From Homeschool to College, An Expert Opinion

 I recently had the opportunity to be a podcast guest with Lauren Gaggioli at Higher Scores Test Prep.

 Lauren introduced the podcast by saying this:

 Karen shares her tips on how to prepare homeschooled children for the college admission process. While Karen’s tips are great advice for the homeschooling families in our audience, she shares great tips that – frankly – all families (even traditionally schooled ones) will benefit from. 

Can Homeschoolers Get into College?

Can home educated students get into college?

Can I Write a Letter of Recommendation to Colleges for My Student??

 

Part of the college application process involves asking for letters of recommendation from school counselors, teachers, and other people who know the student well.

Homeschool students often run into the problem of who to ask for a letter of recommendation.  If students have been involved in co-op classes, dual credit classes, music lessons, or community service, they should have plenty of choices for letters of recommendation.

Can you, the parent/teacher/counselor write a letter of recommendation for your own child? 

College Applications: Now We Wait

Even though I have been silent lately on my son's college application process, it doesn't mean he hasn't been busy.

He has applied to:

National Merit Commended Student

 Friday, we received notification in the mail that our son, Jesse, has been named a National Merit Commended Student.  

This was not a surprise to us since we have gone through the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying process five other times and have a good idea of what score is needed to achieve this.  Based on his PSAT selection index score, we knew it was not high enough to qualify as  a Semi-Finalist in Texas (selection index 218) , but would qualify for Commended status.  We are proud of his accomplishment.




What is a National Merit Commended Student?

College Admissions Essay

 
In the mail today, I was excited to receive my review copy of  Admissions Essay Boot Camp: How to Write Your Way into the Elite College of Your Dreams.

I don't think my son has elite colleges in his dreams, but it is always a good idea to write an excellent essay, so I was interested to see if this book would give us any new insight.

College Applications and Your Internet Presence

Another topic often discussed at college 'preview' days is your internet presence.

College admissions officers always stress to students to make sure the information they share on the internet via social networking (Facebook, Instagram, etc) is something they would want a potential college choice to know.

As one admissions officer shared, "If you wouldn't want your grandmother to know, don't post it on the internet."

Everything you post tells something about you. 

College and Scholarship Applications: Keeping Up With the Details

If your college-bound student is interested in several potential schools, keeping track of application deadlines, possible scholarships, and required admission qualifications can become confusing.

Our recent visit to Southern Methodist University netted two very helpful forms to assist students in keeping all their college and scholarship information sorted.