I just finished my son's homeschool portfolio for his application to SCAD. Included in it as a short syllabus from every course he's taken (or table of contents from the books he's used). A transcript, a reading list, a resume of activities and accomplishments, and a writing sample... probably his best essay to date.
He still has to submit his art portfolio in hopes of getting a scholarship and write his statement of purpose. I will mail it tomorrow, and am getting everything else submitted. We are hoping to have his application in by the end of Sept because I hear scholarships are first come, first served. We will apply to his second choice college in October. If we apply to others, it will be in November.
Feels good to have it done.
But it doesn't end there... getting my second child ready to take the PSAT in a month.
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Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Is it even worth it to apply to a state college?
So here's my dillema.
Son wants to go to SCAD Atlanta (Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta). He has for a couple years now. He is willing to look at other schools to apply to as a back-up, but he wants to go to SCAD so won't actively look for other options. He as asked me to spearhead the search for backup colleges, and I have. There is one other smaller, less expensive Christian college that he likes and beyond that, there is a big party college, where he can get a decent arts education, and the main campus of the state college (UGA) also has what looks like a very good art school. The last two he would only apply to for giggles and grins, just for the sake of saying he applied to more than one or two colleges.
Here's the thing, we are not worried about him getting into SCAD. We are only worried about paying for it. We are also not worried about getting into the second choice as they love homeschoolers. But the State college... they want us as homeschoolers to jump through an ungodly number of hoops to get in... A 3.7 GPA or close to it. 25-30 average ACT score. Extra exams (SATII) or multiple AP tests.
That would add alot of extra work to my son's senior year, when his personal goal is to work on his portfolio and to get out a little more into the world.
Is it even worth it to spend the extra time studying for SATII's (when he has already passed CLEP exams). Is to worth it to keep taking the ACT every test date to push for the highest score when he already has a Score that will get him a scholarship at another college?
Is this state college really THAT elite? or are they shooting themselves in the foot by making it difficult for homeschoolers to get in?
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Son wants to go to SCAD Atlanta (Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta). He has for a couple years now. He is willing to look at other schools to apply to as a back-up, but he wants to go to SCAD so won't actively look for other options. He as asked me to spearhead the search for backup colleges, and I have. There is one other smaller, less expensive Christian college that he likes and beyond that, there is a big party college, where he can get a decent arts education, and the main campus of the state college (UGA) also has what looks like a very good art school. The last two he would only apply to for giggles and grins, just for the sake of saying he applied to more than one or two colleges.
Here's the thing, we are not worried about him getting into SCAD. We are only worried about paying for it. We are also not worried about getting into the second choice as they love homeschoolers. But the State college... they want us as homeschoolers to jump through an ungodly number of hoops to get in... A 3.7 GPA or close to it. 25-30 average ACT score. Extra exams (SATII) or multiple AP tests.
That would add alot of extra work to my son's senior year, when his personal goal is to work on his portfolio and to get out a little more into the world.
Is it even worth it to spend the extra time studying for SATII's (when he has already passed CLEP exams). Is to worth it to keep taking the ACT every test date to push for the highest score when he already has a Score that will get him a scholarship at another college?
Is this state college really THAT elite? or are they shooting themselves in the foot by making it difficult for homeschoolers to get in?
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HOPE Scholarhip, Budget Cuts, and Homeschoolers
With serious budget cuts on the horizon, there are a lot of grumblings about how the HOPE Scholarship should be cut.
It seems that most Georgians want to return the scholarship to it's original intent and draw a top income line cutting off upper income families... (they seem to forget there was also a lower income cut off too as you could not get PELL and HOPE at one time.) As a homeschooler, whose children have different and more stringent set of rules of earning the HOPE scholarship, my family would just miss that upper cut off amount and my kids would not get the scholarship if this happens. But I am not fretting over it because I am not counting on it anyway, because homeschoolers have to be beyond exceptional to get the scholarship first year anyway. Beyond that first year, my kids could get HOPE if they don't place the income restrictions, unless they use the sliding scale (also suggested), in which case my kids would probably get 80%. But regardless, come hell or high water, as my mother used to say, if my kids want to stay in college, they will figure it out... I did. ... Although I might help them more than my parents helped me.
Anywhooo... my point is this. If homeschoolers need to score in the 85th percentile (SAT approx 1800, ACT 26) to qualify for the HOPE scholarship first year, why are public school kids getting the scholarships with "B" averages only? And then, if they get the "B" average, why do they need remedial math and writing classes. HMMMM... Homeschoolers have to jump through these extra hoops because there is a fear that homeschooling moms will inflate grades. Meanwhile there is no doubt that schools are inflating grades.
