Busting Homeschooling Myths #8
Myth: Homeschooled kids don’t get into college.
Truth: Not only do colleges admit homeschoolers, some colleges actively recruit homeschoolers. (Don’t believe me? Check out this article from Business Insider.) Sure, the admissions process may look different for homeschooled kids, and parents will need to be aware of requirements and necessary application materials, but homeschooled kids most definitely get into college.
In some ways, homeschooled students are better prepared for higher learning than students from traditional schools. For starters, homeschooled students have more experience learning on their own, which is more important in college than in high school. In addition, many homeschooled students have more time to follow their passions and, as a result, they may be more accustomed to deep diving into topics of interest, which also translates well in academia.
My husband and I both have experience teaching students at the collegiate level, and our disappointment in student preparedness was one of the reasons we decided to homeschool our kids. We encountered too many students that didn’t know how to learn new material or how to study. Too many of our students focused only on learning what they would be tested on, not caring at all about whether or not they were actually learning the material and integrating it with their other studies. We wanted our children to be independent thinkers and lifelong learners, and we did not think putting them through a system grounded in standardized testing was the best way to achieve these goals.
Many people are daunted by the idea of homeschooling in high school, and I can empathize with this sentiment because the stakes seem higher than when you’re teaching elementary school. Rest assured, there are many resources available for homeschooling during the high school years, and once you actually take the first steps, you will be less intimidated by the prospect before you. Parents should be aware of admissions requirements for colleges that may be of interest, and students athletes will need to learn about the NCAA’s regulations. As always, it’s important to comply with state homeschooling laws.
The decision to homeschool in high school is not for every student (or parent), but those that pursue this path can be confident in knowing they will have plenty of opportunities to go on to college if they so choose.
