Teens, college, and portfolios?

Question

I am homeschooling my 15 yr old, and am looking into college admissions. it's a few years off, but I want to be prepared.

We are currently using a distance ed. curriculum, but we are thinking of dumping the whole thing and doing our own thing again (works better for us).

My question is: have any of you had teens that went off to college with a portfolio in place of a high school diploma and transcripts? Can you tell me what kind of work needs to be included, and how much? A certain percentage of all work done? Only the big projects? I do plan on writing to potential universities to find out what they require, but am interested in practical advice from parents/homeschooled college students who have been there and done that. Thanks much :)

Answer 1

If I could do it all over again, I would homeschool my children... public schools seem to be in sorry shape these days.  I don't have an answer to your question, but wanted to encourage you in what you are doing.

Answer 2

http://www.chasesc.com/forms.html

This site has an amazing selection of forms. About halfway down the page is "High school/course credit/syllabus" which may help you. We aren't there yet, but check this out and then you can answer MY questions in a few years!

Answer 3

They have to have TOTAL comprehension of

Algebra

Geometry

Trig

Pre-Calc

Statistics would be nice, as would Economics

Private colleges 2 years FOREIGN langauge, not required for state colleges.

Biology

MATH oriented Chemistry or Physics or BOTH

Civics and contemporary world affairs.

English grammar and composition and vocabulary.

Writing in styles, such as Chicago Manual and APA

Arts, music or drawing or drama or something similar

World and local geography

Basic Earth Sciences -- astronomy, meterology, etc.

If they have MASTERED these then they are on solid ground.

College will REQUIRE 1 year math, advanced Algebra/Trig

1 Year English Grammar and comp.  Objective and subjective.

1 year English Lit, reading the classics

2 years History and Poltics

1 year General Science minimum.  That's Bilogy, observatioinal astronomy, general chemistry.

They have to meet the criteria for MATH and ENLGISH placement exams.

Answer 4

Cafi Cohen has written several books on homeschooling to college (not THROUGH, but TO).

I know a woman who homeschooled her son right into M.I.T.  He audited college classes at the local university for two or three years before "graduating" and was able to get recommendations from his professors.  He also took (and passed) half a dozen AP exams.  She did make a transcript for him that included all the AP exams, college courses audited, and honors programs that he was involved in.

See if your local library has any books on homeschooling high school - I'm sure they'll have a section on getting into college.

Answer 5

None of my children have gone to college yet.  My oldest is in 9th grade.  We do our own thing, however I record it on a transcript.  We will have a parent designed homeschool transcript, SAT scores (my 9th grader is already taking practice SATs), a parent issued diploma, AND a portfolio.  That way we have whatever documentation the college is most comfortable with.

To translate "your own thing" into a transcript you just record the courses and grades.  For traditional subjects like Algebra 1 that is pretty easy, but what about things like hobbies?  Well you just decide what "traditional" subject that can fall under.  Based Carnegie credits you must have 120 hours to count as 1 credit.  So, if your child is an amature astronomer, you record all the time spent on this hobby: reading time, time spent stargazing, museum visits, researching the best telescope available for your budget, all of gets counted.  If you log in 60 hours then its 1/2 credit course in Astronomy on the transcript.  If you get around 120 then its a full credit course.

Some things are hard to put in the context of a traditional subject.  If its anything that might possibly be of any use in the child's adult life you can call it "Occupational Education", or "Life Skills".  For instance, a child who wants to work with animals when they grow might spend time training the family dog, since they might choose to be an animal behaviorist (trainer) when they grow up you could call this "Occupational Education".

So you don't really have to apply without a transcript, lots of homeschool parents draw one up for their kids.  As long as you are honest with the school that it is a homeschool transcript you are doing nothing wrong.  

For a transcript template see:  http://www.donnayoung.org

Answer 6

Oh, oh... I'm sorry, I thought you wrote teens, college and prostitutes!

Teens, college and pornography? Can't help you there, my friend. The cops were sooo angry last time. "Hey," I said, "They're over 18, ain't they?" And still all I got was attitude. Had to wipe all the p**n off my computer.

I really wish I could help you, Athee, but I know little about home-schooling. I do remember Mary studying by candlelight in the kitchen and accidentally setting the house on fire. Nearly sent the entire prairie ablaze! Perhaps your 15 year-old should refrain from studying in order to save you and yours from such a fate. Also, you are harming his chances of being a normal teen - drinking, doing drugs, serving time, being impossible, intense peer pressure, bullying, etc., etc. How awful of you. At this rate he might actually socialize amongst the adults by the time he is 16 while the others get to live out their childhoods until they are 32, drunk and in need of therapy. Bad, bad Athee.

I sincerely hope you find the information you want.  Could you possibly tell me a bit more about distance ed.? I've always thought about homeschooling my own (when my own arrive, which may be years at this point :-P). What are the guidelines for grading essays? It must be pretty amazing to re-learn everything yourself. I have the mind of a sieve and would be excited to re-learn the material as i remember so very little of it!

I hope this helps some. It says quite a bit about transcripts v. portfolios, etc.:

http://www.homeschoolzone.com/college.ht...

EDIT: Thank you so much for the information! You have made the concept of homeschooling a greater ideal for me and now more than ever I believe it can be the best thing around. I am so eager to learn more! Hey - why don't you send me your little one and I can experiment with him - you could discuss and revise with the both of us. ;-D It wouldn't hurt to practice after all! Oh, Athee, I hope the new place you move to is a much friendlier homeschooling environment. I was talking with my girlfriend about you and homeschooling today and her first question was about the state you were in. I told her all about what you told me, about the 'independent' 9th grade and the fact that you stay with the children as they learn and she too found the idea amazing. Thank you!