College for Homeschoolers

April 19, 2023 11:14 pm17 commentsViews: 132

When a homeschooled child reaches about the seventh or eighth grade many, if not most parents, begin to worry about their child’s academic future, which includes not only high school but post-secondary studies as well. Questions often enter parents’ minds surrounding transcripts, entrance tests and all round competencies. These questions can make them doubt not only their ability to teach their child but also the validity of their child’s education thus far.

Options For Homeschooling Children After High School

Contrary to popular belief, within the non-homeschooling community, there are many options for homeschooling children outside of the public system even through high school, and many colleges and universities are happy to admit homeschooled children to their institutions but there remain many considerations for their parents.

There are a number of universities and colleges in many provinces beginning to write admission policies for homeschoolers. The Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents (OFTP)has been a driving force behind this movement. OFTP has made it a mission to make the needs for such policies known and to help institutions draft such policies. The OFTP authored a 49-page report on the subject which can be found on their website at Ontario Homeschooling.

Aside from the many colleges and universities admitting homeschooled children, other options which may be suited to homeschooled children are apprenticeship programs, work abroad programs and later entrance to college or university via each school’s respective mature student processes. These programs should be looked at as options for homeschooled students and not as settling for a lessor education than their public schooled counterparts.

Steps to Ensuring Post-Secondary Success

Parents of homeschooled youth must take the appropriate steps to ensure their child has the best options available to them. While post-secondary institutions are beginning to create policy surrounding admitting homeschoolers, there are steps parents can take in order to ensure their child’s successful entrance into the world of post-secondary education even before these policies are in place. Many of the forms recommended can be found at the Donna Young website.

-Keep detailed and accurate records of your child’s education
-Maintain an up-to-date transcript of your child’s grades
-Assign course names to classes (ie, Introduction to Algebra instead of Math)
-Approach colleges and/or universities of interest well before your child applies to see what their policies are -surrounding homeschooled admittance
-Look into online accredited course providers for obtaining high school credits

Choosing High School Courses

Course selection is perhaps the most important consideration when homeschooling a child who is looking at entering college/university. Parents must be sure to check with their provincial/state regulations regarding courses and credits needed to graduate from high school. Once you have done this, take your child’s own gifts and abilities into account and plan a four-year study plan. Be sure to take advantage of as many extracurricular activities as you possibly can.

Ninth grade is a turning point for students who are both publicly and home educated. It is vital during this time to maintain a focus in their education and keep them on track in order to afford them the best possibilities later. This is the time you should look into possible college/university interests. Don’t be afraid to call and talk to post-secondary institutions, even though you may think it is too early the old cliché has been around forever, “It is not too early today to start planning for tomorrow”.

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