One tip to getting a good scholarship is to give college exactly what they want. The happier you make the college, the more they like your student. That means they may give you money in scholarships! Here is Ann's recent experience:
Recently, Ethan received a letter from the Dean of Admissions at CCSU. It said his application was important to them, and they wanted to interview him. We didn't know what to make of that, but if I understood Ethan correctly, he interviews students who he thinks might have challenges making the transition to college (he is interested in improving the graduation rate at the school). He wondered if it would be a big change for Ethan to go from homeschool to a school of 12,000 students, but said the music department is small and tends to be close-'knit, so the adjustment may be easier. I think he was just curious about homeschooling-he said CCSU and another state college have received many applications from homeschoolers this year, and he complemented Ethan a few times (then me, too, after the interview) on our records. I would not have had homeschool records like that without your training and assistance, so I need to pass that complement on to you! He wanted to show the records to others in the department, and said something along the lines of what one of the admissions counselors you dealt with said-something about wishing he got more than a transcript from other students as well. I got the impression that he was very curious about homeschoolers, probably because of all the applications he's been receiving.
~ Ann in CT
In Ann's experience, the college seemed to have questions about socialization. They wanted an interview to see if the student would be able to transition from homeschool to a large university. Some people don't understand that homeschool students are wonderfully socialized!
When I read that, I'll admit I felt some frustration with this college. When I went to the University of Washington, I did know a student who completely fell apart when faced with the large class sizes. She was a public school student, but from a rural district with a graduating class size under 30. It wasn't because she was homeschooled! But look at Ann's great response. She doesn't get self-'righteous and up-'in-'arms. She gives the college what they want - an interview. Naturally her son has no trouble, and passes that test with flying colors.
In Ann's experience, they were extremely grateful for her thorough documentation. Using examples from the Comprehensive Record Solution, Ann created great course descriptions for every class. They were thoroughly read and evaluated. One college my children applied to said, "I wish all the public school kids had to provide these course descriptions. They come to the university with four years of English but they can hardly read and write! I've always wondered what they were supposed to be learning in those classes!" And here, in Ann's experience, another college has a similar feeling. They LOVED having the extra documentation. Yes, it takes some efforts to create course descriptions, but it's worth it.
Give the college what they want. Unless they are asking you to do something against your values, bow to their preferences and give them what they want.
About The Author:
Lee Binz, The HomeScholar, helps parents homeschool for high school and is a leading internet home school resource helping parents homeschool to college. You can find Lee online at http://www.thehomescholar.com/ and can email her at [email protected]
