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College Prep

The following college prep posts offer insider tips for planning high school to seamlessly move from homeschool to college.

 

 

 

My College Road Map

Be sure to keep an eye out for my new college prep planner, My College Road Map, published by Apologia in 2019! It will help your children successfully travel the route from high school to college, giving them the best opportunity to thrive in school, their career, and life. While most college prep manuals are written to parents, My College Road Map is for the students. It imparts all your high schoolers need to know in a visually appealing, simplified planner. Think of this book as their: • 411 on Going to College • Year by Year High School Planner […]

Let them Go

College Prep: Let Them Go

After reading the past posts, you now know everything you need to know to help your homeschooled child find the college of his dreams. Whew! It’s been quite a journey, but you’ve been faithful and you’re almost there. Now it’s time to let them go. Sending a child off to college can seem like a scary thing. We as moms know there are potholes out there and lots of problems to be tackled. We wonder if our child is fully prepared. We know him better than anyone—his strengths and his weaknesses. And it’s those weaknesses that keep us up at […]

Easy Admission Essay

College Prep: Admissions Essay

It is my desire that this College Prep: Admissions Essay post will clear up the mystery of the dreaded college essay!It’s the one part of the college application that causes students the most stress. But it doesn’t have to. The purpose of the admissions essay is simply to: Get to know your child better Find out what makes your child tick Hear your child’s story Understand the “why” behind your child’s “what” No matter what anyone tells you, the essay is not the most important piece of the college admissions puzzle. It won’t make or break your child’s chances unless it’s horribly […]

Visiting Colleges

College Prep: Visiting Colleges

College visits are an important part of choosing the right school. They help your child get a feel for the campus, the students and professors, and the overall atmosphere of the institution. Visiting colleges inspires your child to finish strong while looking forward with anticipation to the day he moves into the dorm. My desire is that this post College Prep: Visiting Colleges will help prepare you and your child for the exciting adventure of college road trips! Start Early It’s best to visit all your child’s colleges of choice during his junior year. That way, if your child is […]

Paying for college

College Prep: Paying for College

Although we need to discuss transcripts, college essays, and some other important college admissions items, I want to jump ahead to this post, College Prep: Paying for College, because this topic is a concern for so many. If you are worried about paying for college, be aware that there are many ways to make it affordable. Talent Trap In an attempt to fund college, some parents focus on their child’s talent in hopes it will earn him a scholarship. There are several issues with this, the first being that the child may not want to play baseball or piano or […]

Portfolios

College Prep: Portfolios

Years ago, when homeschooling was new, colleges required personal interviews and thick portfolios outlining every detail of the homeschooled student’s high school coursework and experiences. Now that homeschooling is more mainstream, portfolios are no longer requested or required. However, in this post, College Prep: Portfolios, I’ll explain why they are still a good idea. Here are the three reasons your child should consider keeping a portfolio: Colleges might have some questions about a course or two on your child’s transcript. For example, they may want more information about the biology course your child took. If you have a well organized portfolio, […]

Test Prep

College Prep: Test Prep

In a recent survey, I asked homeschoolers and test prep teachers what the typical point increase was for students who took an actual SAT or ACT test prep course and for students who did not. The results were what I expected but not what is generally reported in the media.  Students who did not take a prep course, but rather prepared on their own using SAT/ACT prep books and online practice questions did not see an increase in their scores. It is usually reported that SAT prep increases a student’s score only by an average of 30 points. However it […]

Recommendation Letters

College Prep: Recommendation Letters

Most universities and scholarship boards require applicants to submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher. This can be tricky for homeschoolers since colleges do not want letters from parents. When my daughter began her college application process, she had never completed a class outside the home except for an online dual enrollment course through Liberty University. She was enrolled in classes her senior year but barely knew the instructors when she started applying to colleges. My daughter ended up asking for letters of recommendation from her ballet instructors and mock trial coaches. It’s important to begin thinking early about […]

SAT Subject Tests

College Prep: SAT Subject Tests

Like AP exams, colleges put a lot of stock in the SAT Subject Tests, sometimes known as the SAT II tests. In fact, some Ivy League and top tier universities require at least two SAT Subject Tests to be taken before a student is even eligible to apply to that university.  Like CLEP, the SAT Subject Tests were created by the College Board to assess college level knowledge of a subject. Also like CLEP, colleges are often willing to grant credit if a student scores well on the SAT II exams.  If your child is strong in a particular subject, […]

CLEP or Not

College Prep: CLEP or Not?

