Really worried about being homeschooled

Applying to College
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I’m super worried about applying to schools as a homeschooler. Already one of my picks has a policy that makes it too hard for me to apply, and I’m worried I won’t do as well in an admissions process.

I’ve been homeschooled my entire life, in an advanced environment, except for math. I’ve always had a hard time with it, getting B’s and being in Algebra 2 in my junior year. I’ve done really well in logic, history, literature, and other humanities, and since I’m looking at a degree in communications, I don’t think it’ll be a big problem. I’ve taken a lot of odd subjects including cybersecurity, gothic literature, and Secret Societies and Conspiracies, along with taking Swahili as my foreign language.

One thing I am worried about is grades, and the fact that I get good ones. I have a 3.85 (not the best, I’ll admit) but I’m worried that schools won’t believe me when I apply, since I don’t use an accredited agency and I don’t plan on taking standardized tests since I think that my math score will seriously harm me.

I’ve done a lot of extracurriculars, and I’m very close to earning my Gold Congressional Award (200 hours personal growth, 200 hours fitness, 10 page exploration paper, and 400 hours service in high school). I’ve done Taekwondo for 4 years, only taking a break during COVID, and done a lot of service and am active in my community. I’ve also had my scripts published through an online source, getting royalties.

I’m not planning on applying to any really good schools, but I do want to get in to some decent ones, and get some nice scholarships. Do you think I have any chances?

Thanks for reading my wall of text rant.

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Your parent, or organization that homeschools you, will have to provide each college with a transcript of courses and grades, along with descriptions of your HS courses.

It’s difficult to know how to advise you without knowing the schools on your list. Not all schools are test optional, and some schools give less merit money to students who don’t submit test scores…so you will have to look into that in detail for each of the school on your list. I do encourage you to take an ACT or SAT and go from there.

Do you have a college counselor to help you think thru the various issues? Is it in the budget to work with a private counselor? I am sure others in your local homeschool community may have recommendations.

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I would agree that taking a standardized test would help. If it doesn’t go well, you can always choose to go test-optional, but a strong score on a standardized test could help your case. Some schools actually require standardized testing for consideration for merit-based scholarships. Also, if you can take some dual enrollment college courses or online AP courses or other “official” coursework, that could also help document your academic performance.

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I messaged you.

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Try not to stress too much. You will definitely get into college! Your ECs sound great and I’m sure they will help you.

It can help homeschooled students if they have some kind of outside corroboration of their grades such as dual enrollment courses. It doesn’t have to be a standardized test. And it can help if there’s someone to write a recommendation letter who is not just your parent.

What grade are you in?

What state are you in?

What colleges are you thinking of applying to?

What college has the policy that makes it difficult for homeschoolers?

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Don’t dismiss the SAT/ACT without at least taking a couple of practice ones at home. Do the first with no prep to see what you get (use a source that has old “real” tests). Do a later one after practicing for a bit on them.

Homeschoolers often do far better with test scores than without, esp when they have no outside confirmation of grades from a community college or online courses, AP or otherwise.

There are some religious schools that don’t care and are friendly to homeschoolers, but most (all?) others I know about want to see proof of foundational knowledge outside of the home transcript (having homeschooled two of my own for high school).

They also want to see that you’ve been active in “something” outside of your house, which it sounds like you have, and otherwise I think your educational path could be an asset due to its difference. They’re still going to want to know you’ve learned the basics though, and unfortunately, they need this because some homeschoolers don’t have a good foundation compared to ps peers. You don’t need a Top 5% score to get into (most) places. Public school students don’t either.

Your other option is to start with a community college and transfer. Many public school students opt for this option too. I’m not recommending it just because you homeschooled.

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You will have to look school by school if they require a standardized test if you are not in an accredited program.

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Many colleges are not TO for home school.

Control what you can. You were homeschooled. Hopefully it’s been positive for you. Either way that’s your record.

Stand proud and show why you are worthy. You can’t change, nor should you want to, your educational past.

It’s an asset. Show them why.

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You definitely need to take some standardized tests. Look up the threads about preparing for the SAT and ACT. Based upon how you write, I have a feeling that you would do very well on the English sections of either. The science section of the ACT is not about science - it’s about data interpretation, and for an intelligent person who knows how to reason, it’s easy to just learn from practice sections how to interpret the various charts and graphs. Yes, the math section would be tough for you, but you can use a prep book to prep for the math, and take practice sections for it, and improve your math score. My kid did a very thorough review of math with a prep book, and improved his math score from maybe a 31 to a 34 in math on the ACT, without enrolling in any course. My daughter said that preparing for the SAT was the most bang for the buck late in the game - with only 8 hours of review of math, she brought her math SAT score up from the 600s to the 700s.

Another thing that you can do to demonstrate to colleges how well-prepared you are, is to take challenging classes at the best college near you. Look into whether you can do a couple of summer school classes at the most selective college near you. An A in a community college class won’t do it - but a couple of A’s this summer at your flagship state U might. And if it earns you a recommendation from the prof who teaches you at the flagship state U, all the better. If your family has the resources to send you to summer school at a T20 school this summer, choose to do that.

