Colleges actively seek out homeschoolers. They find them to be independent, self-directed learners, and far more diverse than regularly schooled students. Ask the college you are interested in if their application process is
any different for homeschoolers than it is for regularly schooled students.
Each college is different.
Friends and family were again aghast when my older son returned to homeschooling for high school. Now the question was, “But what about college?” Concerns about him applying to college as a homeschooler were needless. Homeschooling turned out to be an asset rather than a liability. Colleges respect these kids as independent learners and want them for their diverse backgrounds.
You can now download The Teenage Liberation Handbook (how to quit school and get a real life education), by Grace Llewellyn, FREE! While most books on education are written to the parents, this one is written to teenagers, encouraging them to take back their lives! Highly recommended to all frustrated teens!
Do you know a teen with a story to tell? Or a high schooler who's always wanted to make movies?
Maysles Documentary Center's Teen Producers Academy Summer Intensive is a FREE , 6-week film program where teens, ages 15-18, work in small teams to make short documentaries under the guidance of film professionals. Students who successfully complete this course can enroll in our yearlong after school program, where they can use the skills they learned in the summer to create longer film projects. Students also learn about distribution, film budgets, and pitching films to industry professionals. The program takes place at Maysles Documentary Center on Lenox Ave @127th St. Application deadline is around mid-April
It is typical for homeschoolers to take college courses while still in high school. It not only provides classroom experience, but also helps to prove their abilities on college applications. One A from a college may imply that all other non-graded courses have been done at that level. College credits look impressive on a resume, and can help to establish high school diploma equivalency (though most colleges don't require this). Homeschoolers in NYC can take advantage of the CUNY campus scholarship program called College Now, which requires a PSAT or SAT score to apply. But not all colleges require this from a high school student, and there are colleges that no longer require an SAT score from new applicants at all (such as Bates, in Lewiston, Maine).
Here is an article from the Washington Post: This is How You and Your Child Select the Right College.
Written by the president of College of the Atlantic (COA, which my son attended), this article contains some excellent advice on how to take a close look during your visit. I remember when we went to visit COA, I sat and ate lunch next to a faculty member, joined a small class with an animated group discussion, encountered imaginative and engaging approaches to a subject that I thought was familiar, all while my son was doing the same thing in other places with other people.
Local homeschooled teens have earned credits from: Mercy College (a letter from a school or DoE official determining high school grade level status will get you a reduced rate); The School of Visual Arts (there are precollege courses for one credit each, and continuing ed courses for two – four credits each, all open to age 13 and up); Columbia U. (you will have to qualify the same way any applicant does, and pay full tuition); CUNY (Lehman, Hunter, John Jay, Brooklyn College, and more); colleges in New Jersey; and summer programs at colleges outside of NYC, including College of the Atlantic's Islands Through Time program.
The North Atlantic Regional High School (NARHS) offers consultation and tools to support course planning, student work assessment, quality academic learning, and goal setting leading to a high school transcript and diploma which have far-reaching transferability and acceptance. A homeschooling parent's review:
"We used NARHS for all four years of high school, and one of my sons attended SUNY Maritime. SUNY had no problem with the NARHS diploma. We were fairly happy with NARHS. However, we left in the last year of the "old" NARHS. The founder retired and sold the business to someone else, who changed various things. So I can't really comment on today's NARHS.
At the time, they offered no courses and there was no distance learning option. It was entirely up to you to find your own courses, whether self-designed, community college, on-line, etc. Many people thought that NARHS offered some sort of "program" but it did not. Which was fine with me, as I wasn't looking for a program, just accreditation of the work we were doing already. They required a lot of documentation, but overall they were extremely flexible. You could do almost anything you liked, as long as you could document the work."
Not everyone needs to go to college to have a successful life. In Michael Ellsberg's book The Education of Millionaires, he interviewed nearly 40 millionaire and billionaires, and NONE of them had finished college! Here you can read Ellsberg's eight-step program for getting a successful career without a college education (scroll down in the article for the eight steps).
