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 Read More
Category: College Prep
The following college prep posts offer insider tips for planning high school to seamlessly move from homeschool to college.
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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. Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More