The Right Education: How to Choose Your College after Homeschool

By Brooke Chaplan

Homeschooling offers a unique opportunity to get a well-rounded education with a concentration in English, math, social science, science, and foreign language. Provided you can demonstrate good involvement in extracurricular activities, score well on admissions tests, and complete challenging courses, you should find a wide selection of colleges and programs to choose from. But with so many homeschool-friendly schools out there, it can be difficult to decide on the best one for you. Follow these guidelines to help decide between them.

Acceptance Rates

When applying to schools, check the acceptance rates for the school you’re interested in. In the 2014 to 2015 admission cycle, Princeton had a 6.9 percent admission rate, Standard had a 5 percent rate, and Harvard had a 5.3 percent rate. While these are Ivy League schools, they indicate the relative difficulty for getting into the school. Choose at least three schools to apply with a range of acceptance rates. This way you can apply to some of the top schools while still ensuring you are admitted to a school.

Degree Programs

After checking the acceptance rates and finding a good range, consider the actual degree programs. If you’re interested in getting a master degree in accounting, you won’t need to worry too much about whether your school offers a program. A degree in accounting is commonly available at most schools and even some online resources are available no matter where you are. In cases of common degrees, find out how well the program is ranked and make a selection based on both availability and program prestige before zeroing in on your final decision.

Check Test Scores

College admissions committees typically post the minimum test scores for entrance. Unless you have a highly motivating reason to attend a particular school, look for another school to apply to if you don’t meet the minimum cut-off. Test scores are very important for homeschoolers and are typically weighted more heavily. Some colleges that may not require the ACT or SAT for traditional students, may require it for homeschoolers.

Paying for College

Check the tuition rates for any college you plan to attend. It might make more sense to apply only to schools within your state to save money on tuition. Online colleges are another option for students who want to attend college. Some schools are better than others when it comes to financial aid. Look into both the tuition rates, and the degree to which students receive assistance when applying.

Applying for college is a major decision. When looking at schools look at college rankings from respected sources, such as the U.S. News and World Report for College Rankings. These resources can help you narrow down your school selection by state, degree program, and other crucial school enrollment factors.

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  1. Possibly taking advantage of personal examination prep, homeschool learners generally score better upon consistent college admissions testing.

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