Comment about your homeschooler's college experience by sending an e-mail to Laurie@HomeschoolNYC.com
video: TED talk, by David Helfand on the creation of Quest U., an alternative university in Canada (a local homeschooler /unschooler attends this university and loves it).
"The Love of Learning", by Bard College President Leon Botstein, on the value of a higher education, along with some advice on what to look for in a university.
"Cab-School Student Earned Ticket to Harvard" (NPR, 7/21/2010). This article tells the story of a homeschooled student who studied on the road, in the cab of her mom's truck, and was solicited by Harvard – further proof that the most selective schools seek out homeschoolers with diverse backgrounds.
"In a Class by Themselves" – an article about homeschoolers in Stanford's alumni magazine, Nov-Dec 2000, but still very relevant.
Driving laws are very confusing in NYC. Here are some facts:
One can get a Permit starting at age 16
One can then drive with a licensed driver BUT NOT IN 5 BOROUGHS.
One cannot drive/practice in any of the 5 boroughs(even with a licensed driver) unless the car has a 2nd brake (like driving school cars have)
One also cannot drive/practice on roads or parking lots within the boundaries of a NY State or NYC Park (like an empty beach parking lot off-season) or various parkways (including Henry Hudson, Saw Mill, Bronx river Parkway, Cross County, Hutchinson River Parkway, Sprain, Taconic, and others)
Note: Parents and teens have actually been pulled over, sirens lights and all, practicing in the empty parking lot of Orchard Beach in March. There is NO practicing anywhere within City Parks lines! Try going to the Crosstown Shopping Center in Yonkers in their off hours (such as very early) and using a huge empty parking lot north of the city.
One can drive on I 95 and 87 but not within the 5 boroughs.
One can practice in a Shopping center parking lot. but not in 5 boroughs
Driving schools have packages that include a 5-hr course (which includes the required movie), however many lessons you sign up for, the scheduling of a road test and the use of their car for that road test. Scheduling lessons is flexible and between you and your assigned driving instructor. It is an individual lesson. They focus on driving, the details of rules of the road and parking. No highway driving. It's a good way to learn.
If you pass the road test after taking these lessons and are under 18, you will be awarded a Junior License.
You still cannot drive within the 5 boroughs.
But you can now drive on the (formerly forbidden) parkways, but ONLY outside of the 5 boroughs
It is possible to take Driver's ed through a school or college, as opposed to a driving school. Driving schools work with the schools/colleges (usually offered at private schools but anyone can sign up..for $500-$600) to offer the Driver's Ed curriculum. These classes have varying schedules, usually during the week after school or Sat. mornings for a fall or spring semester. Included is a 16-hour lecture and 16 hours driving practice. Driving practice is in a car with 3 other students. Each student drives their allotted time and then must observe other students' turns for the rest of the hour. This is not flexible.
Remember that even if you get a junior driver's license before age 18 you CAN NOT drive anywhere in NYC! But you will not have to take the road test again, and the license will be a valid driver's license (that you can only use outside of NYC).
Over age 18 there is no need for driver's ed except for the required film (5-hour class), and you can practice with any other licensed driver until you are ready for the road test.
Families have recommended the Uptown Driving School in Inwood, (212) 304-5115.
Also recommended: Driver's Ed 5-week course at School for Ethical Culture on the Upper West Side. It is possible to take the lecture 730am-830am and then do the 1hr driving 630pm -730pm and finish the course while working during the daytime. One student did this over the summer.
Autonatics is a driving school based in Brooklyn that has a contract with private schools and colleges In NYC to teach Driver's Ed. So you can sign up with them for driving lessons, 5 hr course etc (like Uptown Driving School).
If you want to find the Official Driver's Ed course, Autonatics would know which schools and colleges offer them...since they are the ones that do it in NYC. You register with the designated school or college for Driver's ed.
Most colleges do not require a diploma and are satisfied with proof that the student has received the equivalent of a high school education. This can be done by writing a brief but thorough transcript (the homeschooling parent should call this the Official High School Transcript), taking exams (such as the SAT), writing essays, undergoing interviews, submitting letters of recommendation, or by obtaining one of the following diploma equivalents.
