Homeschooled Applicants Attractive to Top Liberal Arts Colleges, Admission Officers Say

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Homeschooled Applicants Attractive to Top Liberal Arts Colleges, Admission Officers Say
December 19, 2005
By Jen Lehner

When homeschooling became a major movement in American education, college-bound homeschoolers faced a rigid application process designed to evaluate students from traditional high schools—not to mention colleges and universities skeptical of their preparation.

A generation later, homeschoolers have become highly desirable as applicants to some of the best institutions of higher learning, although they should be prepared to provide special information to admission officers.

“Homeschooled students, by and large, are a liberal arts college’s dream,” says Sabena Moretz-Van Namen, associate director of admission at the University of Richmond. “We want more students who think outside the box and color outside the lines. Homeschoolers often have developed into self-directed learners. Traditional high school students sometimes lack that trait.”

Richmond, a highly selective, top-tier liberal arts university with 3,000 undergraduates, has eight students who were homeschooled for at least their senior year of high school.

According to Moretz-Van Namen, self-direction allows many homeschoolers an easier transition into college academic work than that experienced by graduates of traditional high schools.

“In college, it’s not about following directions,” she explains. “It’s about figuring out a whole new path.”

Sherie Mungo, a Richmond freshman, was homeschooled her entire life. She became interested in attending the university for several reasons, including its significant study-abroad opportunities, generous financial aid programs and beautiful campus. Mungo says the move from homeschooling into college challenged her, but no more than most other first-year students.

“My adjustment process has been the same, I think, as all other freshman—new place, new experience, freedom from parents, heavier workload,” says Mungo. “From what I have seen and heard, I have the same issues as a freshman coming from public or private school.”

Richmond junior Kristin Greenholt says she knows other homeschoolers who had a difficult transition into college life, but it was not a challenge for her.

“Socially, I was every bit as apt as my peers, and academically, I was more individually motivated than a lot of them,” Greenholt said. “I was used to managing my own schedule, assignments and work.”

However, Moretz-Van Namen says not every homeschooled student is ready for admission to any college. “Admission officers have to look at homeschoolers with a lot of care” and homeschooled students should plan to compile the information colleges need to make an admission decision. She says a thorough record of all courses completed is fundamental, so that colleges can be sure homeschooled applicants have a well-rounded education.

The admission experience of homeschooled Richmond undergraduates provides additional tips.

After finishing her high school education two years early, Taylor Campbell attended a community college for two years before enrolling at Richmond. He and his mother found they needed to do work that traditional schools perform for their students applying to colleges.

“Since I didn’t have a high-school counselor, we had to create the transcript and letters ourselves,” Campbell said. “But my mom kept good records, so it wasn’t a problem.”

Greenholt suggests that homeschooled applicants “write good essays, apply on time, be organized, take standardized tests seriously, make sure your recommendations are from people other than your parents who know you and your abilities well, and have a well balanced high school experience.”

Younger homeschoolers who think they are college-bound should plan to demonstrate the same academic, extra-curricular and leadership skills that colleges require of all applicants, regardless of background.

Moretz-Van Namen urges homeschoolers to work with subjects in which they lack interest or talent. She said that by challenging themselves with difficult subjects, students grow academically.

“It’s like cross-training,” she said. “Even if you’re a really slow runner, you have to cross train.”

Mungo recommends community involvement, volunteering and taking courses at local community colleges.

Although homeschooled applicants face a unique set of application circumstances, they can compete successfully for college admission.

“Don’t be afraid to take the leap into college. We homeschoolers can hold our own,” Mungo says.