Fair is Fair.
In all fairness, I propose that anyone who can get into the 75th percentile on the ACT or SAT (SAT approx 1680, ACT 24) should be eligible for the HOPE scholarship. Period. This is less than what is expected of homeschoolers... it is what should be expected of ALL students including homeschoolers.
Ok, but there are arguments that the SAT and maybe even the ACT is culturally biased. So let's make an exception. If the student does not fall into the 75th percentile on the ACT or SAT, but is in the top 25 percentile in his class based on GPA then he should also be eligible for the HOPE scholarship. This exemption would leave homeschoolers out, but we are already used to waiting a year to qualify for the HOPE scholarship, and our kids still seem to manage to pay for that first year of college.
So either 75% or higher on the SAT or ACT OR top 25% in class rank and a student could get the HOPE scholarship. These simple guidelines would eliminate any extra administration on figuring out who gets the Scholarship, and would still cut out the possibility of student who are not ready for college getting the scholarship based on inflated grades. But to be fair to those students, if they can get a 3.0 average in their Freshman year, they should also be eligible for the grant.
Just saying...
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It seems that most Georgians want to return the scholarship to it's original intent and draw a top income line cutting off upper income families... (they seem to forget there was also a lower income cut off too as you could not get PELL and HOPE at one time.) As a homeschooler, whose children have different and more stringent set of rules of earning the HOPE scholarship, my family would just miss that upper cut off amount and my kids would not get the scholarship if this happens. But I am not fretting over it because I am not counting on it anyway, because homeschoolers have to be beyond exceptional to get the scholarship first year anyway. Beyond that first year, my kids could get HOPE if they don't place the income restrictions, unless they use the sliding scale (also suggested), in which case my kids would probably get 80%. But regardless, come hell or high water, as my mother used to say, if my kids want to stay in college, they will figure it out... I did. ... Although I might help them more than my parents helped me.
Anywhooo... my point is this. If homeschoolers need to score in the 85th percentile (SAT approx 1800, ACT 26) to qualify for the HOPE scholarship first year, why are public school kids getting the scholarships with "B" averages only? And then, if they get the "B" average, why do they need remedial math and writing classes. HMMMM... Homeschoolers have to jump through these extra hoops because there is a fear that homeschooling moms will inflate grades. Meanwhile there is no doubt that schools are inflating grades.
Fair is Fair.
In all fairness, I propose that anyone who can get into the 75th percentile on the ACT or SAT (SAT approx 1680, ACT 24) should be eligible for the HOPE scholarship. Period. This is less than what is expected of homeschoolers... it is what should be expected of ALL students including homeschoolers.
Ok, but there are arguments that the SAT and maybe even the ACT is culturally biased. So let's make an exception. If the student does not fall into the 75th percentile on the ACT or SAT, but is in the top 25 percentile in his class based on GPA then he should also be eligible for the HOPE scholarship. This exemption would leave homeschoolers out, but we are already used to waiting a year to qualify for the HOPE scholarship, and our kids still seem to manage to pay for that first year of college.
So either 75% or higher on the SAT or ACT OR top 25% in class rank and a student could get the HOPE scholarship. These simple guidelines would eliminate any extra administration on figuring out who gets the Scholarship, and would still cut out the possibility of student who are not ready for college getting the scholarship based on inflated grades. But to be fair to those students, if they can get a 3.0 average in their Freshman year, they should also be eligible for the grant.
Just saying...
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First college application submitted
We have talked to a lot of admissions counselors, but done nothing on paper until today. We just submitted the SCAD application online... too bad the application fee waiver coupon they gave didn't work. No worries though, it was only $35.00.
SCAD strongly suggested my son apply NOW, almost 2 full years before he is to enroll... strange, but if that's what they want, that is what they get. We will be contacted by a dedicated admissions counselor soon to continue the process... this was just the initial form.
We also need to submit a special application in the spring for their Rising Stars program.
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SCAD strongly suggested my son apply NOW, almost 2 full years before he is to enroll... strange, but if that's what they want, that is what they get. We will be contacted by a dedicated admissions counselor soon to continue the process... this was just the initial form.
We also need to submit a special application in the spring for their Rising Stars program.
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WalletPop Contributor
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12 grade year of homeschooling, Finishing Strong
We are almost done with my college prep series. There will still be a video on completing the transcript. Stay tuned... meanwhile, ...