SUNY requires a diploma or equivalent. Some private colleges demand extra SAT II exams from homeschoolers. When my son was applying for college with an intended major theater or film, Yale and Carnegie Mellon wanted three SAT IIs from him as a homeschooler, while NYU wanted only the regular SAT and no more. I think if he had been applying to NYU for math or business or science, he might have needed those extra SAT IIs.
SUNY will accept the following as proof of high school equivalency: the TASC (formerly GED) OR five Regents exams (not all, just English, math, US Gov't, science, and global history/geography) OR 24 college credits (which are supposed to be in general subjects like the Regents exams) OR a letter from a school principal or administrator. A parent in Yonkers got such a letter for her son from the Yonkers district office (making him eligible for scholarships to Mercy College as a high school student). If you ask for it and your local DoE office chooses not to provide such a letter, you can always go back to the college where you are seeking admission and ask them what documentation can stand in for such a letter.
Fair Test has a list of colleges that don't always require the SAT or ACT exam for entrance. This list includes some well-known schools, such as Antioch, Goddard, Bard and Simon's Rock, Bates, Bennington, Bowdoin, Bryn Mawr, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Naropa, Sarah Lawrence, Texas A & M, Wheaton, and many more.
DIYCollegeRankings has college information spread sheets that are helpful for compiling a list of colleges to apply to, based on acceptance rates, costs, etc.
About High School Diploma Equivalents
These are several ways of establishing high school diploma equivalency that is recognized in New York State:
Completing 24 semester hours at a college (6 semester hours in English Language Arts, 3 semester hours in Math, 3 semester hours in Natural Sciences, 3 semester hours in Social Sciences, 3 semester hours in Humanities, and 6 semester hours in any other courses).
Passing all requirements for five Regents examinations in: English, math, US history and gov't, science, and global history & geography.
TASC (formerly GED) or high school equivalency exam.
Diploma from a distance learning or other high school.
some schools accept a "letter of completion" or "letter of substantial equivalency" which the DoE is supposed to provide (see below).
Letter of substantial equivalency from the superintendent of schools
A student may meet the preliminary education requirement in section 3.47 through completing a home instruction program, pursuant to the requirements of section 100.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, provided that the superintendent of schools certifies in writing that such program is substantially equivalent to a four-year high school program. If the superintendent determines substantial equivalence, a letter to that effect from the superintendent to the home instructed student is the appropriate documentation that the college should maintain in the student's file to demonstrate compliance with the preliminary education requirement for earning a college degree. For students of compulsory school age, the superintendent, upon request of the student, is required to perform the evaluation for the substantial equivalency determination. In the case of students beyond compulsory school age who ask for the evaluation for the substantial equivalency determination, the State Education Department strongly encourages the superintendent to perform this evaluation.
This memo (above) states that a superintendent (or other official) is required to provide a letter of equivalency, but only for students of compulsory age. For this reason you should request this letter before your teenager turns 17 (compulsory age ends at the end of the school year in which your teen turns 17 by June 30). Also, the statement that they are required doesn't mean that they want to provide it. They are overworked and likely to resist establishing a standard of equivalency in writing. I suggest copying the wording above from the regulations, with the links to the official documents, and sending that your DoE homeschooling official with a letter* for them to sign. Write a cover letter stating that you are saving them time and trouble by offering them a letter that they can sign and return, and asking them to attach that letter to their letterhead. Go in person, or if you mail it, send it return-receipt-requested and include a stamped self-addressed envelope. Be willing to repeat your request before your child is beyond compulsory age.
* A letter of substantial equivalency should be a simple statement, something like this:
I have reviewed the educational records of [student's] home instruction program and find that it is substantially equivalent to a four-year high school program. (signed....) including their name and title
This letter, provided by the homeschooling office, should satisfy SUNY's graduation requirements. However, I don’t know that it will satisfy federal financial aid requirements (FAFSA does not require a diploma, while TAP requires a diploma or equivalency).
