How Does Home Schooling Affect College Admissions and Applications?

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Question

"How does being homeschooled [affect] college admissions and applications?"

What About Getting Into College?

It's pretty easy to get an ACT score that will get you into BYU or another good college. When I took the LSAT and Dan took the GMAT, we buckled down and studied hard; then took the test and did well. We studied to the test and it worked. Have confidence that if your kids are motivated, they can do this too. (My siblings and I are 5/5 with scores that get us into BYU/BYU-I). Don't stress, your kids will do it too.

Applying to BYU

In applying to BYU, there are certain boxes you can check. Some of these involve sports teams, art competitions, performing in plays etc. All of these are things a homeschooler can do. Yes, you will want to be involved in things outside home, and yes, you'll want to be able to check those boxes. You do not have any GPA to put in unless your child does an accredited BYU program or other high school program at home.

Do I think that's to your disadvantage? I really don't. It's just one less thing for the committee to go off. They are familiar with home school students and honestly, they like them. I went in to talk to a counselor about choosing a major. He stopped me mid-sentence and asked "Were you home schooled?" I told him "Yes, how did your know?" He replied, "I can always tell the home schoolers, they have such an enthusiasm for life and learning."

One last thought about applications. You have so many unique and varied experiences because of the time you've had to explore your interests. My essay rocked because I could talk about the entreprenurial adventure of renovating mobile homes. The essay referenced the putrid smell of 3 month old milk in the fridge and the hard work of laying carpet. Discerning character of renters and the incredible hard work and determination was definitely a highlight. I had something incredible to write about and lots of time to perfect the essay.

How Will They Succeed in College? ​

It took me a quiz/test or two to understand what the teachers were looking for in my first American Heritage class at BYU, but overall teachers are testing over what they've taught or the information that is in the textbook. My love of learning and ability to think were FAR more influential than the raw dates and facts I knew going into college. Because I loved learning, I graduated with honors, wrote a 60 page honors thesis, was published in the pre-law review, sat on the honors council, was the president of Bright Ideas for BYUSA, sat on BYU's Student Body Council, TAed two 300-level classes, and was awarded an ORCA grant. I don't say any of that to brag, but I feel like I have a duty to stand as a testament that home schooling works! My siblings and many other kids I know have been wildly successful in college and gone on to do great things. When your kids are interviewed for jobs, their enthusiasm for learning and ability to think and solve problems comes through. Ivy-league schools know this, and in a TED talk they showed examples of Ivy-league schools' websites (including Harvard) who state that it is to your ADVANTAGE to be homeschooled.