What will Emory U think of me??

Pre-College Issues Home Schooling and College
1

<p>Hello!
I am going to apply ED I to Emory and Oxford Colleges in Atl., GA, and my main concern is getting in. (If I don't like it I can leave, right?) My main concern about getting in is my high school curriculum. Through high school I used A Beka, with DVD/video classes, and Bob Jones curriculum. Both of these were pretty challenging and comprehensive, but they are both In Christian Perspective. From what Emory's website and national rankings say, Emory tried hard hard hard to be an ivy-league school; and, they try very hard to have an ivy-league caliber student body. Looking at it from their point of view, I can see how a high school curriculum like mine could get me tossed just because it's conservative/fundamentalist/religious! A wanna-be ivy-league school doesn't want a lot of conservatives hanging around, you know? Otherwise, I consider myself pretty well-qualified -</p>

<p>3.94 GPA
SAT I: 740W, 730CR, 600M
36 high school credit hours
Overseas volunteer work and high music (piano) achievements
Soon to take SAT IIs: Math I, US History, Physics. Expect scores around 700</p>

<p>I've lived overseas for six years, and I intend to milk that for all it's worth. I'm a woman, so that's progressive, too. (Fortunately/unfortunately white, however. Definitely a minus when it comes to getting into college.) I am going totally the other way from other homeschooled girls I know. They're all trying for small Christian colleges - those are a breeze to get into! I need a challenge and some diversity. </p>

<p>What has been you homeschoolers' experiences with getting into Emory?</p>

<p>If I get accepted, will it be a hostile environment for me?</p>

<p>Does Emory keep its big financial aid promises?</p>

<p>Is there admission bias against fundamentalists or people of a certain religion?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!
Good college to you : )
~Grace</p>

2

<p>You seem like a very articulate young woman, but I would drop any and all us/them talk immediately, such as "fortunately/unfortunately white" or Christian as though that somehow makes you out of the mainstream, and so forth. It's the one unsettling thing about your post. I'm not sure it's intended, but there's a vague tone of antagonistic identity politics.</p>

<p>But to answer your questions, it's not worth the trouble to guess how Emory will look at your educational background, because you can't change it now. All you can do is apply. If you're accepted that will be great, if you're not you won't know precisely why. I can only guess, but I would think your religious background would make no difference. Admissions offices are looking for academic talent, a strong work ethic, and evidence of interests and passions that will contribute to their campus community.</p>

<p>The overseas experience could make for an interesting essay, certainly. Being a woman wouldn't be seen as "progressive" since women out number men in the great majority of colleges.</p>

<p>I am glad to see you seeking challenge and diversity.</p>

<p>As to the "hostile environment" question, that's one of those little things in your post the make me a little queasy. I know what you're asking, but perhaps without you intending any such thing, it carries with it this suggestion that somehow you've been indoctrinated into some kind of holy crusade way of thinking. But, no, if you're not hostile I don't expect others will be hostile in return, although certainly your beliefs will be challenged, as well as shared, by different students at different times.</p>

<p>The reputation Emory has regarding finacial aid is not stellar. Many students end up being disappointed with their aid awards. My kid looked carefully at Emory, visited, etc. but ultimately decided apply elsewhere ED. I would have felt very uncomfortable with him applying there ED because of the amount in loans that many students' awards seem to have. It might be a good idea for you to ask about aid awards on the Emory board here at College Confidential if you haven't already. You might get some more specific answers there.</p>

<p>Good luck with your application.</p>

3

<p>i agree that you should be mindful of your tone - always good advice.</p>

<p>i understand the major point of your world view - the entire world is necessarily hostile by definition. expect to find hostility everywhere and respond gracefully at all times OR change your world view.</p>

4

<p>Hello! I just tried to respond but I took too long and basically lost my typing. I'll try to hurry and not get kicked off again.</p>

<p>I've been rethinking Emory and outwardly, it seems more and more like a laid-back, open-minded place. So I am not quite so concerned now.</p>

<p>Thanks for pointing out that my tone was too harsh. I didn't mean to sound at all antagonistic, just a bit skeptical! No, I am not on a holy crusade, lol! I'd claim CMA as my denomination. Hifi, I don't see why my Christianity should be a threat to anyone or recieved with hostility? Maybe you've had experiences that've led you to see it this way. But I do plan to respond to whatever hostility exists with grace - I'm sure this will be a challenge for me, I have far to go in that respect especially! In the future I'll be more careful not to sound so defensive/antagonistic. The comment about being white was simply referring to the racial quotas system, which I find rather unfair... in the states I'll have to relearn how to handle/avoid the topic of race. I am white in Africa right now and we are always rather blunt about it! Different!</p>

<p>rentof2, thanks for sharing your experience and advice, I will try another board! I am specifically wondering if anyone's had experience with Emory's no-loan program?</p>