Make sure you visit or write each school individually and ask what is required. Each school can vary in what they need from homeschoolers.
Section 3.47(a)(2)(ii) provides six alternatives for students beyond the age of compulsory attendance seeking to demonstrate acceptable preliminary education before they may be awarded a college degree:
Holding a high school diploma; or
Having completed the substantial equivalent of a four-year high school course, as certified by the Superintendent of Schools or comparable chief school administrator; or
Holding a High School Equivalency Diploma; or
Completing 24 semester hours or the equivalent as a recognized candidate for a college-level degree or certificate at a degree-granting institution, as defined in the regulation (6 semester hours or the equivalent in English Language Arts including writing, speaking and reading (literature), 3 semester hours or the equivalent in Mathematics, 3 semester hours or the equivalent in Natural Sciences, 3 semester hours or the equivalent in Social Sciences, 3 semester hours or the equivalent in Humanities, and 6 semester hours or the equivalent in any other courses within the registered degree or certificate program); or
Having previously earned and been granted a degree from a degree-granting institution, as defined in the regulation; or
Having passed and completed all requirements for the following five Regents examinations or approved alternative assessments for these examinations: the Regents Comprehensive Examination in English, the Regents examination in mathematics, the Regents examination in United States history and government, a Regents examination in science, and the Regents examination in global history and geography. See Past Regents Examinations.
It is my understanding that you can apply to branches of CUNY as a homeschooler without a diploma equivalent (such as the five Regents exams or the TASC (formerly GED) exam). (You can also attend CUNY as a high school student, taking FREE courses through College Now.) However for branches of SUNY you need a diploma or equivalent (such as five Regents exams or TASC). The letter of compliance from Bill Harrington will not be sufficient to apply to SUNY.
Parents of homeschoolers who are approaching age 17 will receive a letter from the DoE requesting an interview. The DoE interview is about a "letter of completion" which states that you have completed the required number of hours and subjects and fulfilled your paperwork obligations.
For some colleges, this "letter of completion" can serve as proof of high school equivalency. (For most private colleges, a transcript and other validations (such as a few college courses with grades, an SAT or ACT score, and two or more letters of recommendation) is enough to satisfy them that a high school education has been proven, and this letter would not be asked for.) However there is another motive for the DoE to request an interview. The DoE wants homeschoolers to age out when they turn 17 and leave the system. This cuts down on their paperwork, and on perks that cost the city money (such as the free student metrocard and free CUNY courses through College Now).
I have seen these letters of completion given to students who leave at age 17 (at the end of grade 11) and they seem the same as letters for students who legally homeschool through age 18 and leave at the end of grade 12- however these letters have varied over the years. Note that this letter does not state equivalency to a high school education, and the DoE does not evaluate the student's past four years of work - it is just a letter that states you, as a homeschooler, have fully complied with the regulations for the DoE. It is my understanding that you can apply to CUNY colleges as a homeschooler without Regents or TASC, but with the letter of completion. However for SUNY colleges you now need the TASC [formerly GED] or the five Regents. The letter of compliance from the DoE will not be sufficient for SUNY.
Here is the link to CUNY that mentions the need for homeschoolers to have a transcript, as well as the letter of completion.
Effective 2 January 2014, New York State selected a new high school equivalency test called the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC™) to replace the General Educational Development (GED®) as the primary pathway to a New York State High School Equivalency Diploma.
