Do colleges really dislike "home schooled" kids?

Question

I was home schooled from the middle of 9th grade to the middle of 10th, and now I'm going back to school to finish for my diploma. Do colleges just look to see if you have your diploma, or do you think they'll notice that there's sort of a gap in my education (there really isn't I studied at home)?

Answer 1

A lot of homeschool advocates will tell you that homeschool kids are prefered over traditionally educated children.  By and large that isn't really true, homeschooling by itself doesn't give you an advantage.  Homeschoolers achievement is harder to quantify and less straightforward than traditional students so it is harder to predict where they will get in.   I don't think homeschooling is a negative, but I don't think it is a positive either- just part of the package they have to evaluate.

College admissions require a transcript of anyone from a traditional school- grades and achievements are what they are looking for, not just a diploma.  Ask your school what kind of transcript they will give you considering your year and a half of homeschooling.  Think about what materials you could submit for your homeschooling time- did you follow a standardized curriculum, do you have a list of books you studied?

You always have the ability to explain that you were homeschooled, either through the essay or as a suplemental essay.

Answer 2

Colleges think that homeschooled kids will probably be better prepared and more able to manage college. Anyway, if you have your diploma, they won't ask questions.

Answer 3

No.  A diploma is a symbol.  I've gone to college and had jobs, and I've never once been asked for my diploma as proof of anything.  Your transcripts and test scores are what they look at.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Nope, they really, really LIKE them!

"Home-schooled students ... often come to college equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in higher education, said Regina Morin, admissions director of Columbia College. Such assets include intellectual curiosity, independent study habits and critical thinking skills, she said."

Answer 5

i dunno.. but in my opinion, someone whos homeschooled for half of high school and for a long time wouldnt be chosen of someone who went to like stuyvesant... my friends were homeschooled until 8 grade,, then went to a real school for high school

Answer 6

You've got it all backwards. Colleges ACTIVELY RECRUIT homeschoolers, and if you're homeschooled, THEY DO NOT LOOK FOR A DIPLOMA unless you were homeschooled through an accredited program (which ISN"T necessary). When you're homeschooled, colleges only look at your TRANSCRIPT, TEST SCORES (SAT, ACT, etc), and things like essays, awards, and extracurricular activities that would appear on your application. Even in public/private highschool, your diploma really doesn't mean a whole lot. It's really not worth the paper it's printed on, or the ink for that matter. It's your SAT and ACT scores, your transcript, and extracurricular activities/achievements/essays they'll see in your application that matter the most. Colleges really like homeschoolers because they usually have higher test scores, better transcripts, and much more community involvement and recognition. Colleges also realize that homeschoolers are self-motivated and independent thinkers who know how they learn best (usually. always an exception) and that's why there is a growing number of homeschoolers getting accepted into top notch universities across the country.

Answer 7

I'm responsible for Freshman recruiting for the computer science department of a major Midwestern University, where I teach the Freshman class.  We constantly struggle to find students who are capable of teaching themselves - students who can cope when faced with real intellectual challenge, and students who don't mind working hard to solve interesting problems.

You might be surprised that homeschool kids do well in our program, because computer science generally requires very strong math and programming skills, which many homeschool parents do not feel qualified to teach.  

Ironically, it may be this lack of parental expertise that makes  homeschooled kids such attractive candidates. If you want to learn programming and your parents don't know how, you'll have to invest in some books, do some research, and be highly motivated to teach yourself.  These are exactly the skills that we look for.

The most successful homeschool parents aren't the ones who know everything. They're the ones who teach their kids how to learn.

This is one of the reasons my wife and I homeschool our own  four kids without the slightest hesitation. If we can teach them to love learning as we do, they will be able to thrive in any college setting.

Answer 8

You should not have a gap. You should have transcripts. Your folks can make them. I also recommend a small portfolio of your best work and letters of reference from any jobs or volunteer organizations in which you've been active.  

...and no, colleges are not biased against homeschoolers.

Answer 9

Both my older brother and I got into college with no problem. My brother even got a scholarship because of his grades in school and the grades he got on the college entrance.

Answer 10

Actually colleges actively recruit homeschooled students because they make better students.  They know why they're there and what they want to do, and are self motivated.  Their applications totally stand out from the crowd.  They also do better in interviews.

Answer 11

They're more likely to accept kids that went to regular high schools into more prestigious colleges.

Answer 12

Actually, colleges have been recruiting homeschoolers...those that graduated from homeschool are the most coveted students these days.  There was an article about it recently.  You may want to google to find it.

ETA:  The poster above must not know that Princeton and Harvard are also actively recruiting hs'ers.  Ivy League schools are recruting hs'ers more than others.

Answer 13

no they like them just as well as people going to regular school