Beyond Homeschooling

Support lists
College
College and scholarship links
Military

ACT/SAT
Before signing up with an outside agency or school to take SATs or ACTs, check with your local military installation education office for their test administration schedule. Some education offices will refer questions about teens under the age of 18 to the local school, but some will allow graduates to take SATs or ACTs at the ed. center.
AP listings on high school transcripts: discussion
The abbreviation "AP" for advanced placement, is a registered trademark. If you haven't participated in an "AP" event, don't use the registered abbreviation.
Bill Clears Way for Government to Cut Back College Loans
New York Times article (may require subscribing to site)
College Admission for the Home-Schooler
As home schooling has become more widespread, college admission offices are seeing more applications from home-schooled students. But applying to college is still a little more complicated for a home-schooled student than for a student who attends high school.
The Portfolio
Standardized Tests
Getting to Know You
Finding Home-School-Friendly Colleges
A Final Thought
College Board
College Bound At Home
College Confidential
Information on college-related topics, from Ivy League admissions to evaluating college rankings, from college books and book reviews to college counseling and paying for a university education.
Diplomas and Transcripts
Factors in college admission of homeschooled teens:
-- SAT/ACT scores
-- transcript
-- GPA or courses completed
-- (if no GPA is submitted, academic scholarship awards may be affected)
-- application (including student essay)
-- references
-- information on 'artistic resumés' can be found on the Homeschool to College Issuing a homeschool diploma
National Survey of Student Engagement: Pocket Guide about college
Panicked Parents' guide to college admission

SAT: College qualification tests: Before signing up with an outside agency or school to take SATs or ACTs, check with your local installation education office for their test administration schedule.
Peterson's
Students Say Homeschooling Prepared Them For College
NewsChannel5's Debora Lee talked to two college students who got their elementary and secondary education at home in order to get their point of view on the homeschooling debate.
Test codes for homeschoolers:
SAT: 970000
ACT: 969-999
Washington Post:
Gauging, and Improving, How Colleges Teach (registration required)
Finding the Best, Not the Best-Known, Colleges
United States Naval Academy
Home Schooled Candidates
Homeschoolers and the United States Military Academy (West Point)

College and scholarship links (a very short list)

American Colleges and Universities
College Programs & Degree Info
Financial Aid Info Page
Financial Aid Eligibility Estimator
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
HOPE and Lifetime Learning Tax Credit
National Association of Student Aid Administrators
SuperCollege.com
Tuition Tax Credits and Deductions (Pub. 970)
US Dept. of Ed Aid Programs
Wachovia Education Finance Student Loan info

Military

Service Academies

USMA (West Point)
Academics, physical preparation (playing a sport), and leadership

Enlistment by Homeschooled Graduates

For quick information see: "Cut to the Chase" on the Recruiting and Enlistment page
Military service: officer/enlisted differences
Military service is not often the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about the aspirations of homeschooled children (even military Brats), but still, it is the choice of some. Because of the clash between the sometimes 'loose' homeschooling style, and the distinctly 'unloose' style of the military, homeschooled teens without college credit hours have found it difficult to enlist in the military. Some of those homeschooling parents took their concerns to HSLDA, and in 1998 an amendment to H.R. 3616, the Defense Authorization Bill, was made establishing a five-year pilot program to allow homeschooled graduates to enlist in the military services as Tier I recruits instead of Tier II recruits.** This amendment was not universally cheered in homeschooling circles.

Last year the study concluded, and in January of this year the study was published but was not available online until recently: Final Analysis of Evaluation of Homeschool and ChalleNGe Program Recruits. The results aren't what many expected. Homeschooled recruits do not have as good a record in completing initial enlistments, or in re-upping, as do high school graduates.

Because of the expense of training military recruits, "Attrition is costly to both the military and the taxpayer--estimated at $18,400 per premature separation in 1987 dollars (Laurence 1987)," the military services want to recruit the people who show the best record of returning value for the cost of training (i.e., they complete their enlistments, they re-up). It must be remembered that service in the military is not a right, it is a privilege. Because of the special nature of military service, restrictions are placed on the people who are allowed to join.

Concerning Tier assignment of homeschooled applicants, the report's recommendation is: "Given that tier placement is based on attrition rates, the data do not support considering ChalleNGe or homeschooled recruits on a par with high school diploma graduates or permanently placing these credentials in Tier 1." (page 51 of the report)

If a homeschooled teen wishes to join the service, and to be considered as Tier I, the chances of enlistment will be enhanced by taking college courses and accruing a minimum of 15 credit hours. Otherwise, check with a recruiter for the service under consideration. Other alternatives are to acquire a college degree and either enlist or be commissioned as an officer, or to seek admittance to one of the service academies. (see the College)

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**Tier II recruits are alternative-diploma holders, not drop-outs; Tier III persons are those who hold no secondary school diploma and, unless they have exceptionally high scores, are not recruited.

The misinformation on many homeschool websites about homeschoolers being 'discriminated against' concerning military recruitment was not 'discrimination.' The Tier II categorization was based on the military's experience with traditional high school graduates, non-traditional graduates and non-diploma holders (many of whom were probably drop-outs). If you want to play in the Establishment's game, you have to jump through the Establishment's hoops.
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