Anyone's student go to college in Europe or Canada?

[Halcyon]

My son has recently been captivated by the idea of attending college in Europe. Has anyone on this board sent a child to college in Europe with a homeschool transcript?

 

Thanks!

[rdj2027]

My oldest attends college in Germany but he also went to school there.  My #2 is throwing the idea to go there as well.  I don't know in other countries but in Germany you apply directly to the university so different schools have slightly different rules.  For example, some universities accept a homeschool diploma ini conjunction with APs and ACT/SAT scores.  Others will send you to a "Studienkolleg" first to catch up on language and certain subjects.  It really depends on what it is your son wishes to study and where he wants to go.  In general though, foreign students are not allowed to work and in order to be admitted to a German speaking course of studies, the student has to be proficient in German.

[Loesje22000]

Homeschool Transcripts without outside validation like SAT / ACT and / or several AP's are not accepted in Western Europe as far as I know.

A diploma is not 'just a piece of paper' here, it is THE piece of paper that gives you acces to the next level.

So a very important piece of paper here :)

[Laura Corin]

Homeschool Transcripts without outside validation like SAT / ACT and / or several AP's are not accepted in Western Europe as far as I know.

A diploma is not 'just a piece of paper' here, it is THE piece of paper that gives you acces to the next level.

So a very important piece of paper here :)

 

Yes.  In the UK, it's not just homeschool transcripts that don't mean anything - there aren't transcripts at all.  All that matters (beyond letters of recommendation) are public exams.

 

There are some universities that offer foundation years for people who do not have formal qualifications for some reason, but I don't know anything about them.

[SparklyUnicorn]

My oldest attends college in Germany but he also went to school there.  My #2 is throwing the idea to go there as well.  I don't know in other countries but in Germany you apply directly to the university so different schools have slightly different rules.  For example, some universities accept a homeschool diploma ini conjunction with APs and ACT/SAT scores.  Others will send you to a "Studienkolleg" first to catch up on language and certain subjects.  It really depends on what it is your son wishes to study and where he wants to go.  In general though, foreign students are not allowed to work and in order to be admitted to a German speaking course of studies, the student has to be proficient in German.

 

Interesting.  My son expressed an interest in Germany.  He's a German citizen too.  But I dunno, the whole thing strikes me as not really doable. 

[Ms Brooks]

DD goes to university in the UK. She applied with 10 AP exams, and her scores were all in the 4-5 range. Acceptance was swift. If I understand correctly, those AP classes are somehow equivalent to A-Level exams. 

[strawberryjam]

Most colleges in Canada require official high school diploma's. Some make exceptions, but it's really tricky and lots of hoops to jump through. With the exception of maybe some Christian schools which have higher percentages of homeschoolers applying, like Trinity Western University for example... which is where we plan to send our kids. It's a lot of $$$ but popular with Americans cause it's a high quality school and a lot cheaper then the equivalent on the other side of the border.

[mumto2]

In the UK my dc's successfully applied to Russell Group Uni'shttp://russellgroup.ac.uk/about/our-universities/ using a combination of the ACT and a variety of AP exams and SAT 2's using the UCAS https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/apply-and-track/filling-your-ucas-undergraduate-application form. It went really well but they are British and resident in the UK and that may have made a difference. Their scores were all at or above the requirements for the individual universities they applied to. They also had a significant number of credits from US Universities that were disclosed.

 

You must look at the international admissions section on the website for each University you are interested in.

 

Some UK Universities require 4 AP exams with a 5 and no ACT/SAT scores while one Uk(not Russell Group) will admit with 2 AP exams with a score of 3. A majority that we looked at required an ACT/SAT and a combination of 3 AP and/or SAT 2 exams. The scores vary.

 

High School Transcripts are irrelevant. In theory the transcript is worth 5 UK GCSE exams but GCSE have no bearing on University admissions.

 

Do not confuse UK College with UK University. College is roughly equivalent to grades 11 and 12 in the US.

 

For student's who really want to come to the UK but do not meet the criteria for their program a foundation year for their program could be a possibility. This turns a 3 year BA into a 4 year like in the US. These are widely offered for people who do not have the right combination of A level exams or who do not have the scores needed or have no A level exams.

