Okay, so “home” schooled students typically spend a lot of time in genuinely social contexts, often playing with friends for long stretches of time, in contrast with the faux “socialization” common in traditional school of “learning” how to sit still and do what you’re told, with an occasional break for a short and highly controlled recess. And homeschooled students often are capable of profound academic advancement in far less time relative to a typical classroom, because they are not wasting vast amounts of time queuing up, shuffling about, and either feeling bored because they’re ahead or struggling because they’re behind.
But what about college? What do homeschooled students do about college admissions without an “official” high school transcript? Recently a friend, new to homeschooling, asked me about this, and I gave a bad answer. I thought colleges mostly would care about things like ACT scores and AP test results, but they seem to care more about getting a transcript generated by a parent that tracks the student’s classes. I now know this because I asked a number of Colorado colleges to describe what they’re looking for from a homeschooled student.
What became clear in reading the replies is that applying to college as a homeschooled student is very doable. Moreover, high school students have various other options that give them more autonomy and independence than a traditional school.
College is optional
Before I get into college admissions, I want to emphasize that college is not for everyone. Further, most people who go to college do not need to go to a highly prestigious one. While I went to an expensive private college and majored in College Debt, my wife went to Metro State, where she got an economic yet excellent education and a pathway to a successful career.
According to Salary.com the average Colorado plumber makes $66,000 per year; the average electrician makes $58,000. By way of comparison, the median household income (where many households have two earners) is $89,000, says the Census Bureau. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts “that about 60 percent of new jobs in the economy will be in occupations that don’t typically require” a college degree. Many of those jobs pay relatively well. Certification programs are available for various careers including computer coding.
Recently I watched the 2020 documentary Chasing Childhood, and one theme of the film is that many kids are overstressed because of the pressure to “perform” academically and prepare for a top college. One woman featured in the film followed that track, went to college and suffered anxiety and substance abuse, then dropped out to finally find her calling as a pastry chef.
So I definitely don’t want to imply that every child needs to go to college or needs to go to a highly ranked college. Every child has different values, interests, strengths, and weaknesses. The best thing about homeschooling is that it can be tailored to a child’s specific needs and goals.
What follows is for those students who do decide to pursue college.
What Colorado colleges say about admissions
I sent out queries to various colleges and got replies from several (see the complete text at my web site).
Colorado College replied, “A parent generated transcript would be sufficient in most cases. We are test optional; while students can choose to submit AP scores, they do not have a significant effect on the larger application process. If a student chooses to take college courses while in high school, we will need the college transcript as well as any other high school transcripts.”
Colorado State University replied, “We give parents of homeschooled children a lot of latitude. The only thing we ask for is a transcript that you generate with a list of classes for each semester, or year, and a grade for each. We do not need descriptions of each class or samples of work. We trust that you, as the parent, have evaluated their work and given them a fair grade, but if you want to include extra information, that is fine, especially if the class title isn’t a standard one, like Algebra I, Biology, etc. We are test optional, so we do not use SAT/ACT test scores during our admissions process, but students can submit them, and we will use them as supplemental information, which is especially nice for homeschooled students. It is a great idea for homeschooled students to take dual enrollment classes at a community college because this gives us another measure of their abilities that is more objective. We do not require college transcripts in order to make an admissions decision, but it is very helpful. Same with AP scores—not necessary but they will help us get a better picture of your student.”
Fort Lewis College, the University of Denver, and Adams State also replied (I’ll include any additions on my web page). Different colleges have different policies, and policies can change over time.
Alternatives for high school students
Students can enroll in various private “umbrella” schools that handle transcripts. Most of these students consider themselves “homeschoolers” even though, technically, they are enrolled in a private school so far as the state is concerned. A special section of statutes exists for those who want to officially homeschool per the state, as my family does.
Another interesting option is Colorado Early Colleges, a network of charter schools that specializes in placing high school students in community college classes. Students who go through CEC can earn a high school degree along with transferable college credit. A representative said that a motivated and prepared student who spends four years at CEC typically can manage to come out the other end with an associate’s degree. That sounds to me like a great option for students ready for the coursework.
The upshot is that homeschoolers, and students in homeschool-like and other alternative environments, need not fear college admissions. Nor do they need to fear moving on with life without college, if that course better suits them. To adapt a line from John Denver, nontraditional students have found a key for every door.
Ari Armstrong writes regularly for Complete Colorado and is the author of books about Ayn Rand, Harry Potter, and classical liberalism. He can be reached at ari at ariarmstrong dot com.