CLEP has become quite popular in the homeschool community. You may be wondering, “What is CLEP?” Should I consider it for my child? In this post, College Prep: CLEP or Not? I’ll share the upside and downside of CLEP in college admissions. CLEP is a test created by the College Board to assess college level knowledge of a subject. It’s called the College Level Examination Program. Essentially, if your child knows a subject well enough to pass the test, he can earn college credit for that subject. When is CLEP a good option? If your child is highly motivated and eager […]

Dual Enrollment

College Prep: Dual Enrollment

Now it’s time to talk about College Prep: Dual Enrollment. But what exactly is dual enrollment? It’s when a high school student takes college courses while in high school. The student is enrolled in both high school and college at the same time and the classes count for both high school and college credit. Dual enrollment puts your child’s transcript through the rigor test that colleges use to evaluate the difficulty of high school work. It beefs up the high school transcript and lends credibility to your child’s homeschool GPA. Dual enrollment also gives your child a head start on […]

AP Anyone?

College Prep: AP Anyone?

In this post College Prep: AP Anyone? I’m giving away one of the secrets to wooing those admissions counselors and luring in an acceptance letter from the college of your child’s dreams. For academic hopefuls, the junior year matters. Time to spit shine that transcript! My daughter never took an AP class until her senior year. In 11th grade, she was still planning to be a professional ballerina. College wasn’t even on the radar. Thus, she crammed four AP classes into her senior year (two were taken online). It would have been easier for her to do two her junior year […]

Standing Out

College Prep: 9 Ways to Stand Out in College Admissions

In the last blog, we talked about depth—not breadth—when pursuing extra curricular activities. In this one, College Prep: Standing Out, we’re going to talk about ways to get noticed in college admissions. Commitment, leadership, and long-term involvement are what colleges like to see. Homeschooled students have the rare opportunity to become experts in the fields that interest them. Don’t let your child settle for a typical education. Encourage him to specialize in one or two areas, making him stand out from the crowd. This will definitely get the attention of college counselors. What are some ways your child can stand out […]

Be Unique

College Prep: Be Unique!

Be Unique! Colleges look for students that “stand out” from among other applicants. They’re interested in those they feel will enhance their school and campus. That’s not to say a “typical” student can’t get in, but it helps to show that your child is special and can offer something unique to the student body and to the school itself.  The most important way to stand out is to prove commitment through long term involvement in an extra curricular activity, passion, or interest. This means your child shows dedication that goes beyond participation. Think depth, not breadth. Colleges don’t want to see […]

SAT or ACT

College Prep: SAT vs. ACT

So you know your child will need to take college entrance exams as part of the college admissions process, but which test should he take and when? This post, College Prep: SAT vs. ACT, explains the similarities and differences of the tests to help you think through which test is best for your child. The SAT and the ACT are the two main exams your child will need to take. The tests are more similar than before since the SAT was redesigned in 2016, but there are some differences you should know about to help decide which is best for your […]

Think Extracurricular

College Prep: Think Extracurricular

Colleges love extracurricular activities. So shouldn’t my child do as many as possible to impress the admissions committee? That seems to make sense but it’s not the case. Think not too many, not too few. Depth not breadth. Ultimately, do what you love in a way that shows the colleges the unique person you are. Have your student participate in activities that not only interest him but ones in which he can make a difference. Some examples include: scouts, clubs, sports, music, dance, and community service. Look for opportunities that enable your child to acquire and demonstrate leadership skills. This […]

College

College Prep: Great Transcripts

Ideally,  ninth grade is the time to begin mapping out the courses your child will need in high school to graduate with a great college prep transcript.  It’s okay to begin thinking through the courses in eighth grade or even later than ninth grade. My older daughter decided she wanted to go to college in January of her 11th grade year. So we began the process then. Though we had to play catch up, it was not a big deal and she ended up getting into an extremely competitive college on scholarship. Pulling together a college transcript can be done at […]

8th Grade Counts

College Prep: 8th Grade Counts

Jumping through hoops. Yep. That’s what it boils down to. Navigating the road from high school to college can be tough. You’ve been told it’s easy. You’ve been told it’s hard. You’ve been encouraged. You’ve been discouraged. You’ve been given information. You’ve been given misinformation. Well now it’s time for the truth.  But let me warn you—next year the truth may change. Yes. The hoops change positions all the time. Sometimes hoops are taken down and replaced by other hoops. But here’s the good news:  Getting your homeschooled child into college is not difficult—it just requires knowing what hoops to […]