Many people, both homeschoolers and others, have asked this question or some form of it. If you homeschool, you may have asked it yourself. Will homeschooling hinder my college chances? There are a couple of issues behind this question that you have to address first, but ultimately, homeschooling does not hurt your chances of getting into a good college, and here’s why.
The underlying question, and the one that seems to cause more difficulty than anything else for non-homeschool families, is really a question of validity. If you homeschool, the thought goes, you might not be doing “real” school, and therefore you may not be accepted by a college. This is the question that’s really being asked by outsiders, including college admissions officers. Homeschoolers themselves will occasionally ask this question because the pressure to conform to a standard is so great. If you are doing real school, however, then there will be real results.
Real school should be verifiable in real learning. As with any other school student, homeschoolers will have to prove their learning; they will have to provide evidence of their work. Public school students do this with transcripts and grades, but most often, colleges will look at standardized tests, such as the ACT and SAT for the “proof.” There is just too much variety between school districts as to what is actually taught in the public and private schools around us, so good or bad, these standardized tests become the common filter. Likewise, this is true for homeschool students, too. They are subjected to the same filters for college admissions as everyone else. The value of scoring well on these tests cannot be understated. This isn’t because the test itself is such an accurate reflection of ability, but rather an evidence of learning.
As homeschoolers, we often shrink away from standardized tests. They may or may not be in line with our goal and core values. However, if you have a homeschooler who intends to go to college, these tests are important. Your student must be able to demonstrate that they have learned basic academic concepts, just like other students, and if you are teaching from a comprehensive curricula, training in study skills, teaching students how to learn on their own, and providing them with quality content, then the basic academic concepts will easily be covered and even exceeded. These tests should not be feared; in fact, the opposite is true. Standardized tests such as SAT and ACT can be welcomed opportunities to demonstrate the validity of your homeschool program.
With verifiable proof that your child is learning, covering core academic subject areas, and growing in their knowledge, then your child will not be hindered in getting into a good college. The only step that remains is for you to determine what a”good college” actually is. Check out my article on that topic, too! (How Do I Know a Good College When I See One?)
