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 Newsletter Library | Meet the Author "Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook" by Cafi Cohen hosted by Sue Spataro |
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| Cafi Cohen Interviews: "College"
Interview | "Teen Schooling" Interview | College Admissions Handbook Interview 1 (College): Intro | Transcripts vs. Portfolios Interview 2 (High School): Intro | Transcripts & Diplomas | Umbrella Schools | Volunteerism | College & Scholarships | Ten Reasons to Homeschool Through High School | Homeschooling Almost-for-free curriculum for teens | College at Age 13 | Afterschooling | Granting a Diploma Interview 3 (College Admissions): Intro | Scholarships | College Success | High School HSing | Putting It All Together |
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  The transition from homeschooling children to
preparing them for success in college deserves both planning and preparation. As the
parent of a homeschooler, you have many issues to consider besides academic excellence:
fulfilling other people's expectations and standards, tackling standardized tests and
application essays, and introducing your homeschooler to the less-supportive atmosphere of
a college campus.Now you can direct your child confidently and effectively. This important addition to Prima's acclaimed homeschooling series is filled with tips and insider advice from homeschooling families whose children now attend the schools of their choice. Inside are the answers to your questions, including how to:
  Homeschoolers' College
Admissions Handbook by Cafi Cohen includes everything you need to
prepare your homeschooler for college success. This along with the other collection
of books Cafi has written is guaranteed to help every homeschooling family. In addition to
being a successful writer, Cafi is a popular speaker and columnist for Home
Education Magazine, Homeschooling Today, and the LINK, a homeschool newspaper. She
and her husband homeschooled two children, with their daughter going on to college and
their son to the U.S. Air Force Academy. She lives in Arroyo Grande, California with
her family.
Scholarships & Grants Sue:
That same chapter on financial aid contains several too-often-overlooked budget alternatives for financing college, including three-year-degrees and researching to find colleges that offer free tuition. Sue:
Several of the homeschooled graduates that answered my book survey did comment especially on difficulties with two items:
More than students who attend traditional high schools, homeschoolers are more surprised to find these attitudes rampant in our culture. None found the attitudes an insurmountable stumbling block. All dealt with it in different successful ways described in the book.
Sue:
Of course, the neat thing is that the academic part of high school homeschooling only takes one to three hours daily. This leaves homeschooled teens with lots of time to develop special interests -- anything from running a business to writing a book to piloting an aircraft, as our son did. These special interests look fabulous on college applications. In addition, homeschoolers' self-directed learning skills fit perfectly into most college environments. By comparison, more people SHOULD be worried that regular high school will not prepare their children for college.
Chapter 13 Timelines: Putting It All Together In this Chapter:
It can be overwhelming unless you think ahead. As Kara, the mother of four homeschool graduates, reminds us, "Failure to plan is planning to fail." Of course, no one fails outright. Your homeschooler will get in somewhere, because it is relatively easy to get into most colleges. That said, all applicants improve their outcomes if they accomplish everything at the earliest possible dates. By thinking ahead, you will enhance your teenager's odds of admission to his first- choice college. In addition, you will increase his chances of qualifying for need-based aid and winning merit scholarships. Encourage your homeschooler to complete everything not juts on time but early. Once admitted, this assures him a place near the front of the line for classes and housing. In addition to thinking ahead, you, the parent, should keep that high schooler counselor hat firmly in place. Many homeschooling parents have found that you will put in more time and effort than most high school counselors ever could. Ruth, whose daughter applied to Hillsdale College (MI) and Calvin College (MI), comments, "Unless a college is proactive in helping them through the process, parents and students need to be on top of the whole thing. Do not wait for information. Go after it with questions. Assertive and aware are key words." Kate agrees. She says that homeschoolers should ask admissions departments if they have any additional requirements for homeschooled students. You may have read all the literature and completed every form. Nevertheless, if the admissions people need additional documents from homeschoolers, it's easy for them to forget to tell you. Ask specifically about this-more than once." After students have applied, they should follow up with a phone call to make sure the college "thinks" they have application materials," Kate in South Dakota adds. "This is especially important if (the student) sent something that did not look like a traditional transcript, such as narrative or portfolio. Anything can go wrong. For our daughter's application ( she is a senior and going through this process right now), her pottery teacher filled out her recommendation form and then forgot to send it. We were unaware of the incomplete application until we asked about it during a follow-up phone call eight weeks later." We agree with several of our survey respondents, who suggest making both a checklist and a calendar, labeling important dates and deadlines. When you receive college applications and scholarship and financial aid information, they will almost always include timelines and deadlines. Extract that information onto your own records and refer to it constantly. Of course, deadlines for testings and applications are last-chance dates. Ideally, you want to do everything as soon as possible. Given that, create your own personal deadlines, ahead of the school deadlines. For example, if a college or university requires all applications not later than March 1, try to get everything in by January 1. Going to College While in Homeschool High School Interview with CPCC President Tony Zeiss on the Concurrent Enrollment Program hosted by Sue Spataro   Author
Cafi Cohen said, "More than 90 percent of high school homeschoolers have taken
college classes concurrent with their high school homeschooling. Several had accumulated
more than a year’s worth of college credits." There are an increasing number of
these programs around the country that provide alternative
paths to college. In this Faces of
Homeschooling Profile, we looked at a "Concurrent Enrollment" of
CPCC (Central Piedmont Community College) in Charlotte, NC. We asked CPCC President Tony
Zeiss to ask him a few questions about this program for high school homeschoolers. High
school homeschoolers can take college courses while still homeschooling. The college
credits are real and are transferable to four year colleges. Find out more and
see how it might help you.
Faces of Home Education
Profile   This
fun gallery celebrates some of our proud homeschoolers who have completed high school and
are on the road to college and other careers. Homeschooling has allowed these fine
students and others to focus on careers that they might not have otherwise been able to
follow. If you have a proud graduate, this is a great place to "show off" and
also to provide encouragement for people who are beginning the journey of homeschooling.
Already featured are Jennie, who turned her love of sewing into a successful business,
Dannielle, who cares for her car and loves history, Chuck, who is a firefighter, and so
much more. |
   College For Free Homeschool Your Child for FREE  FREE Scholarship Information
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