New York State no longer administers the GED test, but GEDs issued before 2014 are still valid, and certain provisions are grandfathered in: A candidate may use up to four (4) passing GED® sub-tests (score of 410 or above) taken between 2002-2013 to count towards earning a New York State High School Equivalency Diploma. The use of these scores will be allowed for two years (2014 and 2015). Candidates taking TASC™ for the first time must take all five TASC™ sub-tests. Each TASC™ sub-test that the candidate passes will be posted on the candidate's transcript. If the candidate does not pass the TASC™ sub-test but passed the same GED® sub-test, the GED® score will be accepted as a passing score. If a candidate has already passed all five (5) GED® sub-tests but did not attain the minimum total score of 2250, such candidate must pass at least one of the TASC™ sub-tests to obtain a New York State High School Equivalency Diploma. HSE Preparation Programs
TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion)
The TASC is a far more rigorous exam than the GED was. Five Regents exams (in English, mathematics, US history & government, a science, global history & geography) also proves high school equivalency. I know of no down side to taking the TASC or the Regents (other than the time and effort involved), but it may not be necessary to take them. A letter of completion (see below) and a transcript is all you will need to apply to CUNY or most private colleges.
TASC Information (from the New York State High School Equivalency (HSE) Office). This site has information on test preparation, including free study materials, testing centers, and more.
NYS Equivalency Diploma Based on Out of State Testing
The NYS high school equivalency diploma may be awarded to candidates who meet all NYS requirements and who submit an official report of results from a HSE Test taken outside NYS, and/or GED® tests taken prior to January 1, 2014.
you need to file Attachment I, enclosing a $10 certified check or money order
The diploma is only $10, as noted above, plus whatever it will cost to have Vermont (or the state where you take the test) send their transcript to NYS.
Earning Credits
The New York State High School Equivalency Diploma Based on Earned College Credit may be awarded to candidates who have completed 24 credits (or its equivalent) as a recognized candidate for a degree or a certificate at an approved institution. See College Credit from the NYS Education Department.
The credits are transferable and sometimes are worth more or less depending on the college. Earning 24 credits, in the right
subjects, is equivalent to a high school diploma accepted by SUNY. So is two years full-time at a community college. Check out the free and low-cost precollege programs in What's free or cheap in NYC: Precollege Programs.
SAT and ACT exams are easy to sign up for online, but for these other exams you have to find someone willing to invite your student to sit with their own. Contact private schools (which tend more receptive than public schools) in late August, as soon as the administrators have returned, to make your request. There will be a fee (maybe $20).
AP exams are harder to find, so try Catholic and religious schools. Students have been able to sit for Regents exams at Brooklyn Tech. Often middle school students will take these exams in order to qualify for gifted programs, so not only homeschoolers come from elsewhere to take these tests.
The exam results will be sent to you, not the school where the exam was taken. Each school has an ID number; your student will fill out a form before the exam that includes name, SS number, address, and school ID number—use the ID number specifically for homeschool. Your student will have to have a proper photo ID in order to gain entrance to the exam (my kids used a non-driver's license ID).
AP® exams are rigorous, multiple-component tests that are administered at high schools each May. High school students can earn college credit, placement, or both for qualifying AP Exam grades. Each AP Exam has a corresponding AP course and provides a standardized measure of what students have learned in the AP classroom.
One parent's experience taking CLEP tests:
My boys took the CLEP test in French last year and did very well. It was cheap, easy to schedule, and didn't take long (just 90 mins). You get the results instantly. Many colleges will accept CLEP results for credit. But even if your college doesn't, I figure it can't hurt on college applications to have a few CLEP test results. You need two forms of ID. We used passports plus homemade IDs (made off the internet). We went to the Borough of Manhattan Community College to take it, but there are lots of NYC locations. You can find out all about it on the collegeboard website. CLEP tests are much easier to schedule than APs and SAT IIs. Whether they carry the same weight, I don't know. I think they may be easier tests.
Note: the SAT mentioned on this page is the college-entrance exam (originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test and now called the SAT), and not the Stanford Achievement Test which is a standardized achievement test that also uses the abbreviation SAT.
Homeschooled students can take the PSAT and SAT exams at any local school. Choose a school conveniently located. Give them a call and ask to speak to their testing proctor so that they will expect your child on the day of the test. There is usually a small fee. Try calling in mid-June, or two or three days after school begins in September. (Never call on their first day, when chaos is expected.) More information for Home-Schooled Students.
FREE SAT prep for the current and for the newly revised version of the SAT (for 2016) is at KahnAcademy .
