Sebastian (a lady) Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 On the Common App, Worcester asks students if they were homeschooled. If you check Yes, then two more questions appear. The first asks how many years you were homeschooled. The second question is "Will you receive a high school diploma, certificate of program completion or GED?" how would you answer that? Our state doesn't issue state diplomas to homeschoolers and doesn't have any kind of a certificate of program completion or letter of equivalence. I have a question pending to their admissions office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 I would answer it yes. My child receives a high school diploma from me, not the state. It does not ask if they will receive a state issued high school diploma. That said, I don't do the common ap, so I should probably go away now. :leaving: 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Diploma. It doesn't ask if you will get a diploma from the state. Just issue one from your homeschool. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 High School Diploma. In the state of Texas, homeschools are considered private schools and as such, we issue our own diploma. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted October 30, 2015 Author Share Posted October 30, 2015 I'm probably over thinking this. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 I'm probably over thinking this. I don't think you are. They grouped high school diploma, which you can issue yourself, with two things that you can't issue yourself. The intent of the question seems to be to find out if the student will receive official outside verification of high school completion (or equivalent, in the case of the GED). I'll be interested to find out what the admissions office has to say. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 On the Common App, Worcester asks students if they were homeschooled. If you check Yes, then two more questions appear. The first asks how many years you were homeschooled. The second question is "Will you receive a high school diploma, certificate of program completion or GED?" how would you answer that? Our state doesn't issue state diplomas to homeschoolers and doesn't have any kind of a certificate of program completion or letter of equivalence. I have a question pending to their admissions office. Does your state issue state diplomas to non-homeschoolers? Ours does not. There are requirements but they don't issue the diploma. So if I were applying for a homeschooled child here in WA, I would say unequivocally "yes". I would issue the diploma in accordance with the legal code regarding graduation requirements and transcripts. I would only consider "no" if I intended not to fulfill my state's requirements, either bureaucratic or academic or otherwise. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugs Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Yes, diploma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted October 30, 2015 Author Share Posted October 30, 2015 Does your state issue state diplomas to non-homeschoolers? Ours does not. There are requirements but they don't issue the diploma. So if I were applying for a homeschooled child here in WA, I would say unequivocally "yes". I would issue the diploma in accordance with the legal code regarding graduation requirements and transcripts. I would only consider "no" if I intended not to fulfill my state's requirements, either bureaucratic or academic or otherwise. Actually in Hawaii there is one statewide school district. So diplomas do come from the State (vice a local school district). Unfortunately I hadn't noticed this question when I traded emails with them last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 I'm pretty sure I answered this yes, after much consideration and a few inquiries. Mass. doesn't issue diplomas or certificates of completion, but Mass. law says I can issue a diploma, and I have, so I answered yes. It is a really confusing question and I still don't really know if I answered it correctly. It didn't cause any problems with any applications, though, so I guess my answer worked. My son applied to in state and out of state public and private colleges. Nobody objected. Nan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Yes, ds got a diploma. I created it all by myself. :thumbup1: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 I think I would say yes. Homeschool students get a diploma from the same place they get their official transcript. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 I also answered yes. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 "Yes". My homeschooled students have earned, and will be issue by my homeschool, a high school diploma that certifies that they have completed the prescribed course of study. ETA: I do not believe my state issues diplomas to public or private school students either - the diploma is issued by the school. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 I would answer "I will receive a high school diploma". A high school diploma can be issued by homeschoolers, even if the state doesn't recognize it, yes? On the Common App, Worcester asks students if they were homeschooled. If you check Yes, then two more questions appear. The first asks how many years you were homeschooled. The second question is "Will you receive a high school diploma, certificate of program completion or GED?" how would you answer that? Our state doesn't issue state diplomas to homeschoolers and doesn't have any kind of a certificate of program completion or letter of equivalence. I have a question pending to their admissions office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justkeepswimming Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Absolutely yes. