How Do Homeschoolers Get Into College?

Many first starting out with homeschooling wonder, “How do homeschoolers get into college?” Regardless of the age of their children, this can be on the forefront of their minds if college is the end goal. Even though college is not the goal of all homeschooling families, it is for many. When I first started homeschooling, friends and family would ask me countless times if my kids would receive a GED when all was said and done. I knew that our state group and several local groups held annual graduation ceremonies complete with caps, gowns, and diplomas, but I was not sure how to answer them. And when the questions about college were thrown at me, I was at a loss. Over the years, I would see countless moms graduating their homeschooled children and sending them off to college seamlessly, and I realized that homeschoolers had many of the same options as public school students.

Then I remembered my own college days. Plenty of homeschooled kids filled the classrooms and worked right alongside the rest of us. I remember them being more vocal in the classroom, more diligent in their independent studies, and more engaging to be around. I remember the thought-provoking questions one formerly homeschooled student would ask while we were hanging out with some friends in our apartment. This was over twenty years ago, and I still remember her smart and witty personality. One of my roommates was also homeschooled and sparked in me a love for missions. Sitting on the floor of our dorm room, I went off on a long rant as to why I felt called to inner city missions to work that needed to be done here in America. She smiled sweetly and introduced me to a book called Operation World. We prayed through it together each day that semester and a love for worldwide missions was born. Since then, I have been involved in overseas missions several times for extended period of times although I never lost my love for local ministry. Of all of the people I rubbed shoulders with in college, the homeschoolers were the most memorable. College admissions officers are known for sharing the same sentiment. One college admissions professional when addressed with how homeschoolers get into college shared that almost without exception, he found that the homeschoolers who applied were friendly, polite, and well-prepared.

Now that we have established that homeschoolers do get into college, the question is “how?” When you ask those in college admission offices, you will almost always hear the same answer, “Homeschoolers get in the same way as non-homeschoolers.” Each state has certain requirements for high school graduation. Once these requirements are met, the parent can use an official diploma that most colleges will accept. Additionally, the parent will need to provide an accurate homeschool transcript complete with the required coursework, volunteer hours, and awards and achievements. Parents can learn the ins and outs of what is required for college through courses such as Course Planning Guide or Total College Success, both free with a SchoolhouseTeachers.com membership. The College Options Foundation is also launching the first-ever National Academic Homeschool Competition (NAHC) for the 2022–23 school year with registration remaining open until November. This competition not only prepares students for the SAT and ACT but also the college entrance process. This unique competition prepares students ahead of time by giving them insights into how to apply for college, how to apply for financial aid, grants, and scholarships, what college admissions officers are looking for, and more. Rather than buying a workbook or paying for an ACT or SAT prep course that may or may not help, the NAHC helps students in the long run. It not only aims to see students do well on entrance exams but to do well throughout college and in life in general.

How homeschoolers get into college depends on the track they take in high school. Are they preparing before they reach their senior year? Do they have goals clearly set before them? Even if they do not know what they want to major in or ultimately pursue as a career, homeschoolers have more opportunities than one might realize. From online courses to quality test prep, the sky is the limit. Another aspect of college prep that is important to note is that homeschoolers have many of the same resources available to them as their public school counterparts; it is just a matter of finding them. The NAHC, for example, includes almost all of the same information as what public school students learn in their competitions. The only difference is, it is put on by homeschoolers for homeschoolers. Be sure to use the resources mentioned in this article to help get you started as you prepare your homeschooler to get into college.