Free SAT Prep program online that includes a catalog of over 100 strategic study guides, an interactive vocabulary builder with over 5000 common SAT words, practice quizzes with explanations, and simulated practice tests.
SAT II tests are tests on specific subjects. See the College Board's page on SAT Subject Tests.
The SAT and ACT have placement tests designed for students who have been out of school for a year or more. These exams are used by colleges to determine if a student needs remediation.
Due to recent changes in the regulations regarding state financial aid, it is now in the best interest of homeschooled students to obtain a “letter of completion” from the DoE. This letter may vary from district to district. This is not a letter of “substantial equivalency” which is supposed to be a choice available to families who request it from a superintendent of schools. A “letter of completion” just states that you have filed your homeschooling paperwork and fulfilled all of those requirements through 12th grade. It does not say what level your work was done at, and it is not the same as an equivalency diploma. However, it may satisfy the requirements of some schools in New York State, such as CUNY (in NYC) and RIT (in upstate NY), where such proof of high school completion is necessary to obtain a college diploma.
This means that it may be in your interest to continue filing with the DoE through 12th grade even if the student is no longer of compulsory age (compulsory attendance ends when the student turns 17 by June in NYC, or 16 by June in the rest of New York State). Your local DoE office might suggest that you stop filing when the student is no longer of compulsory age, because less paperwork is easier for everyone, but that choice does not give you the option of obtaining a “letter of completion.”
You, the parent, can create your child's high school transcript for college applications, summarizing all of the experiences and courses taken in grades 9-12. It is helpful to have some graded courses taken at a local community college or other school included in the transcript, because those grades can help to validate nongraded homeschooled courses.
You can join the hs2coll (Homeschooling Toward College) list-serve and check their files section for previously uploaded transcripts. This is a place where you can ask questions of others going through the same process. This list is strictly for parents of homeschooling teens on the college track, not about other teen issues.
Books about transcripts:
Homeschooler's Guide to Portfolios and Transcripts
by Loretta Heuer. This books guides you on different ways of writing transcripts and documenting your child’s work. Included are methods of computing units of study.
Homeschooler's Guide to Portfolios and Transcripts by Loretta Heuer. This books guides you on different ways of writing transcripts and documenting your child’s work. Included are methods of computing units of study.
You need an SAT, ACT or PSAT score in order to take classes for credits. A 480 (in English) or 530 (in math) are the minimum SAT scores needed (not too difficult to get out of a possible 800). Registration dates for the SAT.
Homeschooling parents, whose kids have taken courses through College Now, say that it's best to approach individual campuses and not just rely on the website.
Comments:
The staff at BMCC are helpful, kind, and prompt in all their replies. Many homeschooling parents recommended the biology department there. On their website, biology was not listed as a course offered in College Now, but after speaking to them it appears that they are going to allow our daughter to enroll in a biology lecture and lab. I encourage you to speak with the directors of the College Now program at each school to see what they might be able to offer you. To apply, an application, test scores, teacher recommendation (if you don't have Regent scores) are required. Do this sooner rather than later.
~ homeschooling parent
For accurate course offerings, don't rely on the College Now website. It is better to contact the colleges individually for course. Here is a partial list of CUNY colleges with links, contact info and the College Now contact person (where available):
Hunter College: College Now /
Contact info /
Application
Erlyn Mendez, Coordinator of College Now
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Division of Student Affairs
Hunter College – City University of New York
695 Park Avenue, Room 100N
New York, NY 10065
T-(212)772-4486
City College: Contact info.
Andrenetta A. Collins, Director, College Now
The City College of New York
160 Convent Avenue, NA 5/113
New York, NY 10031
Tel: 212 650-6316
A teenager started The Independent Project, a program of self-directed learning within a high school. Every week each student selects and pursues a single question in each major academic area, and also works on a term-long project that is a personal endeavor. This is an interesting model for self-directed learning, individually and in groups.
The NYC Science Research Mentoring Program offers a chance to work closely with a scientist in the field and in labs, collect and analyze data, present at conferences, and more!