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 I would answer yes, but then I'd also be researching what various college requirements are for your state! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Diploma--no question in my mind. I issued my oldest a diploma, and will issue my youngest one as well. A certificate of program completion is what a student earns who is not able to take regular high school level classes. And a GED isn't needed unless the student doesn't finish high school for some reason. (I had a friend use that option for one of her kids.) Unless there is some kind of oversight, I'm not sure who else would issue the diploma...but at least in our state, we have the authority :-). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 My homeschooled students have earned, and will be issue by my homeschool, a high school diploma that certifies that they have completed the prescribed course of study. Part of the Graduation Requirements section in my school profile states: Florida public high school students are required to complete the following years of study in order to receive a diploma: English (4), Math (4), Science (3), Social Science (3), Fine Arts (1), Physical Education (1), and Electives (8). Since <dc> has been in compliance with homeschooling law and has exceeded the requirements for a public high school diploma, we will have no hesitation in conferring his high school diploma on June 5, 2014. (thanks Kareni ;)) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Add another yes from here - and no real problems. (Pitt had minor issues, but still accepted him with merit aid - and now our state laws have changed so Pitt accepts homeschool diplomas the same as ps varieties.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Yes, and as another person said the school administrators issue diplomas not the state so a ps or private diploma does not look or function any differently from the one I issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 So I got a note back from WPI admissions saying to go ahead and mark Yes and that he would put the amplifying info from my email with the file. I think that the CA counselor information will more than cover this but it does argue for explaining even what you this is somewhat obvious just so it is down on paper for admissions to have. I spend so much time with homeschoolers that I forget that it's unusual. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Actually in Hawaii there is one statewide school district. So diplomas do come from the State (vice a local school district). Unfortunately I hadn't noticed this question when I traded emails with them last week. Oh. That does complicate things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 So I got a note back from WPI admissions saying to go ahead and mark Yes and that he would put the amplifying info from my email with the file. I think that the CA counselor information will more than cover this but it does argue for explaining even what you this is somewhat obvious just so it is down on paper for admissions to have. I spend so much time with homeschoolers that I forget that it's unusual. Ahhh, this is WPI. Last year they had this same question on their homeschool supplement that I had to send in via email (but it wasn't on the Common App). I answered it this way: "[student's name] received a high school diploma issued by our homeschool." It must have worked because he got in and is there right now! They were very understanding about homeschooling in all of my and my son's dealings with them. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 WPI has at least one, possibly more, admissions counselors for the homeschoolers. We found them very straightforward about answering questions, even ones that involved helping us assess risk factors. I would consider them very homeschool friendly, but they are friendly in the we-have-a-policy-for-dealing-with-homeschoolers way, not a we-treat-homeschoolers-exactly-like-public-schoolers way. People who prefer the second might not consider them friendly. Some of the other tech colleges treated us exactly like public schoolers. I tend to think of "Worcester" as meaning Worcester State, and "Worcester Poly" as meaning WPI, or I would have answered more surely. (Can you tell I am from Mass. lol?) Nan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Ahhh, this is WPI. Last year they had this same question on their homeschool supplement that I had to send in via email (but it wasn't on the Common App). I answered it this way: "[student's name] received a high school diploma issued by our homeschool." It must have worked because he got in and is there right now! They were very understanding about homeschooling in all of my and my son's dealings with them. Good luck! EKS - How is he liking it? Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 EKS - How is he liking it? Nan It is the perfect fit. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 I tend to think of "Worcester" as meaning Worcester State, and "Worcester Poly" as meaning WPI, or I would have answered more surely. Same here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 It is the perfect fit. :) Is he liking having terms rather than semesters? Make sure he knows about ISPs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 WPI has at least one, possibly more, admissions counselors for the homeschoolers. We found them very straightforward about answering questions, even ones that involved helping us assess risk factors. I would consider them very homeschool friendly, but they are friendly in the we-have-a-policy-for-dealing-with-homeschoolers way, not a we-treat-homeschoolers-exactly-like-public-schoolers way. People who prefer the second might not consider them friendly. Some of the other tech colleges treated us exactly like public schoolers. I tend to think of "Worcester" as meaning Worcester State, and "Worcester Poly" as meaning WPI, or I would have answered more surely. (Can you tell I am from Mass. lol?) Nan So far, I've been delighted with the fact that questions I've asked on a Friday afternoon in Hawaii have been answered by noon on Saturday. Twice. That is some dedication and responsiveness that I don't assume. I also have gotten the impression that they are willing to look at what is submitted and consider the picture it paints of the student, rather than insisting that an application look one way (and not know what to do with a non-traditional applicant). The difference between WPI and Drexel feels significant. By contrast with the quick turn around from WPI, Drexel took many weeks to tell me what their revised policy for homeschooler applications was (a couple weeks past the End of August timeline they'd given me at the beginning of August). And then the revised policy seemed just as rigid as the previous one. [And as of Nov 1, they still don't have this "revised" policy on their admissions website.] One school left me thinking that my student would be considered fairly as a potential college student. The other left me with a very different impression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 That,s interesting. My student thought Drexel was too far from home, so we never looked at them, despite people telling us it might be a good fit. WPI had no trouble dealing with a nontrad student. I told them what I had for documentation. Then they told me what they needed me to do to that so they could figure out what they needed to. It was really straightfoward. Not like a few other colleges that either wouldn,t talk to me, the guidance counselor, and/or wanted to play guessing games. They were great with my student, too. They are tiny and expensive and their admissions process reflected that. Nan ETA RPI also was easy. Youngest filled out their short form and was in. No fuss, no muss, nothing individual but apparently it wasn,t needed, unlike WPI, which was looking at a whole lot more factors. I think they probably have to, since their academic format is a bit different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 That,s interesting. My student thought Drexel was too far from home, so we never looked at them, despite people telling us it might be a good fit. WPI had no trouble dealing with a nontrad student. I told them what I had for documentation. Then they told me what they needed me to do to that so they could figure out what they needed to. It was really straightfoward. Not like a few other colleges that either wouldn,t talk to me, the guidance counselor, and/or wanted to play guessing games. They were great with my student, too. They are tiny and expensive and their admissions process reflected that. Nan ETA RPI also was easy. Youngest filled out their short form and was in. No fuss, no muss, nothing individual but apparently it wasn,t needed, unlike WPI, which was looking at a whole lot more factors. I think they probably have to, since their academic format is a bit different. It's funny what people consider too far. So much comes down to expectation and perspective. If we lived in DC, VA Tech would be about the same distance as Worcester to Philly. I would consider VA Tech as having ds in school nearby, even though it's too far to come home for dinner. From our point of view, Hawaii to Philadelphia and Hawaii to Worcester are pretty much the same thing. There's a pretty good chance that we will end up with kids on both coasts with us in Hawaii. I'll need to make sure my airline miles accounts are up to date. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 On my school profile (following the examples sent to me by other boardies) I stated that: 1. we were in compliance with our State Homeschooling Law XYZ - easily verifiable with test records and registration with regional education district, and 2. we had exceeded the state's requirements for a high school diploma - state's requirement and our projected outcome listed "Therefore, we are confident in issuing a high school diploma to ds on projected graduation date." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 It's funny what people consider too far. So much comes down to expectation and perspective. If we lived in DC, VA Tech would be about the same distance as Worcester to Philly. I would consider VA Tech as having ds in school nearby, even though it's too far to come home for dinner. From our point of view, Hawaii to Philadelphia and Hawaii to Worcester are pretty much the same thing. There's a pretty good chance that we will end up with kids on both coasts with us in Hawaii. I'll need to make sure my airline miles accounts are up to date. I know. We've had a number of conversations about this over the years. I considered all my children "near" because I could drive there and back in the same day. It might take all day and I might not have more than a few hours to spend with them, but I could (and did) do it. Youngest, having experienced that, redefined "near" from "possible to drive there and back the same day" to "easy to drive there and back the same day". He did apply to some colleges that were in the possible range rather than the easy range, but they weren't his first choice. I think with the Worcester/Philly/Hawaii question I would consider airport distances. WPI is about an hour and a quarter from Logan airport in Boston, closer to two at rush hour. It is possible to take public transportation, so it would be possible to put a child on a plane in Hawaii and have them get themselves to their school without renting a car or limousine. I wouldn't want to do it more stuff than I could carry. You might be really spread out, hunh? Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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