s/o: getting it done with a "mommy diploma"

[Halftime Hope]

This purpose of this thread is to address the question of whether you need a diploma from an accredited program to achieve the college dream your student has.

 

Could you indulge me and put a subject line on your post that will tell us which way you lean? How about "Accredited Needed" or "Mommy Diploma Got it Done"

 

Clearly, there are some undergrad programs for which an accredited diploma is a requirement; I remember threads in which ppl were asking about NARS for that reason.

 

Others of us have had great success just with our students' own record and achievements.

 

Share your experience, pls.

[dirty ethel rackham]

My son's high school education was a mish-mash of self-study with my guidance, online classes, college classes at a local liberal arts college, and small co-ops (like 3 families). I wrote detailed course descriptions that listed books/materials used. Nobody questioned anything. My son's high test scores and AP/College classes helped him get significant merit money and entrance into a prestigious honors Biology program at a liberal arts college (not the same one where he took classes in high school. )

[Halftime Hope]

Corroborating data:

(to accompany the mommy diploma)

high GPA

high SAT, although not stratospheric

21 hours of dual credit at the local state uni, not the CC

stellar recommendations

plenty of leadership and volunteer hours, though rather narrowly focused in an area which some might not appreciate

 

Results:

 

- full-ride, plus enough to cover a semester abroad or some other enriching program of the student's choice at the local state univ

- full-tuition at a regionally well-respected LAC

- named scholarship that covered > 75% tuition at another nationally-known LAC

- highest possible merit scholarships everywhere else, stacked with other $

 

Interestingly, the dollar figures of all the awards were in the same ballpark.

 

Please note, we believe that these results were a provision for her from a loving God; none of this could have been achieved without His blessing and her diligence.

[Gwen in VA]

Mommy diploma

 

But the mommy diploma came with "outside verification" -- AP scores, SAT-2 scores, outside classes (including some at the local 4-year college), and strong SAT scores. (And lots of cool EC's)

 

We were very happy with the college results.

 

AND we had complete freedom to do what we wanted academically!

Edited August 1, 2012 by Gwen in VA

[8filltheheart]

Older kids have all graduated w/mommy diplomas and I have no plan on changing that path w/the remainder. ;)

[FaithManor]

DD applied to 12 uni's and all but two were tier 1 schools. She was accepted at every one of them on my mommy diploma. Our local CC's aren't worth attending and their credits do not transfer because of that so we did not use dual enrollment nor did we do any online classes. It was ALL mommy taught. She did have three science AP's with fives. I wrote course descriptions and included text/curriculum and reading lists as well.

 

The AP's and ACT score corroborated the program and her extracurriculars were excellent. She had letters of reference from several professionals, one veterinarian, one employer, our pastor, a NASA engineer, and a representative of World Gospel Mission verifying volunteer work she had been involved with at elementary schools at a reservation. The NASA engineer wrote in reference to her "Right Stuff Award" from Space Camp and some pretty impressive abilities she displayed in a mission simulator as crew commander of the group.

 

I know that there are probably uni's out there that want something "certified". We just never encountered any and what we are seeing ahead for the ds's is that the schools they are looking at will not have an issue with a mommy diploma so long as there are at least two AP's, the ACT generally lines up with the grades given, and we issue course descriptions plus have good extra-curriculars.

 

Faith

[Kareni]

Another home made diploma here.

 

Mommy diploma

 

But the mommy diploma came with "outside verification" -- AP scores, SAT-2 scores, outside classes (including some at the local 4-year college), and strong SAT scores. (And lots of cool EC's)

 

Almost the same story here though my daughter's outside classes were taken at a homeschooling center, at the local community college, and one was done online using PA Homeschoolers. There were no really cool extra-curriculars (unless you count loom beading); however, my daughter did work for several summers at an organic farm run by the local food bank and staffed by low income and at-risk youth.

 

She applied to ten colleges was denied at one (Ivy league), wait listed at another, and accepted by eight. She currently attends a fairly selective liberal arts college.

 

No high school accreditation was needed here.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Brenda in MA]

My son applied to and was accepted by 8 unis (7 privates & 1 state) with a home-made transcript.

 

He had high ACT scores, a couple of SAT2s, and 2 DE classes at the local CC. Everything else was done at home. He had a couple of extracurriculars, with one that showed leadership ability.

 

Brenda

[Miss Marple]

Mommy diploma has been fine so far :) - more important than the diploma were the standardized test scores and the concurrent courses taken. I think those backed up the diploma nicely.

[creekland]

Mommy diploma worked for both my older two boys with only one semi-issue from Pittsburgh. Pitt sent a letter saying they wanted a third party transcript, but then accepted my guy w/merit aid before we got a chance to withdraw our application. Middle son opted not to go there (not his first choice), so I'm unsure what they would have wanted afterward. It was pretty confusing. Check into it further if you're interested in PA State related schools (Penn St, Pitt, Temple).

 

Otherwise, oldest had a mommy diploma and one English cc course (A) senior year along with a high ACT. He wanted a Christian college and had no problem.

 

Middle had a mommy diploma, Microbio and Effective Speaking at cc junior year, English senior year (all As), Stats AP (5) junior year, Psych AP (5, but not known at application time) senior year and a very high ACT score. He only applied to secular schools - got into 5 all with merit aid and was waitlisted at 1 - did not accept a spot on the waitlist since he is going to a school he really wanted to attend.

[In The Great White North]

Ds was accepted to four out of four colleges with 1 local high school course and 1 AP test and his mommy diploma.

[Tarreymere]

Our local public school district has two public high schools and neither of them is accredited. No one questions those grads, and there is no outside corroboration of the grades those schools issue, no 'guarantees' or third-party oversight.

 

You can check the accreditation status of your local schools at the website of the accrediting body for your area. For me, this is Middle States and my local public school district is Crawford Central, and our two public high schools are Meadville Senior High and Cochranton High School. Middle States confirmed that neither of these high schools are accredited.

 

I'm waiting for the lawsuit that is inevitable. Maybe some homeschool grad lawyer will take this on pro bono, since it is clear that graduates from nonaccredited public schools receive different treatment than homeschool and private school grads without accreditation.

[Maura in NY]

1st choice school - University of Notre Dame

Mommy grades, mommy transcript, mommy course descriptions, reading list, activities "resume"

Supporting data included NMSF (well, semi-finalist at time of application)

SAT & ACT scores in top 25% of school's stats (except math, which was in the 50% bracket for the SAT)

SAT II scores in Bio, Spanish & US History -- all required by ND at the time (these scores were not 800s -- high 600, low 700)

He was taking 2 PA Homeschoolers APs his senior year, but no scores at application

 

In addition to the test score corroboration, I think recommendations letters and a solid extra curricular list were important. (BTW, he didn't cure cancer or write a novel. Just consistent involvement in community and club activities, with service and leadership highlighted).

 

He applied to 10 schools and was turned down by Princeton, waitlisted by W&M. All the schools he was accepted to, including a state school (SUNY Geneseo) offered merit aid. (Well, strictly speaking, ND doesn't do merit aid, but it amounted to the same thing). No full rides -- more in the $20K to $35K range.

 

Just another data point. HTH

 

Maura

[Maryalice]

I think that the better title should be "parent issued transcript and diploma". No one actually has a diploma when they are applying for colleges. :-)

 

4 parent issued transcripts (diplomas were printed but never used for anything)

all accepted to college of their choice

 

maryalice - PA