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Hi. Felt I needed to chime in as a homeschool mom in a state with ZERO homeschool rules. Literally, NONE.

We had no tests, no grades, no accreditation, no affiliations. I thought the outside the box things my girls did would make them stand out. In some ways yes, in others no. It can be a difficult journey when you have to start applying to colleges if you’ve done it this way.

My oldest is now at a Seven Sisters school. In MA at a fantastic school all the way from a homeschool journey in Mississippi. It can be done.
My youngest is a senior and applying now. She applied to 12 - so far we have 8 acceptances with some great offers, 2 rejections and 1 waitlist. She applied to a mixture of public, private and small art schools (design majors). Her journey was MUCH more successful than her older sister’s with MUCH worse test scores (ACT only for us) but she had to have a portfolio and that gave her a great advantage because she got to show who she was and some personality. My oldest was interested in politics/social activism so she was just words on a paper application. She did apply to some harder schools, granted, but her acceptances were fewer but in the end it didnt matter because she did get into the ONE that was perfect for her.

I do want to say this - it does matter what kind of schools you apply to as a homeschooler. My oldest had MUCH more difficulty with public universities and their strict “have to have” lists than private universities that perhaps look at a bigger, whole kind of picture. California schools are VERY hard to get into as a homeschooler - they have told my youngest they will require a GED to admit, one said they wouldn’t even consider her without a GED while two others accepted her without but said she would have to have GED in hand to enroll.

Anyway, it is a different journey for homeschoolers and we were quite naive going into it all but it can be done! And we are so glad we chose the path because it was perfect for my girls in a small town, stifling public school environment. Glad to answer any other questions you might have!

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Just wondering, isn’t it very, very easy to get a GED? Why not simply take the GED test, in order to apply to the schools that require it?

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But you had test scores. That’s where I think the OP needs to rethink having been homeschooled without any other substantiation.

Otherwise, I definitely agree with you that homeschooling to college works fine - or at least it did for us. We only have one waitlist out of the applications my two made. All the rest were acceptances and with merit aid. But my guys had standardized test scores (ACT) and a couple DE CC courses. One had a couple AP 5s too. The other didn’t.

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Two of the schools accepted her with offers but she will have to take GED to admit. The other one wouldn’t even accept without the GED. That one was low on her list so she didn’t bother. One of the other two is high so if she has to take it, she will for them. But for the runup to all this, there was just not much time. She dances 45 minutes away 3-4 days a week plus works, homeschools AND we are moving. We live in a small town where it’s not offered just everywhere and I saw that you can do it online now and so she might do that.

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The oldest had a semester with The Traveling School doing school through southern Africa and had grades from that semester but other than that, she only had the ACT and all the other things she had done (like Eudora Welty writing awards kinds of things). Again, we all think are kids are the bomb so I thought every school would be so happy to get this odd, fun, different, smart kid from homeschooled Mississippi at their school but that wasn’t the way it worked out.

My youngest had a MUCH lower ACT score and MANY more acceptances so it has all been just a weird journey. She tried public school 9th grade so had a good transcript there, came home 10th grade so nothing, went to Germany for exchange student in 11th and was closed down due to Covid so basically sat in a house in Germany trying to virtual school in another language and so no real grades that year and then back here for homeschooled senior year. I don’t think alot of places knew what to do with that kind of transcript/no transcript/German transcript-but-not-really-because-Covid/ situation.

I do think it might be easier as homeschooled students from states with more stringest homeschool regulations than ours that is basically the wild, wild west of homeschooling.

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As far as I understand, current test optional policies extend to homeschoolers as well at many colleges. Focus on presenting your strengths and uniqueness. Put together a transcript with course descriptions including books used. Create (or have your parents create) a school profile. Also write a resume (which should include work, volunteer activities, internships, awards, ecs. Let the colleges know what is special, different, strong, etc. about you. I went through this process with my older son a few years ago, but also have many friends who have gone through it more recently. Many applied test optional the last two years.

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Thank you all so much for the help!

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Hey @4sugarplums nice to see you back! I’ll never forget your oldest’s journey and glad to hear how well her college has worked out for her.
Sorry that your youngest’s exchange experience was a bummer, but glad to hear how well her apps are going. All the best for your and the OP’s kids!

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well, hello there!!
Wow, can’t believe you remember all that! Yep, lordy, what a journey. But she does love her Mount Holyoke so weird how it all worked out in the end, certainly in spite of me! :slight_smile:
This kid has had a MUCH different experience, that’s for sure. Haha - do you want to weigh in on what’s best for her?? Because we are up for opinions!!

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Well, I’m always happy to shoot my mouth off, but unless there are European options in the mix, like last time, I’m not sure my input is that valuable…anyway, that would have to be a different thread so we don’t derail OP’s.