AMDG+

Dear Parent;

As a parent who homeschooled through high school, you have my sympathies. So many rumors circulate about what is possible post-high school and what isn't that it can be confusing.

Yes, many Catholic homeschoolers transitioning from high school use the GED. Graduates have used the GED, in conjunction with SAT/ACT scores and without, as a springboard into the armed forces, vocational schools, community colleges, and university. But the GED is by no means the only option available to homeschoolers.

It is not at all uncommon for homeschoolers with diplomas from their own homeschool, and no GED, to be accepted into college or university, with financial aid.

Catholic homeschoolers for years have been accepted without accredited diplomas, not only at noted institutions like Franciscan University of Steubenville and Thomas Aquinas College, but in secular colleges across the United States and Canada. In place of a diploma, institutions may measure ability by PSAT, SAT, and ACT scores, and gather information on student coursework, transcripts, accomplishment, and community volunteer activity documented in portfolios provided by the family. While admission requirements differ among colleges, both Canadian and U.S. homeschooled students are routinely accepted into college based on these test scores and family-provided proof of education.

U.S. and Canadian universities also accept students who, instead of presenting a high school diploma, demonstrate their ability to compete at college level by successfully completing a few classes at a local community college before transitioning to university.

An 'activity and project' portfolio is an effective means of documenting accomplishment not only to a potential employer, but also for high school graduation and community college admissions, coupled with SAT/ACT scores. [Colleges often view an impressive history of volunteer service in the community and other significant experiential education, coupled with average SAT/ACT scores, as favorably as high SAT/ACT scores coupled with little or no community service or activity.]

Thus, Catholic homeschooling students have numerous, routinely used options for demonstrating completion of high school requirements and readiness for college or career, including the earning of an accredited diploma, but also through testing [SAT, ACT, GED], community college classwork, and apprenticeships. Remember that an accredited diploma alone is no guarantee that a student will be accepted by a college; conversely, the student with solid SAT scores and a portfolio brimming with evidence of a motivated young adult will likely be welcomed at university, diploma or not.

To go 'straight to the top,' browse through Stanford University's website and view their admissions requirements for homeschoolers. Essentially, most universities, including Stanford, ask simply that students keep and provide a detailed description of their high school curriculum, but neither require that students 'follow a prescribed or approved home-schooling program' nor provide 'formal transcripts.'

Rather than formal transcripts and diplomas, most colleges and universities look instead at a prospective student's SAT and ACT scores, and for a 'clear sense of intellectual growth and a quest for knowledge.' Stanford goes so far as to state that homeschooled students sometimes have a potential advantage over non-homeschooled students, as they have enjoyed the freedom to pursue their own, independent course of study.

Nevertheless, students who prefer to do so may earn an accredited diploma, using CHC's High School of Your Dreams program, under the 'umbrella' of Clonlara School, or North Atlantic Regional High School. High School of Your Dreams' required subjects for high school graduation match Clonlara requirements. North Atlantic Regional High School's course requirements differ slightly but, since they require significantly fewer hours and credits, utilizing High School of Your Dreams' program to earn NARHS's diploma is equally simple. Both Clonlara and North Atlantic Regional High School are completely compatible with the format, freedoms, and flexibility afforded by High School of Your Dreams, but with diploma added.

For students who wish to earn a diploma from Clonlara or NARHS, these organizations do charge an annual fee, and a have a few additional requirements including portfolios and documentation of hours earned through High School of Your Dreams.

May Our Lord bless and guide you through these last few years of homeschooling.

Nancy Nicholson