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I'm very happy to finally find a forum that includes homeschooling, even if I am the first one to ask a question. My question is one that I hear quite often.

I have a son in third grade, a daughter in first grade and another daughter in K. Due to the variable quality of our teachers here in our district, I'm thinking of the homeschool option. I have the time since my husband has a great job and I don't have to work outside our home. I also majored in education in college but never got around to taking a full-time teaching job. In other words, I think I'd be very good teaching my children at home.

Here's my question--Do homeschooled children tend to be less well adjusted socially than regular school children? I'm concerned that being at home all day with relatively few outside contacts other than family would stunt their social growth.

I would appreciate hearing from other homeschooling parents out there who have addessed this issue. Thank you very much. You have a very lovely site. TNmom.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Sunday, September 02, 2001 - 02:51 pm: Edit

Hi, and welcome to collegeconfidential.com. I’m the guest moderator for the homeschool section of this website and am pleased to have a question to answer as this is the first day of operation for the homeschool area of the site. I know you asked for parental opinions, but I’d like to interject if I may. I’m a homeschooled senior entering my tenth semester of being educated at home. The balance of my educational career has been spent in public schools, so hopefully I can give some direction to you.

Yours is a legitimate concern. Homeschooled students by their very nature do not necessarily come in contact with peers or other adults on a day-to-day basis. Homeschool parents recognize this and try very hard to “correct” the problem. There are several things you could do to help your children learn to communicate with the world around them, it just takes a little effort on your part.

First and foremost, I would suggest finding a support group for homeschooling families in your area. These support groups typically meet once a month or so, and provide your children with some interaction with other homeschooled children. Many of these groups also put together classes (such as woodworking or art) or activities (field trips, sports, etc.) that are open for homeschool families to join and take part in.

Secondly, you could find activities outside the homeschool community. Local YMCA, community volunteer projects, part-time jobs when they are older, and athletic teams are all good examples of places to find social activities.

Finally, many public school districts allow homeschoolers to enroll in a class at the local public school while you teach your children the serious subjects. Classes I’ve seen friends take are keyboarding, gym, and foreign languages. Check with the local school district about that option.

All in all, there are things available out there. It may just take some research or organization on the homeschooling parent’s part.

By Domer97 on Saturday, September 08, 2001 - 11:45 am: Edit

Homeschool socialization - what a joke! If homeschool kids knew how to get along with other people, they would go to real schools like everyone else. There was a homeschooled kid on my floor freshman year. He had a single room, and kept the door closed 99% of the time. He thought football game days were great, because the dorm was empty and nobody bothered him.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Saturday, September 08, 2001 - 12:32 pm: Edit

One person doesn't make a trend or norm.

By George Meany on Saturday, September 08, 2001 - 07:06 pm: Edit

Hey, Domer. Did you ever consider that the homeschool kid may have kept his door shut because of YOU?

By PR Anon on Sunday, September 09, 2001 - 12:28 am: Edit

Nathan, you don't know me(only posted as anon), we have had many insightful conversations/arguments on the PR Board. I just want to tell you to keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Anon.

By Roger (Roger) on Sunday, September 09, 2001 - 08:53 am: Edit

Domer, not to pile on (to use a football metaphor!), but it's not possible to generalize from a sample of one. When I was in college, my roommate freshman year spent several hours a day computing baseball statistics, and rarely left the room except for classes. He went to a "regular" school, as you put it, and certainly exhibited socialization problems. I wouldn't extrapolate to the general case from him, and I wouldn't recommend you extrapolate from the odd homeschooled student you encountered.

By George Meany on Sunday, September 09, 2001 - 09:18 am: Edit

Roger, you might want to explain the word "extrapolate" to Domer. He may think that it means having an additional "polate" in reserve, as in "extra polate."

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Sunday, September 09, 2001 - 12:47 pm: Edit

Thank you for the encouragement, Anon. I will do my best. Have a happy Sunday afternoon.

By Linda H. on Monday, September 10, 2001 - 06:57 am: Edit

Nathan, I want to thank you for taking the time to answer questions here. You seem to be very poised and your responses are much better written than 99% of those I see from students on other forums dedicated to college issues. Please keep up the good work.

My question is about college counseling for homeschoolers. If homeschooling parents aren't college graduates or, even if they are, they don't know a lot about the college admissions situation, how does the homeschool student get effective college counseling? I mean, how can parents know to what level of college their child is qualified to apply?

More personally, how are YOU going to get the admissions advice you need? I guess a good start would be working with the people who run this website. LOL Thanks, Nathan.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Monday, September 10, 2001 - 02:07 pm: Edit

To answer your first question about college counseling for homeschoolers, you can get professional help from people like Dave Berry, but it isn’t always necessary. If you can write a good essay, and aren’t planning on applying to Tier 1 schools, I’d suggest trying to do as much as possible on your own. If you are thinking of Tier 1 schools, or highly competitive Tier 2s, consider consulting with someone like Dave.

When I first started my college search, I worried about how I was going to do it. I didn’t have the slightest clue where to start, where to end and what I needed to do. My parents weren’t of much help; they knew nothing of today’s admissions process.

