Homeschooling with college in mind

[alicai]

I am so delighted that someone suggested I visit the college board. So encouraging to hear these wonderful success stories! I've been learning a great deal reading these threads, but I must confess that it also feels terribly intimidating. For those of you with kids in and beyond college, I would love it if you would share with me your homeschooling approach and what you felt was most important/helpful/essential in helping your child to achieve admittance and, particularly, significant scholarships? We will need them.  I'm also very interested in hearing from those who were preparing for STEM programs, as I know I'm going to have at least one who is seriously into science. Thank you!

[Gwen in VA]

That's a very broad question! I'd say you should just poke around on the board -- many of these concerns have come up time and time again on this board.

 

Please do know that it is VERY possible to give your kid a first-class education through homeschooling and have your kid admitted to a top-notch college -- sometimes (depending on the college) even with VERY significant merit aid.

 

Enjoy the journey!

[Jen in NY]

My advice, as I watch my 2nd kid amass a pile of college supplies on the floor, is to foster curiosity. Your kids are still young, and they will lead the way for you to some extent. Take them places. Visit the local university (if you are lucky enough to have one) on demonstration days or for lectures... show them what grown-ups do. Subscribe to National Geographic. Is there a local astronomy, plant, bird, fossil, (insert your interest here) club in your area that is welcoming to kids from 4-94? Tag along. Join for good. Watch Cosmos. Give your kids the gift of solid math and writing skills. See what percolates and let them explore something in depth.

 

That's all I got. Enjoy the ride!! If you are very lucky like me, you will find that it ends too quickly. :)

[creekland]

I don't have a lot of time, but yes, foster curiosity!

 

While doing so, be absolutely certain math skills are solid - esp Algebra skills.  It's ok to go at their own pace as many science lovers are also good at math and pick up on it quickly, but be sure they understand what they are doing, not missing things.  Most science types will make it through the first course in Calc while in high school.  They may wish to repeat it in college to have a more firm foundation.  It will depend upon the student.

 

Take a variety of science classes.  The knowledge learned is never wasted even if it's a Bio class for a potential Physics major or vice versa.  Follow rabbit trails often.  Dig deeper.  Enjoy learning.  It's not homework.  It's only work if you don't like what you are doing.  There may be boring bits, but overall, they should enjoy discovery.

 

Writing counts too.  Science folks read/write quite a bit, and not all science related.

 

And I'll say it even if others disagree... spending time prepping for the major tests (SAT/ACT - whichever your student does better on) is well worth it.  It not only helps acceptance, it's a biggie for most merit aid.

 

Then there are extra curriculars.  Let them find something they love and delve into it - the options are endless as to what that something can be.  My guys used chess, travel, scuba, and Christian youth group activities.

[creekland]

Oh, and go online to a .gov site (now) and figure out your estimated EFC using numbers that are realistic.  If that number is affordable, then you don't necessarily need just merit aid.  There are some schools that are super good with need-based aid if you get in.  Sticker price is not always sticker price unless your EFC is higher than that cost.

 

You could also find some schools and run numbers on their Net Price Calculators.  It will give you an idea.  If you have desired schools in mind, use those.  If not, pick your state flagship and compare it with schools like the University of Rochester or MIT or smaller schools like Juniata, Franklin & Marshall, or Muhlenburg to see what the numbers are.  

 

Having an idea at this point is important.  Are you heading solely for merit aid?  There are schools for that if scores are high enough.  (U Alabama and Pitt tend to be great for high scores.)  Is need-based aid enough?  There are schools for that too.  Is your state flagship an affordable option?  For many, they are great choices.  But until you know rough numbers, it's all a guessing game.

[alicai]

Thank you, that's great information. I absolutely believe in the importance of fostering curiosity and try to do that. I guess it just doesn't feel like enough? I think it's hard coming from a schooled background imagining how we connect the dots between what we do now and all the content knowledge/scores we'd need for merit aid in college admissions. It's ironic - we chose and continued homeschooling for the sake of learning in a natural, fun way very differently from school, and now it's hard to conceive of the idea that that could just . . . work. I was telling my dh about all of this today and he finally said, "Maybe they aren't doing anything crazy to achieve this outcome. Maybe that's just what comes of homeschooling."  That thought kind of rocked my perspective.  Still, it's a nice touchstone when others can share the steps along the path.

[Lori D.]

….  I was telling my dh about all of this today and he finally said, "Maybe they aren't doing anything crazy to achieve this outcome. Maybe that's just what comes of homeschooling."  

 

YES! I absolutely agree with this! I'm convinced this is how our DSs earned scholarships. :)

 

 

The economy, college costs/admissions, and college alternatives (ex: the introduction of and rapid increase in online classes and distance learning) have changed so drastically in the past 8 years, that much of what would have been helpful advice back then is no longer so applicable to today's situation.

