Are you looking for advice on processing a college application for homeschooled students? Rest assured, it is not impossible. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 3.1 million school-aged children were home-schooled as of the 2021-2022 academic year. While this number is thought to have increased over the past several years due to the pandemic, there are several other reasons why parents find homeschooling to be superior to public schooling.
Yet despite the many benefits homeschooling provides, due to its nature, it can present homeschooled children with difficulties once they reach college-going age, but it can also offer advantages. As college applicants begin making lists of potential colleges, checking their average GPA, and sorting out their application, we outline several pieces of advice for home-schooled students below:
This is a contributed article.
Double-Check Entry Requirements
Regardless of which colleges you have your eye on, they will all have different entry requirements for home-schooled students, which is why it’s always a good idea to double-check them before you apply. Depending on the establishment, some college admissions staff might ask potential applicants to meet an average GPA, detail their learning experience in a supplemental form, or ask them to provide official test scores like the ACT or SAT. Either way, it is crucial to double-check.
One of the most crucial factors to pay attention to when applying for colleges is your GPA, which represents a student’s overall academic performance. This matters significantly for the college application process as your average GPA shows admission staff your work ethic and whether you’d be a suitable candidate for their institution.
If this is a cause of concern, consider educating yourself more about average GPA statistics and comparing your findings to your current GPA to see your chances of getting into a specific college. If your results are less than satisfactory, you should invest in online coaching resources like online articles, e-books, lectures etc., that could help improve your admission chances.
Avoid Using Your Parents As A Reference
Alongside checking your average GPA, your college of choice will most likely require a letter of recommendation to attest to your academic abilities. However, this can be challenging to provide if your tutor is one of your immediate family. There is no way that a parent can talk about their child’s academic achievement without it sounding brag-worthy; therefore, you should avoid using your parents as a reference entirely (even if they are your tutor!).
Instead, consider approaching your coach, employer, or another professional and asking them for a reference letter. So long as they know you enough to speak about your academic abilities and what makes you stand out from the crowd!
Join Online Groups
The college application process for homeschooled students can be challenging for many reasons, one of the biggest being the lack of peer support. Unlike a traditional academic environment, homeschools lack the resources that public schools have, like counsellors or one-to-one peer groups that can provide help and advice with the college application process.
However, in place of this, nothing is stopping homeschooled applicants from joining online support groups or approaching the admissions department of their chosen college when they need help or advice. Joining groups are a fantastic resource for potential college applicants as it puts them in touch with like-minded individuals and helps them gain insight from people who have gone through the process before. Participating in online communities could also benefit students who are interested in pursuing a higher degree like online PhD History in the future.
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