<p>Thank you for the feedback, this is great! Anyone else?
Sorry am in a hurry.
~Grace</p>

5

<p>if your christianity is not a threat to the world then you are not a christian. try reading the book. does anyone read the book anymore?</p>

<p>hifi signing off from CC forever - to spend time with the Book.</p>

<p>thanks to all, and to those i've offended - i forgive you.</p>

6

<p>Hey! </p>

<p>I don't know exactly how they look at homeschoolers, but it looks as if you have a pretty strong academic background and a pretty good chance. But I know what you're talking about with your friends going on to small Christian schools. Not that they are bad, not at all. But all of my friends are looking at either local sub-par colleges or small, Christian colleges. I want to break the typical homeschool mold and go to a major university. Right now I want to go to some place like George Washington University, the University of Florida, or the University of Colorado (not quite Emory, I know lol). It seems like all of my homeschooled friends are chickening out, and settling for weaker colleges even though they're bright enough to make it into some great schools. Many homeschooled kids are pretty smart, but we're not really making a name for ourselves by going to non-competitive community colleges. </p>

<p>Sorry, I'm not much help with regards to Emory. But I just wanted to share because I feel the same way you do.</p>

7

<p>AT9, your post generalizes about homeschoolers too much. There are many talented homeschoolers at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, and other top tier institutions. And while many of those homeschoolers may be Christian, many are not. Christians are a subset of homeschoolers. Perhaps a large one, but a subset nonetheless. My kids were homeschooled from the get-go and we have been involved in homeschooling communities in two states. I know only a very few families from those groups that are Christian. Of course, it depends on the circles one moves in, but I have known quite a significant number of kids from our various homeschooling groups go on to the most prestigious colleges in the country.</p>

<p>By the way, OP, you should have no problem whatsoever with Oxford, at the very least. They would likely be thrilled to have a student with your test scores and grades.</p>

8

<p>Emory does not have a no-loan program. They have a program that caps the student loan amount at $15,000 for the four years of college. There are also some stipulations that go along with family income levels. You also have to accumulate the $15,000 before the cap kicks in. I would advise you to call the financial aid office and discuss this with them in detail before you apply ED. You may also be interested to know that Emory has a College of Divinity and a realtionship with the United Methodist Church.</p>

9

<p>'rentof2, that may be true. I know there are a number of students who go on to very prestigious schools. I guess what I should have said is that, where I live, that tends to be the case with homeschoolers.... and I know most of the high school students, because I'm the president of our SGA. Where have you lived that only a subset of homeschoolers are Christian? Where I've been homeschooled, I can't think of anyone who wasn't Christian... but I've been homeschooled in Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Florida panhandle... I think you get the picture lol. I know that a number of homeschoolers go on to great schools, but I personally know very few who even go to mediocre state schools.</p>

10

<p>We have homeschooled in California and Oregon, AT9. There are certainly plenty of Christian homeschoolers in both states, but in the areas where we lived and the large homeschool groups we were active with, mostly the families were secular, also a fairly significant number of Jewish families and Buddhists.</p>

11

<p>Ah, I see. I suppose there is a great difference between the West coast homeschoolers and the Bible-belt homeshoolers.</p>

12

<p>Hello all,
Hifi, I'll leave it there, although I don't really understand what you mean...
AT9, thanks for understanding! Yep I am also in the Bible belt... your college list sounds interesting, and I'll check out your schools after I sign off here. I don't know if I can afford Emory but I don't have to go ED unless they supply sufficient financial aid (from what I understand on the website), so if it falls through with them I will just apply somewhere else...
rentof2, I'd love to hear about homeschooling in California! You come from a state where I've heard homeschooling curriculum has to meet govenment requirements - is that right? It was actually in your state, I heard, that a university turned down students because their curriculum was too narrow-minded in perspective (that curriculum was one I use, ouch!). It went to court but I never heard the end of it. I'm curious, what curriculum did most people you knew use? Is Charlotte Mason popular, maybe? CM is growing in popularity around where I was.<br>
Thatmom, I'll try and call the financial aid office... hope it won't be an expensive hassle calling from overseas... Ug I'm jealous of you guys stateside sometimes!
Everyone, thanks for all your input! It's pretty encouraging.
~Grace</p>

13

<p>Grace Ashley, there aren't specific curriculum requirements in California, depending on which legal option you choose to homeschool under. We homeschooled independently as a private school (an option for homeschoolers in CA, along with several others), and we could decide how to approach things ourselves. In our particular case, we didn't follow any prepared comprehensive curriculum. We used a little of this, a little of that.</p>

<p>I have heard of several people very interested in Chalotte Mason, but no one who really committed to it fully.</p>

<p>I don't know what California university you're referring to, but it is true that certain schools in the University of California system can be picky about what they approve as college preparation. We moved to Oregon when my kids were 7 & 10, so since we were no longer CA residents, we never looked carefully enough at UCs to know what they'd accept and what they wouldn't. I've just heard from CA friends that some campuses can be difficult for homeschoolers to deal with.</p>