So, I did my own research. I took an educated guess at what my SAT score would be, and worked from there. I went to sites like The Princeton Review, College Link, and US News. I plugged in the estimated test scores, the geographical locations I was interested in, as well as my intended major. I investigated further any school that came on the list; I’d either e-mail their admissions departments, or chatted with them on Online College Fair. I wound up researching several hundred school’s homeschool admissions requirements, which probably led, at least in part, to my position here, but this is an ineffective way for you to do the process.

If I were you, I’d sit down with your parents and answer six questions: 1. Your financial situation- how much are your parents willing to put up? 2. What are you willing to work for? 3. What are you/they willing to take in loans? 4. What might you expect in federal aid? 5. What do you want out of a college and life? 6. What region of the country do you want to limit yourself to? Once you have answered these six questions, you should begin what I call Phase One- the college search.

In your search, I would start by first eliminating the colleges that do not meet your answers to questions five and six. You will eliminate the most schools right off the bat in this manor. Once you have narrowed your list down to the schools that fit your personality and educational needs, you can start looking at financial issues. This is where things get trickier. Remember that the listed price tag isn’t necessarily what you are going to pay. Look for scholarships and need-based aid closely. When looking at academic scholarships, disregard any class rank requirements- that won’t be held against you. Once you have figured out whether you can afford the school or not, you can move on to Phase Two- the application process.

Phase Two requires you to e-mail, call, or chat (either on the school’s website, or on the likes of Online College Fair) with admissions counselors at the schools remaining on your list. Find out what their admissions criteria for homeschoolers are, request an application, and see what additional materials/tests are going to be required when you send in your application. If you meet their basic admissions criteria (you meet or exceed their college prep high school curriculum and have an SAT score in their range--preferably middle fifty percent or better), and feel comfortable fulfilling their application requirements, you probably have a match. At that point, I would consider applying.

I tell all my homeschool friends they should apply to a bunch of places--at least six, more if possible. It is nearly impossible to predict how a college will view a particular homeschooled applicant, thus the necessity of applying to a number of places. If you do your research correctly, you should get into at least a few, if not all of your choices.

Side note: There are many things you can be doing right now to help yourself get a head start on Phase Two--the application process, but I will have to cover that in another post as this is already over a page.

By momanon on Sunday, January 06, 2002 - 03:23 pm: Edit

Nathan, I'm curious about your planned graduation-related activities. Do homeschoolers participate in traditional rituals such as a graduation "ceremony," senior trip, or even a prom? Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question. I'm wondering if homeschoolers participate in these types of closure events.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Sunday, January 06, 2002 - 05:17 pm: Edit

Well, around where I live they do have a graduation ceremony and I think a prom. I haven't heard too much about it, but I do know it exists. I'm thinking of just skipping that stuff, as I only know a couple of seniors in the Cincinnati area.

By PaMom on Friday, January 11, 2002 - 10:02 am: Edit

Hi, Nathan. I'm from Pennsylvania and read in today's paper that our state legislature is considering a law that would require all school districts to allow homeschoolers to participate in all sports teams, clubs, and other extracurricular activities. I have two questions.

Are you aware of any other states where a law like this is in effect? Also, in your opinion, do you think that if such a law were passed it would lead to hard feelings between "regular" students and the homeschoolers? I'm thinking that the potential for some subtle forms of discrimination would be high. Thank you for answering my questions. I enjoy reading your thoughts about the issues here.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Friday, January 11, 2002 - 10:42 am: Edit

No, I am not aware of any such laws. Indeed, I know Ohio does not have such a law.

Your other question is very interesting. I was enrolled in the local public for the first semester of freshman year. During this time, I was on the wrestling team. Some of my teammates did not appreciate the fact that I had been previously homeschooled, and made it fairly evident. I think an actual homeschooled kid could have even more difficulty, especially if he beats out a public schooler for a coveted spot.

It is interesting to note that I left the public at the end of that first semester and was removed from the team by the district because I was not enrolled there. I think homeschoolers should have the opportunity to play if they so choose. No doubt some will be harassed and hazed, but those are the breaks. Our tax dollars go to support those teams, so why can’t we play on them?

By Sylvia Swan on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 - 08:12 pm: Edit

I just wanted to say homeschoolers shouldn't have to worry about getting into college. I got accepted to every college I applied to, and I was homeschooled my whole life. (Except for my senior year when I went to a private school) This is my first year at college, and last semester I got a 4.0. Not only that though, but I have a social life too!! I spend more time hanging out with friend and I know a few hundred people on campus. So don't say that homeschoolers don't know how to be social, because you have never met me! I LOVE being around people AND I know how to study!!!!

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Wednesday, January 30, 2002 - 11:51 am: Edit

From my research, I've come to find that if a homeschooler graduates from an accredited institution, such as a private school, colleges will be much more apt to accept your application and consider you a traditional applicant.

By Dadster on Wednesday, January 30, 2002 - 10:40 pm: Edit

Congratulations on your accomplishments, Sylvia. Do you think that last year at a private school was helpful?

By Madonna on Sunday, September 22, 2002 - 08:32 pm: Edit

I live in North Carolina. I have been home schooling since early on. I have one that will graduate this year. A friend of mine told me that a High Scool Home schooled senior need to get a GED as well to apply to the majority of colleges. Is this correct? Any insight would be appreciated.

By Dadster on Monday, September 23, 2002 - 12:05 am: Edit

Check with your colleges of interest. Some may require a GED, others may be fine with your standardized tests and your home school trancscript.