What is a Homeschool Friendly College?
February 2008
The
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) does a wonderful job of
explaining what it means to be a homeschool friendly college.
Here is a link to that information: HSLDA.org .
In general, a homeschool
friendly college is one that treats a homeschool applicant
the same as a public school applicant. Your child would be
requested to take the exact same tests as any other student - more
tests are not required of a homeschool applicant. Some
college say they are homeschool friendly, when in reality they have
"hoops" that we have to jump through. HSLDA has a rating
scale for college admission policies here:
Tier 2: The college requires a GED in place of, or in addition to, any of the Tier I requirements.
Tier 3: This type of college requires test scores (like the SAT II) from home school students that are not required of traditional high school students, which is inequitable.
Let's compare three colleges that claim to be homeschool
friendly: Trinity
Western University, The
University of Washington, and Evergreen State College.
Trinity Western University is actively seeking homeschoolers, telling me: "TWU is a great fit for homeschoolers because we are a small university that has the ability to provide students with an incredible campus community to be a part of, lots of individual attention and the opportunity to grow academically in the students own area of strength." When you look at their homeschool admission policy, it reads:
"Students who complete their secondary education through homeschooling must complete the regular application for admission and TWU's Homeschool Education Background Chart. They must also submit official SAT or ACT scores."
I looked at TWU's Homeschool Education Background Chart, and it looks the same as a homeschool transcript except that it is signed by the parent, declaring it to be true. It asks what curriculum is used. It does not ask for additional testing. I found it interesting that Trinity Western University does not require a foreign language. Notice that this college is NOT asking for an accredited transcript. What about scholarships at Trinity Western University?
"Homeschoolers are considered for scholarships based on parent provided grades. TWU does not look at SAT or ACT scores to determine scholarships - just GPA (since Canadian students do not write the SAT or ACT). However we do require the SAT or ACT for admission purposes."
For more information about Trinity Western University, see
their website
or contact Sharon Peters in admissions: sharonp@twu.ca.
The University of Washington wants homeschoolers as well. On the UW website, their homeschool policy states: "The University of Washington values all forms of learning. Homeschooled students bring myriad unique qualities to our campus, and we welcome their interest in the UW." Their policy accepts a homeschool transcript, saying:
"Homeschooled applicants must present a homeschool transcript that includes course titles of each subject studied, duration of study, a short description of content, and grade or assessment of performance."Notice that this college is NOT asking for an accredited transcript.
Unfortunately the policy also goes on to say this:
The policy statement goes on to explain how the SAT may provide
documentation for math, English and science, but that more testing is
needed. They want additional tests to demonstrate
science and foreign language as well. That means that
homeschoolers are required to take more tests than other
applicants! This demonstrates a policy that is not homeschool
friendly. They are listed as "tier 3" by HSLDA.
That doesn't mean that homeschoolers can't be admitted. It
does mean that it is harder to go through the process of admission.
Compare that to Evergreen State College, which is one of the "Colleges that Change Lives."
Here is what their homeschool policy says:
If you were reading this quickly, and don't live in a state that
requires agency oversight, you might be pretty intimidated.
How
do you verify academic preparation through a recognized homeschool
agency? It appears to say that you can document your
curriculum
yourself, since only "most" people use an agency. However,
Director of Admissions Doug Scrima explains their policy clearly, "The
Evergreen State College does not accept documentation provided by the
parents." Instead, they want accredited documentation for
every
course through public school, community college, AP, CLEP, or
correspondence school. It also leaves homeschoolers with the
option of taking a GED. Their policy is considered "Tier 2"
by
the HSLDA. However, I have rarely seen such a difficult
admission
policy.
All
colleges admit homeschoolers. Whether your heart is set on a
tier
1, 2 or 3 college, it pays to know their admissions policy and plan in
advance. And remember, no matter what college you are
thinking
about, make sure you
visit! No amount of online comparison can really communicate
the differences between schools. College "view" books are created by
marketing people trying to make their school look the best.
The only way to determine if a college will "fit" is by
visiting. Students should look at the college and ask two
questions:
#1 - Can I live
here for four years?
#2 - Can I learn here for four years?
Only a visit to a college can provide answers to these
questions!.
Email: Lee@thehomescholar.com
Call Toll-Free: 1-888-LEE-2HELP
"Your transcripts and records were
the best organized and documented I have seen"
~ Bryan Jones, Associate Director of Admissions,
Seattle Pacific University
Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
