Homeschool Mom Q&A: What About College?

Have you heard the rumors that some colleges are actually seeking homeschool graduates for enrollment? It’s true. Spartanburg Methodist College is an institution that actively promotes homeschooled student enrollment and they have graciously sponsored this post. 

 

My son is almost 15 years old.

He is technically a freshman in high school, although his courses include 7th grade to college level content.

As we navigate these high school homeschool waters, I find I am asked one question over and over again by well-meaning family, friends and fellow homeschoolers.

What about college?

I understand the question. I asked the same one for years. In fact, when we first started homeschooling, I was certain I would need to put my boys back in school for their teenage years, in order for them to be able to go to college.

I ignored the question for a while.

But then, as my oldest completed seventh and eventually eighth grade, it felt like an hour-glass had been turned over and a clock was ticking in the background.

Tick-tock. High school’s coming. Tick-tock. What about college?

Homeschool Mom Q&A: What About College?

With some trepidation, I started doing a little research about not only homeschooling high school, but college requirements and standards. The good news is, not only is homeschooling through high school doable, it’s actually desirable for many students and many colleges. Here’s what I learned –

Homeschooling High School With College In Mind

Resources Are Plentiful

When I actually started looking for resources to help with our high school and ultimately college prep, I was surprised at how much help is available. There are Facebook groups, entire websites, transcript templates and plenty of homeschooling families with great advice at our disposable with just a few clicks.

As I downloaded sample transcripts and began really thinking about how to help my son navigate the next four years, one thing was abundantly clear – we needed a plan.

A Plan Matters

Just like my son would likely sit down with a school guidance counselor to discuss options for course selection and college requirements, he needed to do the same with me. We completed this in August and it was a wonderful afternoon for us. We started off by reviewing the following (all of which was easily searchable online):

  • Our State’s High Graduation Requirements
  • Community College Requirements For Admission
  • State College Requirements
  • Four Year Private University Requirements

This allowed us to begin to plan his high school years with the end in mind. My son is not certain he wants to attend college, but he does want to keep his options open. Because of this desire, he and I created a year by year course plan to meet college entrance requirements.

It’s Not Has Hard As I Thought It Would Be

Once we had the plan in place, it was easy to just get back to our normal homeschool life. My son is working through the different subject requirements in the much the same way as before. The only difference is that I am collecting information and completed course work a bit differently, in order to complete his transcript and eventually, create a sample portfolio for any college requesting it.

Colleges Are More Accustomed To This Than We Think

The biggest relief in all of this has been the realization that colleges are much more familiar with and accepting of homeschooled graduates. Because so many of us have made and are making the decision to homeschool our children, colleges are prepared to work with and accept homeschool graduates. Many university websites include application and admissions processes specifically for homeschooled students. Even better, many colleges feel homeschooled students make excellent additions to their student body and actively recruit homeschooled graduates. Spartanburg Methodist College is one of them.

Spartanburg Methodist College is a private, two-year residential college located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. One of the only colleges of its kind, SMC offers a liberal arts education exclusively for freshmen and sophomore students in a Christian-centered environment open to students of all religious and nonreligious backgrounds. The college serves 800 students in a small, supportive community focused on helping students successfully transition from high school to college.

I love this concept and am genuinely impressed with all Spartanburg Methodist College has to offer. For more information, please take a look at the following links:

Or, hear it directly from other homeschooled students, who attend Spartanburg Methodist College.

https://youtu.be/4w4M_efri4g

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