<p>My oldest child is a freshman this year at Amherst College in Massachusetts. The younger one is starting her freshman year locally here at Southern Oregon University (she's only 16, so I wanted her to live at home for one more year before moving into a dorm situation), with plans to transfer next year to Univ. of Oregon.</p>

<p>Good luck to you in your applications!</p>

14

<p>Hi Grace--</p>

<p>My ds went through the application process last year with a clearly Christian and politically conservative resume. It didn't hurt him at all and he got substantial scholarship offers from most of the colleges he applied to. And that was true of most of his homeschool friends who were headed the college route, too.</p>

<p>Think of it this way -- most colleges really want diversity. Play up all the ways you are different from the other applicants. Obviously, you've lived overseas for one thing! I'm sure you've had some incredible experiences. Write essays that let the committee really <em>see</em> some aspect of your life and personality. Don't be afraid to be yourself. In this day and age, a conservative teen is becoming more and more unique :-)</p>

15

<p>"a university turned down students because their curriculum was too narrow-minded in perspective (that curriculum was one I use, ouch!)"</p>

<p>That's not quite correct. The University of California said that a couple of courses from Christian schools were not rigorous enough meet the UC course requirements. One was a "biology" class that didn't teach biology, and a second was a "history" class that didn't investigate human causes of world events, instead attributing them to God.</p>

<p>The UC wasn't saying that the courses were narrow-minded, merely that they didn't contain the content UC expects and requires in its applicants. </p>

<p>Here's a quote from a text in one of the objectionable courses: "If the conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong, no matter how many scientific facts may appear to back them." You can't expect the University of California to accept that in a science class; it's the very essence of unscientific.</p>

16

<p>Hi again,
I asked this same question to the dean under CC's "ask the dean" section. To my surprise, I got an answer! Here's what she said on this topic...</p>

<p>"Dear Grace, </p>

<p>Actually, by discussing this perceived biased against the Christian curriculum, you're showing liberal institutions that you are exactly what they DO want. You'll bring an atypical background to their campus, but you're also savvy enough to be aware of what goes on beyond your living room. A less-informed homeschooled student might not even realize that such prejudices exist.</p>

<p>So, here's what I suggest: At some point in your application (essay if appropriate, supplemental letter, "additional information" section, etc.) explain the curriculum you have pursued, but also point out (ideally in a humorous and not defensive way) that you know that your academic background may make you an anomaly on campus. Acknowledge that you're aware that some classmates might toss tomatoes your way when they hear "Bob Jones." Explain that you've been able to discern both the pros and the cons of these teachings, and that one of the reasons you've selected [name of purportedly prestigious school] is because you are eager to interact with students who may have come of age in an academic and religious climate different than your own. Above all, don't worry. Colleges really do seek diversity, especially when it means accepting students who have an awareness so of the world that extends past their own little corner of it.
Good luck to you as you navigate this maze. </p>

<p>Sally Rubenstone"</p>

<p>I was tickled to get her reply, and from her warm, non-condescending tone, my opinion of this website went up two notches : )<br>
Since my first post, I have become much more reluctant to go to Emory as all their negatives start building against them. Don't get me wrong, I think it would be a great school, but perhaps not for me. (One of the biggest things that bugged me, believe it or not, was their website. There were several grammar mistakes there, and the whole tone of the thing was cold and officious. Harvard's website, on the other hand, gives information gracefully in an easy-to-read format. For a school that calls itself 'The Harvard of the South', I was disappointed in Emory's lack of professionalism. Several emails I wrote to Admissions have also gone unanswered.)
Now I am actually looking at a women's college in VA (my first choice state for college), Sweet Briar College. It seems conservative and focused, and good-natured. Their website, by the way, sounds like the college is too busy in academics to spend lots of time on a website. It is a very small college, they say one step away from a southern finishing school, and I've always wanted to go to finishing school : ) Someone can please disillusion me if I'm wrong about SBC!!
So I just thought you guys would like to hear what Mrs. R had to say on this topic. </p>

<p>Thanks!
~G</p>

17

<p>Thanks for the update, Grace. I don't know anything at all about Sweet Briar College, but I will tell you that when my son and I visited Emory we also found it to be a misfit for him. He comes from the opposite orientation. He's a very liberal homeschooler from a more free-spirited community and background, and Emory was just a little ... hard to find the right word... maybe a little too "conventional"... not quite the right word but as close as I can get for now. (Which is not to say that the people we met when we visited there weren't perfectly nice and welcoming and all that, because they were.)</p>

<p>So schools can be not-the-right-fit in myriad ways for different people. It's good though to give them serious consideration, like you did for Emory, and feel them out a little. That's what the whole college search process is really about, after all.</p>

<p>Good luck with it all.</p>