Can homeschoolers get into college?

 In short.... yes. 

Yes, homeschooled students can and do attend college. College admissions processes typically consider a variety of factors, such as standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and, importantly, academic records. For homeschooled students, this academic record may take the form of a transcript, which details the courses they have completed and the grades they have received.

It's essential for homeschooled students to demonstrate their academic abilities and achievements through their application materials. This might include providing a comprehensive transcript, submitting standardized test scores (such as the SAT or ACT), and, in some cases, providing portfolios of work or taking subject-specific tests. Additionally, letters of recommendation and personal statements can help admissions officers understand the student's unique educational background and goals.

It's important for homeschooled students and their parents to research the specific admission requirements of the colleges they are interested in, as these requirements can vary. Some colleges may have specific guidelines or additional documentation for homeschooled applicants. Connecting with the admissions office of the colleges of interest can provide valuable information and guidance in this regard.

Overall, homeschooled students have successfully gained admission to a wide range of colleges and universities, and many institutions have policies and procedures in place to fairly evaluate the applications of homeschooled applicants.

If black women are the most educated group, then we can fix poor education rates in black children

If, as they say, that black women are the most educated group, then in 1 generation, black children should naturally become the most educated group, changing the stereotypes about what we can accomplish academically.

When we know better, we do better.

My youngest homeschooled child gets her college degree

Tomorrow I pack a bag and drive a couple of hours to my daughter's college.  I realize that is a short drive for an overnight stay but an intimate college has intimate ceremonies and that includes an event Friday night, and graduation Saturday morning... hence, hotel and overnight bag.

I dropped my daughter off at her college less than 4 years ago, my only daughter. It didn't take long for her to find me some more daughters for me to love. Not all survived the journey at this college, but tomorrow, I will be cheering for at least 4 graduates, not one. I love them all like they are my own... as a matter of fact, I spoke to one of them on the phone for over an hour today.  Two of the girls in particular, her besties, couldn't be more like her if I raised them myself. They are literally her left and right hands.  I pray that they stick together through all the good and bad that this world has to offer.  While my daughter is always my daughter first this trio she has created has me excited for what is to come next.

But back to my daughter.  This homeschooled kid (center), who the preschool teacher said could not learn to count, who the Kindergarten teacher said was too fidgety and that she would make a good athlete, who the first grade teacher insisted needed ritalin, who I decided to homeschool for her sanity, this kid, is finishing college before her 21st birthday.  This means she started college right after her 17th (summer birthday) and she will turn 21 while she is away at her internship this summer. She may not be Einstein, but she is graduating with a 3.67 GPA and in record time, as her last semester was merely a formality and at her pleasure. She had met the requirements for graduation in 7 semesters.

That is all.  My heart is full.

Oh good, I'm not dying

So apparently, my vitamin D level is very, very, very low.  That would explain the exhaustion and weakness.  I am taking supplements.  I have to follow up with a battery of other doctors I have been avoiding... yay.  I did get to the orthopedist who doesn't really know why my leg goes numb, but we will try physical therapy and see if there is a change.  (I have good insurance, so we can monkey around for a while, I guess).

Meanwhile, I really, really, really, really need to get this homeschool book done.  So many people are calling me for advice... and it seems black people are leaving the schools en-mass.  They are figuring out what I figured out a dozen or so years ago.  No child's best interest will ever be looked after... it is for the good of the group, which rarely serves individual.... and if you're black, it serves you even less.

Read: Young, Gifted, and Black, Prepare to fight for your education. 

Anniversary, Puerto Rico, Education, and Zika

No I don't have Zika... I don't think.  But according to the signs I passed at the airport, on my way out, I very well could and not know it.

Had I known about the possibility of Zika in Puerto Rico, I would have used more bug repellant while I was there, even though I am allergic to Deet.  Now I am using repellant to prevent getting bit at home so I am not personally responsible for brining Zika to GA and beyond. 

Other than that, celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary on a tropical island was fun. And pretty.  See. 

If you look, city is pretty apparent through the facade of resort. And if you know anything about Puerto Rico, things aren't going well for the people who live there. 

Much like New Orleans, Puerto Rico relies on tourism, but it is not pulling the numbers to keep it afloat. The US Territory is currently in the midst of bankruptcy.  (The US should be paying closer attention because this can happen to us). 

For years, Puerto Rico borrowed money by issuing municipal bonds, using the funds to compensate for declining government revenue and prevent deep cuts in services and layoffs of public workers. It easily found investors. ~ https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/business/dealbook/puerto-rico-debt-crisis-explained.html

The results is medical facilities and schools are closing. SCHOOLS ARE CLOSING.  Those locals who can, are leaving. The poor will be left destitute and in a 3rd World situation, if the US doesn't step in, and I doubt they will. We clearly get to take the resources and give nothing back.  As of today, it was announced, that more than 300 Puerto Rico schools will be closed by August. For reals. 

Parents are panicked! But us homeschooled mamas are like... hey... Yall need some curriculum?  The rules there are oppressive, but since they are closing actually schools, do they really care?  Won't they just rubberstamp the private school applications? 

I'm sitting over here trying to figure out how to bring homeschooling en-mass to the island without contacting Zika... I'm kinda serious.  Live on the beach... run a homeschool co-op.  Lean Spanish.  yeah. 

Where has the time gone, and where is it going?

Here is this morning's post from Facebook:

This kid is truly grown up and has 2-3 semesters left of college... if she chooses, she can sit out the last semester, because she would have met all the requirements to graduate... or she can relax and coast the last 2 semesters by taking the smallest work load as possible. There's also the option of turning her minor into a second major.

