Will My Child Get Into College?

As your child begins to enter the middle school and high school years, college admission questions begin to enter your radar. Many families successfully homeschool through high school, and many homeschool graduates go on to enter college. There are a few simple things you can do to plan ahead to make college admission a smoother process.

POINTS TO CONSIDER

• Find out your state’s requirements for high school graduation as you begin planning a high school course of study. In addition, check the web sites of a few colleges to find out their admission requirements. Coordinate courses that meet both sets of requirements to ensure your student has a competitive transcript. For instance, one state state requires one foreign language credit for graduation as well as seven elective credits. That state’s university system requires three foreign language credits for admission. Filling those elective credits with further foreign language study will make a student’s transcript more college friendly.
• Many homeschool parents do not assign grades in the elementary years, but use a system like Satisfactory/Needs Improvement for grade reporting. Beginning in middle school, use a letter or numerical grading system for report cards and transcripts.
• If you haven’t done so all along, begin keeping good records in middle school. In some states, high school level work completed in eighth grade can be counted as high school credit. Keep track of courses completed and document them in a high school planner or portfolio. During high school, make a transcript for your student and add to it at the end of each semester.
• Look into dual enrollment opportunities in your area. This is a great way for homeschool students to earn early college credits in high school and adds a great deal of substance to their transcript.
• Have your student take college admission tests like the SAT or ACT, and have their scores sent to a few colleges. In addition, look into opportunities for CLEP testing for college credits.

BOTTOM LINE

By taking the time to compile records and keeping up with them throughout your student’s middle and high school years, college admission can be a smooth process. Do a little homework in advance and focus on enjoying these years while they last!

Anne Campbell, mommy to three boys (who think they live in a zoo!) is in her twelfth year as a homeschool teacher with the support of her husband of 27 years. A former public school teacher, Anne's joy is encouraging other homeschool parents that they are qualified and able to take charge of their children's education. When she started on her homeschool journey, Anne’s oldest son was in kindergarten, and they decided to take it one day at a time, one year at a time. Now she has one student in high school/college dual enrollment, one in middle, and one in elementary, and all still at home. You can read more by Anne at her blog, Learning Table.

Used by Permission: Originally published at https://wellplannedgal.com/will-child-get-into-college/