Presenting as high school or home school?

Pre-College Issues Home Schooling and College
1

<p>I'd like advice on whether my son should present himself to colleges as a high school graduate or a partially home-schooled kid who took a lot of courses at the public high school. While we planned for him to complete high school in 5 years, he will be starting what would be his senior year in a highly competitive, suburban public high school. We've focused on making sure he gets a good education and haven't been worried about positioning for college admission, but we have a decision coming up that would be largely driven by that positioning. Here's the situation:</p>

<p>My son is a gifted, dyslexic kid who has partially home-schooled in high school for several reasons: 1) he hasn't found some of the advanced/AP courses to move fast enough; 2) he needs extra work on writing and most of the high school English courses at the high school assume writing and focus on literature; 3) he likes to have fewer in class sessions and do more in-depth thinking; and 4) just sitting in school all day tires him out. But, he likes the social aspect of school and participates in activities (Moot Court, ultimate frisbee, debate, etc.). He takes lab science (AP courses), studio art, and social studies (they have superb teachers) in school and has been doing math with a tutor who is a grad student at Harvard and English outside of school. [He's taking Harvard's expository writing course this summer in summer school, for example]. </p>

<p>The high school has learned to love him as his grades are excellent. He is among the brightest kids they have and is an active contributor in his classes. They've let him take mid-terms and finals in math and have given him credit. In English, they've given credit for one independent course and will for the Harvard course. </p>

<p>So, he would only be a couple of English course credits away from getting a diploma from this HS. If he were to take these courses next year (or the year after), he could have a diploma from this HS instead of from a place like North Atlantic Regional School or its equivalent. My wife and his guidance counselor and his Special Ed person want him to alter plans a little and get a diploma. The SpEd folks have been wonderful with him and love him in part because he is a good kid who tries really hard and in part because they've never had a kid like this -- getting A's and A+'s and 800's despite being severely dyslexic. It has not always been easy, but he is a determined kid.</p>

<p>I am wondering whether this is a good idea from a college admissions standpoint. [Otherwise, I don't particularly care as my focus has been on his education]. On the plus side, his class rank will be very high and colleges seem to care a lot about class rank. Plus, colleges seem to have an easier time grasping the normal high school curriculum/routine. On the negative side, he has not taken a foreign language due to the dyslexia (he'll do a summer immersion program for a month next summer). So, his schedule might seem a little light. </p>

<p>Applying as a home-schooler who has taken a lot of courses at the local high school would enable him to emphasize the other things he has done. He has been co-authoring a novel (full draft written, interest from an agent and a publisher but rewriting is taking place). He took a course at a home-school coop on European board games, started a club at the high school on games of strategy, designed his own rather sophisticated board game, and worked with the math tutor on basic game theory.</p>

<p>I don't have a real basis for judging which framing will look better. It may depend upon which colleges he's applying to. Some may be favor applications by homeschoolers while others disadvantage them. But, I think he's got a pretty unconventional and pretty impressive mind. Our job so far is making sure he got an education that helped with the weaker areas and tried to stimulate him in the areas of his gifts. Now, in deciding what courses to take for next year, we are make an implicit decision about whether he will be a HS grad who has done some homeschooling or a homeschool kid who has taken a lot of courses at his local high school. It may make no difference, but I suspect it will and would love to get some guidance from people more experienced with the admissions process than I.</p>

<p>Whichever plan he chooses, he will do the equivalent of a gap year and will apply to college after next year. He'll do the foreign language immersion course and likely work at one of the genomics or neuroscience labs or teaching hospitals affiliated with Harvard or MIT.</p>

<p>Thanks for your help.</p>

2

<p>As you said, it may depend upon the colleges to which he applies. When my older son applied to colleges--about 6 years ago--most of the top colleges were very receptive to homeschooling. The one he ended up attending, Stanford, actually admitted a higher percentage of the homeschoolers who applied than the conventionally schooled students. On the other hand, there was one college (where he was waitlisted) that seemed to have trouble understanding where he was coming from. I have heard that state universities are sometimes more accepting of conventional education, while private schools are generally more open to diversity in education.</p>

<p>In general, it seems to me that presenting him as a homeschooler would allow you to better highlight his strengths, as well as how he has overcome his dyslexia. (Many schools love kids who overcome adversity.) My sons both attended high school part-time (but did not receive diplomas from the school), and we presented them as homeschoolers, because that is what they were considered to be by the state. And I don't think that hurt them in any way.</p>

3

<p>Thanks, Susan. Where does one get statistics on schools' admissions policies with respect to homeschoolers (e.g., Stanford accepts a higher percentage of homeschoolers)?</p>

<p>Did you subsequently create a diploma -- there are accredited schools that basically list grades (either from a high school or elsewhere) and create a legitimate HS diploma? I gather that there are some scholarships and other things for which a HS diploma is required.</p>

4

<p>I only read the Stanford statistics because a few years back they had an article about homeschoolers at Stanford in the Stanford Alumni magazine, and the stats were in the article. </p>

<p>I did create a diploma, although it has never been needed. There have been some forms on which they had to mark whether they had a diploma, but no one ever wanted to see the actual diploma. I just made one up on the computer so they could have something official looking for themselves.</p>

<p>What IS important is the transcript. I did each son's differently to fit their classes and the way they did school. (My first son's was listed by subject, since some subjects were done a little each year, while my second son's was by year, which is more normal.) I listed all classes taken, noting where each was taken--home, the high school, or the community college--and giving grades for each. I found the template for that one online and adapted it to the way I liked it. I also wrote out course descriptions for the courses done at home, modeling them after ones in the high school course listing we had from the local high school. And I wrote a cover letter that described why and how we homeschooled and how it helped my son achieve his goals/ develop his talents.</p>

5

<p>The cover letter itself may be a good enough reason to steer down the homeschooler with lots of high school courses route. I am likely to be in a much better position than my son's 23 year old (?) guidance counselor to have a sense of my son and be able to explain how and why he chose partial homeschooling, what we've tried to do with it, etc. It would let me cast things in the right light. Thanks. </p>

<p>Did you have the high school guidance counselor write anything? It could supplement what I write and focus on things about his performance and behavior in school.</p>

6

<p>I didn't have the high school guidance counselor do anything, but we did use teachers from the high school for some of his reference letters. However, I don't see any reason you couldn't use the guidance counselor, if you think that would be a benefit to your son.</p>