Here is what she looks like now:

She won't pose for photos anymore, so we rarely get full frontal face. We have to paparazzi her!

The man child is on his final full semester of college, then a couple of summer classes and done. College wasn't as easy for him, it took some work and growth, but his last two semesters were 4.0 so we feel like he's really got his legs under him now.  Oh you want a photo?  Let's see what I can dig up.

I lifted this from his Facebook page.  It is his self portrait... and with the exception of some beardage and the fact that he has changed his style of hat, this looks exactly like him. Including the annoyed gaze.

I'm excited to see what the future holds. 

This college thing is tricky for homeschoolers

All my kids' friends are college age right now.  Some about to graduate, and a few still to enter college. From my own kids' experience and observing and inquiring into the college journey of their homeschooled friends, I have come to the conclusion that college can be difficult for homeschoolers, and while many make it through completely unscathed, very many become disillusioned quite quickly and struggle or drop out.

Just starting with the fact that they are homeschooled and used to doing things in a way that makes sense to them and only them, bending to a teachers whims and quirks is off-putting and difficult to maneuver. In short, the freedom they experienced as homeschoolers, can cause problems when it disappears suddenly when they reach college. All of a sudden things that have never counted, and probably should not count are deal-breakers.  My own son was penalized greatly for things like, not using the plagarism check tool correctly and thus losing a grade point, not taking a screen shot of a completed test, and therefore failing an important test that the program somehow glitched and deleted, And while he was a genius (if I say so myself) at computer art, he had to prove himself in craftier art classes, and that didn't go well either.  It's all very confusing and can be unfair to these kids to jump through hoops that just don't make any sense at all.

Then there's the old college fit. We spend years perusing lists of homeschool friendly colleges, and finding a schools that feel like a good fit for the kids, only to find that our kids are unhappy.  That christian college we thought would nurture our kids doesn't quite feel so Christian in practice.  Those scholarships offered now have unreasonable strings attached. Or it could just be that since you and your kid were more inseparable than most mom-kid pairs, and now they are not happy not being home or not being with you.

The good news is that about 60 percent of homeschoolers I know, at least, have gone to and remained in the very same college they started in.  The rest either left altogether, or transferred at least once in their college career.  This percentage is no better or worse than the rest of the population though, so that's good.  Be encouraged.  College is a crap-shoot for everyone, it just feels more painful for homeschoolers when things aren't quite right because we tie our self worth as parents and homeschoolers to how our children fare when the leave the home.

So don't get freaked out if your kid asks to transfer at the end of their first or second semester.  Don't flip your lid if your kid fails or almost fails a class or two. Don't fall into despair if your kid tells you they don't want continue in college but instead want to get a job.  At the same time, don't rush to bring your kid home if he or she tells you they are struggling, and don't let them lay around and do nothing if they withdraw from school.  They are adults now. They have to have a game plan if they are not going to college, they have to be making forward progress.  

Finally, I said this before, but it surely needs repeating... don't tie your success as a homeschool parent to your kids' academic success post homeschooling. At the same time, don't lord you child's post homeschool success over other homeschoolers, because that's not fair either.  Just know that you did your best to bring out their best qualities, because as homeschoolers, that really is our goal isn't it?

Homeschool Classes and Homeschool Schools

I realize the title is a bit redundant, or perhaps more of an oxymoron, but homeschool classes and programs have been very valuable to us.

I feel  classes outside the home was the thing that we needed to give my daughter (especially) the extra boost to get into even her most far-reach college choice.  She was able to show that not only had she met the recommended academic guidelines to make her college ready, but that she had far exceeded it by taking as many elective classes as she did core classes.

Now classes outside the home are not for everyone.  There are certainly many pros and many cons.  I will list some of them for you.

Pros of outside classes:

Reference letters:  We had to find people to call on for academic and other references for college admissions and for internships and such.  The outside classes provided plenty of people to call on to help with these letters.

Mom is not the font of all knowledge.  In fact, I actually despised some of the subjects, and was glad

Trying to come up with field trip ideas for this year

In my last post I lamented about not having traveled enough and not taking my kids on enough field trips as a part of homeschooling.  Seeing as how it bothers me so much, I think I might do something about it this year.  This year we are taking a lot of days off to explore.  We may even get out of the country.  Now, I am not looking to fly off on cheap holidays to Egypt (only in my dreams) but I am wondering if I can raise funds to go on the European tour with the homeschool program.

Meanwhile, I am making a list of things we are definitely going to do this year: 

• Dragon*Con: The World's largest multi-media, popular culture convention, etc, etc,... in the universe.  The educational value for us is in the costuming tracks.  My daughter loves creating costumes and sewing. 
• JapanFest: Japanese Culture convention...  Girl loves Japanese culture
• New York: If we can't make the European Trip, this will be our consolation prize.  We will see at least two plays.  Hopefully Wicked and Book of Mormon, but we're not that picky. 
• High Museum: As many exhibits as we can stand

Thinking about:

• Washington DC
• Seeing a performance of Japanese Myths called Iwami Kagura

Can't think of anything else right now.  Can anyone come up with some fun and educational things to do in  the South-East?  I'm looking for Single day trips (Metro-Atlanta) and weekend trips mostly.

Leave a comment.

Homeschoolers and the GED

Transcript (summarized)

I just want to do a quick video about homeschoolers and the GED.

I hear a lot of people ask me how I prove that homeschooling is complete, that it is done, that the child has learned enough.  And when I answer that we look at what others are doing and what the colleges have done