Dreamyard Arts Center, 1085 Washington Ave., Ground Floor
Bronx, NY 10456,
offers FREE SAT classes for high school students and many other classes. For more info, contact atorres@dreamyard.com.
Free Programs in NYC Public Schools. New York City offers children and teens a wide range of after-school and summer activities--from paid museum internships to free science research programs. The free and low cost programs listed here are a great way to explore new interests, get extra support, and supplement what is being taught during the school day.
NYU-Poly's K-12 STEM education program, ARISE (Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering), is a selective, seven-week full-time summer program for academically strong, 10th and 11th grade NYC students who demonstrate interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Participants will gain access to college coursework, lab time and mentors. Students who compelte the program will receive a stipend.
See the ARISE website to apply. Applications are due in early April.
City Art Lab has a FREE afterschool art program for teens in collaboration with City College of New York. Teens build an art portfolio while working with outstanding teaching artists. Ateacher or adult mentor must recommend you by e-mailing a recommendation to: ccnycityartlab@gmail.com. For more information, contact Marit Dewhurst at City College of New York: (212) 650-7433 or e-mail ccnycityartlab@gmail.com.
Free Test Prep online (formerly called Learning Express Library). It has extensive online test practice materials for elementary school through college. If you have an NYPL card, you can register to use the site using your library card number.
AlleyOop – personalized math and science help for teens
Yahoo Group HS2Coll is a support and information network for parents of teenaged homeschoolers planning for college. Topics likely to be discussed: college application forms; what colleges are looking for; curricula for homeschooled teens; how older kids already in college are faring; colleges that have recently accepted homeschoolers; SATs, SAT IIs, ACTs and AP tests; and more.
KnowHow2Go. The American Council on Education, Lumina Foundation for Education and the Ad Council launched the KnowHow2GO campaign in January 2007. This multiyear, multimedia effort includes television, radio and outdoor public service advertisements (PSAs) that encourage 8th through 10th graders to prepare for college using four simple steps.
Homeschooler's Guide to Portfolios and Transcripts by Loretta Heuer. This books guides you on different ways of writing transcripts and documenting your child's work. Included are methods of computing units of study.
Colleges that Change Lives is a list of forty small
schools that have a reputation for being highly engaging.
College of the Atlantic is a small college in Maine reputed as being the greenest campus in the world, with its own organic farm, and a reputation for being a student-led campus (and a history of accepting homeschoolers).
I am homeschooling my high school student. We will use CLEP and probably DSST and ECE examinations to document her independent study, which is now at college level. I have also found that Excelsior College, which is a large, accredited, not for profit distance learning school based in Albany, has a number of services which may be useful for home schooled students. Excelsior enrolls many members of the military and so offers some interesting options.
High school students may take unlimited college courses as non-matriculated students.
If a high school student has completed the required 24 credits, Excelsior will admit the student, prepare a transcript and certify the credits to New York State so that the student can obtain a high school equivalency diploma, even if none of the courses were taken at Excelsior.
Excelsior also offers a transcript service to non-students. It will, for a fee of course, prepare an organized transcript showing all college credit from all sources so your child can submit a single college transcript with college applications. If your child has multiple sources of college credit, this might be worthwhile.
CLEP tests are given every Wednesday at LaGuardia Community College at 6:00. There are other test locations but this is the most user friendly. You can access information through the adult education portion of the college website. The staff members who administer the tests are pleasant and helpful.
Next year, I would like to start home school college. I am 21 years old and there is no college that will take me in. I am in a Special Education program. Please help!
Bears' Guides are recommended by John Taylor Gatto as a way to think out of the box and still do college.
Also, there are many ways of getting a higher level education without attending college or obtaining a degree, beyond the use of local libraries or private tutoring. For example, most of MIT's courses are available free on-line as courseware. In fact, there is a consortium of colleges and universities around the world that have put their courses on-line for free (and some for a fee): www.ocwconsortium.org .
