applying to college without a lot of documentation

[Only me]

After looking after some of these college application threads I think I may be in trouble. It has been a very difficult couple of years medically for my 17 year old dd and quite frankly for me too (I have chronic pain and fibromyalgia). Anyway, now that dd is doing great we are looking towards the future. I know that we should have done this earlier but quite honestly up until this year we were just trying to get by.

 

I don't know if things have changed or if I just somehow misunderstood a few things but I thought that all dd needed to apply to a college was taking the appropriate courses during high school with good grades and a good ACT. I didn't realize that we would have to submit a lot of paper work other than her transcript and ACT scores and for a few colleges an essay. Now I've read about people sending in 24 pages of documentation with the common app, counselor recommendations, copies of tests and lab reports, etc.

 

DD will most likely go to a community college next year so most likely it won't matter but now I'm worried if she does decide to go to a 4 year that we won't have the proper documentation. We are signed up with Homelife Academy and had planned about using them for her diploma but quite honestly I'm not sure if it matters. Will the colleges still require more information even if she gets a diploma with Homelife?

 

I think part of the problem is that that we don't require any documentation in the state I am in so I have never had to worry about portfolios, etc. Really the only information I have kept is the list of curriculum we have used and grades that my daughter received in each class. I haven't kept most of her tests or lab reports, etc.

 

She did go to a private school last year so I do have their documentation and she is currently taking a few classes at the community college so I will also have that.

 

Is there anything that I can do now? Should I be worried about this?

Edited November 1, 2012 by hpymomof3

[ThisIsTheDay]

Two of the state universities dd applied to don't require the extra documentation. I'm sending it because, when I asked, one school told me they are always glad to receive any additional information about any applicnt (homeschooled or not).

 

She's also applying to two private schools, and I am not sure of their preference. I don't think anything is specifically on their websites, but I'll be sending along my extra documentation. I have it, and it won't hurt dd's chances.

 

For the large majority of schools, I'm sure your dd will be fine, and I wouldn't give it another thought. If you have a specific school/schools in mind, give them a call. I *hate* calling, but I've found everyone very friendly and willing to help.

[Barbara H]

Once you get past the most selective schools, the vast majority of state universities and private schools do not expect that much. For most kids the bigger reason to care about documentation is just to make sure they are really meeting high school requirements, to keep their options for more selective schools open and to better position for merit scholarships.

 

Is your daughter a junior? If so, you may want to go ahead now and look at the Common Application and the homeschool supplement. https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/DownloadForms /2013/2013HomeSchool_download.pdf It'll give you an idea what is expected. Not every school takes the Common Application but this gives you a pretty good ballpark idea. The main things your daughter is likely to need are: ACT or SAT scores, recommendations from people who are not a family members, a list of her activities, an essay, and a transcript. The transcript can be a parent issued single page transcript that lists courses and grades.

[creekland]

From top schools to state schools we have never needed extra documentation - not even course descriptions. My two older boys had high ACT stats, but not terribly high compared to their schools (top 25%).

 

We sent in applications (complete with essays), letters of recommendation from cc profs, and a signed, homemade transcript.

[SkateLeft]

It really depends on the schools, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

None of the engineering schools that my daughter applied to required the Common App, and none of them have really asked for anything other than her test scores, high school transcript and dual enrollment transcript. We've needed letters of recommendation and essays for scholarship applications, but that's about it.

[SharoninTennessee]

If you're with Homelife Academy, she'll be considered a private school student and not a homeschooler. We're also with Homelife and my daughter graduated last year. This year she's going to a community college and she's already applied to go to a state school next year. For both, all they needed was the Homelife transcript.

[TravelingChris]

I didn't send in any course descriptions anywhere- none required it and nobody really wanted them. I got both of my kids into lots of colleges, all had lots of merit scholarships. With the second, yes, we did do the counselor letter and the school profile since some of her colleges wanted the Common COre. The college she decided to attend just needed a transcript and a ACT test score. I didn't need to do anything special.

[Lolly]

Unless she is trying to get into very selective schools, you are fine. Transcript to show she has taken the required classes and ACT/SAT scores at a level required for that particular school are all most schools require. Some also want a recommendation letter and an essay.

[QueenCat]

Mine have HomeLife Academy diplomas. The diploma, transcript and the ACT was all they needed for state schools.

Full merit scholarships based on the above.