of the college admissions office, as others have said, it’s their issue to deal with as they move forward.
It was supposed to be ridiculous, you’re welcome for the laugh. The thought that someone can lie their way out of high school, into college, and have no more consequences or challenges than a guilty conscience is laughable. But that is what you are implying. Show me a community college that will let a student with nothing but a home school high school transcript showing that they completed PreCalc enter a Calc 1 class, or even a Trig class, without taking a placement test. Show me.
You have no proof of your accusations than a few posts on an online forum of people talking about home school admissions. Maybe we should require that home schoolers share online posts about their life throughout the high school years as proof to colleges that we are home schooling. 
And no, I will not agree with you that home schoolers need one more hoop to jump through to prove ourselves to people like you.