 

I'm guessing that you will find that whatever specific advice we were to offer you right now, will not be so applicable in 8 years when you are sending your oldest child off to college, or other post-high school option that may be available by then. ;)

 

Advice I would give for the *current* economy and college situation, for a families with *current* high school students:

 

- score in the top 99% on the PSAT in 11th grade to become a National Merit finalist (earn a possible NM scholarship $$ or scholarship from a college for NM students)

- score high on ACT/SAT in high school (so, do test prep and practice, or hire a tutor/take a test prep class)

- extracurriculars and volunteer hours (many merit scholarships are based around an activity or want community service)

- apply to well-endowed schools that have a lot of money for merit aid (many state universities have very little merit aid)

- if you have a good community college (CC) nearby and the credits from the CC transfer to many 4-year schools, consider doing the first 2 years of college at the less expensive CC and then transfer and finish the last 2 years at the 4-year school (reducing the higher tuition & room & board costs to just 2 years)

- CLEP tests and AP tests taken in high school are granted college credit for gen. ed. courses at some 4-year schools, which can reduce overall time (and thus, cost) at a 4-year school

- consider dual enrollment (take college courses while in high school and earn BOTH high school AND college credit for the same course) -- some school districts have free or low-cost dual enrollment tuition, and often the credits transfer and count towards a 4-year degree!

 

 

So, if some of that continues to hold true, if we work backwards, some things you could do now with your 9yo (I think 6yo and 2yo is too young to worry about it yet, other than to save what you can for them for college in an interest-bearing account that protects against taxes until withdrawal):

 

The big three to do all through the years:

1. Read -- read lots, read widely, read-alouds all the way to college… and then read some more!

2. Discuss -- talk about everything -- why? how? what was the consequence? what did you think about _____, and why?

3. Explore -- allow lots of time for exploration, experimentation, and bunny trails; turn off the TV and computer, get outside, regularly explore nature / science / the arts, take field trips, build / make / create things, encourage imaginative play (which builds thinking and other skills)...

 

After the big three (in no particular order):

- Writing -- for success in any future college; but also for college admissions and scholarship essays

- Public speaking/Speech & Debate -- encourages logical thinking and writing, expressing yourself clearly and eloquently (think college and job interviews!), develops skills of organization, confidence, responsibility, self-learning for research, etc. which are all critical for success in college

- Critical Thinking/Logic -- do a wide variety of thinking puzzles, games, activities, etc. to encourage analysis/logic skills

- Annual Testing -- do test prep booklets, learn the tips/tricks to testing, get comfortable with/excel at timed standardized tests to be able to jump those testing hoops in high school with ease to earn merit $$

- Extracurriculars -- opens the door to possible life-long interests for a student; many scholarships stem from participation in specific types of extracurriculars

- Life Experiences -- volunteer; start/run your own teen business; travel; short term missions or volunteering in a foreign country and experience other cultures, gap year, etc. -- these experiences help a student "stand out" for college admissions and scholarship $$

[8filltheheart]

For those of you with kids in and beyond college, I would love it if you would share with me your homeschooling approach and what you felt was most important/helpful/essential in helping your child to achieve admittance and, particularly, significant scholarships? ...........

 

I'm also very interested in hearing from those who were preparing for STEM programs

I think your dh has a lot of insight! :) Our homeschool approach is absolutely nothing like ps or school at home. We are very interest driven in our household. With children the ages of your kids, thinking about college admissions and scholarships would not even enter my mind. My dd (#5 out our 8) is going into 11th in the fall and this is when I start getting serious about thinking about them. My #1 priority when my kids are young is providing a solid education. I just don't happen to believe that a solid education resembles what they do in ps! :) Our oldest ds is a successful chemE. Our dd is a COTA (certified occupational therapy assistant). Our youngest ds is attending college on full scholarship and double or triple majoring (I can't keep up with his decisions!) in physics and math (100% positive about them) and electrical engineering (the one I am not sure about.) His goal is a PhD in physics (100% positive about that one, too! :) ) All of them are pursuing exactly what they wanted to do and their paths completely suit their personalities.

 

You do not need to lose sight of

I absolutely believe in the importance of fostering curiosity and try to do that. I guess it just doesn't feel like enough? ........ It's ironic - we chose and continued homeschooling for the sake of learning in a natural, fun way very differently from school, and now it's hard to conceive of the idea that that could just . . . work.

for them to be highly successful students who have both solid academics and bright futures. Here are a couple of threads you might be interested in reading. (Caution, the CIRCE thread is novel length!)

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/173293-interest-driven-education-and-real-tea-time/

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/359457-how-does-one-provide-a-classical-education-circe-institute-lovers/

 

I have a gazillion posts on different things we do in our homeschool. Here is 1 tidbit that you might find interesting--my kids have been completely prepared for science majors and never opened a science textbook until they needed one for a high school credit. :) No formal labs or lab reports prior to high school either. Science is one of those interest driven subjects in our house and my kids love science. (Well, let me qualify that statement. My rising 11th grader used to love science. She no longer does. High school textbook science destroyed that love. But she is a language lover and STEM was not ever going to be her career.)