2010 Homeschool Graduate Makes Scholarship Road Easier for Others
OCEAN PARK, WA, USA—After spending much of the past year hunting down scholarships available to home-schooled students, David Craft realized there was a problem. “There are lots of scholarships available only to those in traditional schools, but none to speak of just for homeschooled students,” he lamented. “When I searched online for ‘homeschool scholarships’ I came up with only a few results, most of which had nothing to do with homeschooling.”
When David saw that many scholarships were in the $200 to $500 range, he realized there were businesses run by home school families who could probably also offer scholarships. “Perhaps they had just never thought of doing it,” he said.” It’s an important concern, because while some general scholarships invite homeschoolers to apply, the forms are designed for students in traditional schools. They place a lot of emphasis on class rank, and often have several pages asking for involvement in student government, school clubs, and student leadership positions. Homeschooled students are clearly the underdogs in these competitions.”
David, along with the support of his family, has launched a website, homeschoolscholarships.org . The two-fold purpose, as stated on the site, is “to inspire businesses and individuals to recognize the unique potential of homeschooled students by creating scholarships designed for them, and to provide a place for homeschooled students to find those scholarships.” Businesses who provide scholarships will be given a link to their own website.
Not destined to become another of the many scholarship search sites, this site will feature only those scholarships designed specifically for homeschool students, or scholarships that have a proven record of being homeschool-friendly. David hopes the homeschool community throughout the nation will help provide him with little-known scholarship opportunities to post on his site. He’s well on his way with 15 homeschool-specific scholarships already listed, and hopes to grow the list as more businesses and organizations decide to take the challenge. David can be contacted through the website.
Anthony Quinn Foundation is a relatively new group that gives out scholarships for high school students needing funding for arts programs — up to $3,000/student for non-academic arts programs in writing, theater, music, and dance. The grant is payable directly to the program applied for, and the awards are NOT based on income or lack thereof. It is my understanding that there is no financial disclosure necessary. The scholarships are open to any student who qualifies for them based on their artistic merits. A local homeschooler has already been the recipient of a Quinn scholarship.
Located in lower Manhattan at 47 Great Jones St, 3rd fl, CultureHub offers free summer programs to teens ages 15-20, in the arts and technology: music, performance art, game design, coding, and more.
Application deadline in 2016 is May 4th.
For more info contact: colab@culturehub.org / 917 463 391.
Although North Star is not in NYC, it is a model center of self-directed learning for homeschooled teens, and well worth a visit. It is a self-directed learning center in Massachusetts (near Amherst) for homeschooling teens.
School is Optional helps develop organizations following the North Star method.
Who ever said that homeschoolers don't have proms! My kids went every year in their high school years, and had a blast!
The NJ Spring Prom for Homeschoolers happens every April in central coastal NJ, maybe a 90-minute drive from NYC (http://njspringprom.com/). There are chaperones, but parents aren't allowed (take a walk on the beach and have dinner while they party up a storm). Teens get dressed up, request musical selections in advance on-line, dance, have their photographs taken, eat a catered meal, and generally act like teenage grown-ups.
There is a similar NJ Homeschool Prom at the end of June, marking the close of the school year. This one is farther south, maybe as much as a two-hour drive from NYC.
Both proms end around midnight or slightly after. Both proms are created for homeschoolers. Non-homeschoolers are welcome only as guests of homeschooled attendees.
Here is an article from the Washington Post: 
, he interviewed nearly 40 millionaire and billionaires, and NONE of them had finished college! Here you can read Ellsberg's 
by Loretta Heuer. This books guides you on different ways of writing transcripts and documenting your child’s work. Included are methods of computing units of study.
, by Cafi Cohen. You can browse this book on Amazon where part of the chapter on transcripts is on view.
, by Cafi Cohen
, by Lee Binz
by PhD David P. Byers
, by Grace Llewellyn (ed.). This new edition includes updates from each contributor ten years later, looking back on their homeschooling experiences and letting the reader know where they are now.
, by Blake Boles.
by Cafi Cohen. 