 

HTH

[JennW in SoCal]

Thank you, that's great information. I absolutely believe in the importance of fostering curiosity and try to do that. I guess it just doesn't feel like enough? I think it's hard coming from a schooled background imagining how we connect the dots between what we do now and all the content knowledge/scores we'd need for merit aid in college admissions. It's ironic - we chose and continued homeschooling for the sake of learning in a natural, fun way very differently from school, and now it's hard to conceive of the idea that that could just . . . work. I was telling my dh about all of this today and he finally said, "Maybe they aren't doing anything crazy to achieve this outcome. Maybe that's just what comes of homeschooling."  That thought kind of rocked my perspective.  Still, it's a nice touchstone when others can share the steps along the path.

 

Just echoing what the others veterans have to say in reply to your questions. We didn't do anything crazy to achieve the successful outcomes of our kids.  We read books, watched lots of science documentaries and shows, went to museums, plays and lectures, observed nature, played with legos and science kits and talked about anything and everything. Sure we worked on math and writing, but the most important thing we did was to give both kids a chance to pursue their interests in depth, and to make learning about discovery rather than being about following a scope and sequence and worrying about tests and other output. We did this all the way through high school. One ds is gainfully employed in a dream career, the other is a very successful STEM major who not only has a nice merit scholarship but who has been earning money since his freshman year as a research assistant, TA and tutor.

 

You've heard the Mark Twain quote, "Don't let schooling interfere with your education"?  Embrace it. Live by it!

[Lori D.]

PS -- I will just add one other realistic thought about merit aid; while a number of students from WTM boards HAVE earned full-tuition scholarships, more realistically, most students tend to receive partial scholarships, so you really do need to have a plan for somehow funding at least some of college yourselves or be realistic that your student may need to take on a REASONABLE amount of student debt.

 

Typically, merit scholarships tend to cover 25-50% of tuition. There is then the rest of tuition to cover, plus:

 

- room & board (typical dorm & meal plan = $8K-10K/year)

- books (STEM fields typically run more, anywhere from $600-1200/year)

- activity fee, wi-fi/connection fee, health fee, other fees (plan on $500+/year)

- transportation costs (parking fee and gas for a car, or, bus pass -- plan on at least $600/year)

 

So merit aid will cover part -- sometimes all -- of tuition, but all of the res of the costs (above) have to come out of the family pocket.

 

That's what all our educational savings (started before DSs were even born), have been going towards, in spite of merit scholarships. Last year's transfer scholarship covered about 50% of tuition (due to having an extremely high GPA from his years at the community college), this year, DS was able to renew that transfer scholarship (which is great, since many transfer scholarships are one-time awards), AND he got a second scholarship in exchange for working with campus life leadership, so about 75-80% of tuition is covered this year.

[G5052]

PS -- I will just add one other realistic thought about merit aid; while a number of students from WTM boards HAVE earned full-tuition scholarships, more realistically, most students tend to receive partial scholarships, so you really do need to have a plan for somehow funding at least some of college yourselves or be realistic that your student may need to take on a REASONABLE amount of student debt.

 

Typically, merit scholarships tend to cover 25-50% of tuition. 

 

This thread was on my mind with that very issue.

 

My oldest came out very well on the SAT with a rigorous transcript and solid activities. Because I have a wide network in both the public and private schools, I know that he got one of the top PSAT scores in our county. He just missed National Merit (high scoring state).

 

We always put him into the most difficult coursework we could manage. He did some online, some with me, and some dual enrollment.

 

We did several last-minute fall applications to selective schools to "see." I was very clear that we were not committing to those schools but would take what they came back with into consideration.

 

He got into all of them and the BEST merit package was 25%.  I asked for a review and provided more background, and it didn't get much better.

 

We applied for several local scholarships, but they didn't come close to hitting the target we wanted.

 

He wants minimal if any loans. Our family finances look good on paper, but even when I let the schools know of broader circumstances, it didn't really help.

 

We had a sit-down, and he decided that he really wanted to attend the local community college. He's involved in some local things that he doesn't want to give up, and the program there transfers easily to a 4-year school that is in the top 25 for his major.  So the decision was made.

 

We got busy and put in for merit aid there, keeping in mind that 80% of their aid is need-based.  And he got one of their top merit scholarships that offers some great networking opportunities. What we'll owe now is very doable and allows us a little more flexibility financially than I had hoped.

 

And have we got a bit of flack over this? Well, yes, of course. Some people feel that high-potential kids should go away no matter what. We have friends who are signing up for loans of $20,000+/year for their offspring, draining their home equity, and stopping any saving for retirement.  That's fine if they are comfortable with that, but we are not.

 

He's good though, and I'm good. And that's all that counts!

[alicai]

Thank you for all these wonderful replies! I so appreciate it. We do have a savings plan for college so we will have some funds to contribute, but you know how it is when you're single income, and we live in an expensive area. I paid for my own college education and graduated with debt that I'm still paying off so I would like to avoid that as much as possible for the kids, but realistically they will likely need some loans. 

[8filltheheart]

It really depends on where you apply. There are several schools with full tuition scholarships based just on test scores and gpa. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html#latest