 

Look at the A level requirements for the programs you are interested in before applying. Most of the ones we applied to were AAA but many are ABB. These grades indicate how competitive the program is. A UK student taking A level examinations receives a conditional acceptance because of their predicted scores on their A level exams and the rest of their package. These do seem to vary slightly by student. Because my dc's were submitting only completed exams they were accepted without conditions.

[Loesje22000]

In the UK my dc's successfully applied to Russell Group Uni'shttp://russellgroup.ac.uk/about/our-universities/ using a combination of the ACT and a variety of AP exams and SAT 2's using the UCAS https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/apply-and-track/filling-your-ucas-undergraduate-application form. It went really well but they are British and resident in the UK and that may have made a difference. Their scores were all at or above the requirements for the individual universities they applied to. They also had a significant number of credits from US Universities that were disclosed.

 

You must look at the international admissions section on the website for each University you are interested in.

 

Some UK Universities require 4 AP exams with a 5 and no ACT/SAT scores while one Uk(not Russell Group) will admit with 2 AP exams with a score of 3. A majority that we looked at required an ACT/SAT and a combination of 3 AP and/or SAT 2 exams. The scores vary.

 

High School Transcripts are irrelevant. In theory the transcript is worth 5 UK GCSE exams but GCSE have no bearing on University admissions.

 

Do not confuse UK College with UK University. College is roughly equivalent to grades 11 and 12 in the US.

 

For student's who really want to come to the UK but do not meet the criteria for their program a foundation year for their program could be a possibility. This turns a 3 year BA into a 4 year like in the US. These are widely offered for people who do not have the right combination of A level exams or who do not have the scores needed or have no A level exams.

 

Look at the A level requirements for the programs you are interested in before applying. Most of the ones we applied to were AAA but many are ABB. These grades indicate how competitive the program is. A UK student taking A level examinations receives a conditional acceptance because of their predicted scores on their A level exams and the rest of their package. These do seem to vary slightly by student. Because my dc's were submitting only completed exams they were accepted without conditions.

The Netherlands & Belgium make a (huge) distinction between a Professional Bachelor and a Academical Bachelor, I can't 'recognize' this at UK universities. Does this difference exist in the UK?

[Laura Corin]

The Netherlands & Belgium make a (huge) distinction between a Professional Bachelor and a Academical Bachelor, I can't 'recognize' this at UK universities. Does this difference exist in the UK?

 

What does it imply? 

 

[Loesje22000]

What does it imply?

 

Are you familiar with the nuffic / naric educational levels?

A proffesional bachelor is education level 5, an academical bachelor is level 6, a (research)master is level 7.

One can't go from level 5 to level 7 without a bridge year. So professional bachelors don't give acces to masters here.

Level 5 education is geared to work practice, Level 6 is more theoretical.

That also implies that a level 5 bachelor/master can't get a job that requires a level 6 education. A level 6 bachelor can get a job that requires a level 5 bachelor.

[saw]

Are you familiar with the nuffic / naric educational levels?

A proffesional bachelor is education level 5, an academical bachelor is level 6, a (research)master is level 7.

One can't go from level 5 to level 7 without a bridge year. So professional bachelors don't give acces to masters here.

Level 5 education is geared to work practice, Level 6 is more theoretical.

That also implies that a level 5 bachelor/master can't get a job that requires a level 6 education. A level 6 bachelor can get a job that requires a level 5 bachelor.

 

Is the professional one HBO and the academic one WO?

[Loesje22000]

Is the professional one HBO and the academic one WO?

Yes for the Netherlands, Belgium calls it differently but makes the same distinction

[mumto2]

The Netherlands & Belgium make a (huge) distinction between a Professional Bachelor and a Academical Bachelor, I can't 'recognize' this at UK universities. Does this difference exist in the UK?

Maybe this will help.....

 

In the UK in order to apply for a master's program a student must have a second class degree or higher. It can be either a 2/2 or a 2/1. In US terms a 3.0 (B) or higher.

 

We do have a family friend from NL who is a University professor here and has also worked in the US. I can ask him the next time we see them. He should know the answer because he has children in Uni both here and in NL. ;)

[Loesje22000]

Maybe this will help.....

 

In the UK in order to apply for a master's program a student must have a second class degree or higher. It can be either a 2/2 or a 2/1. In US terms a 3.0 (B) or higher.

 

We do have a family friend from NL who is a University professor here and has also worked in the US. I can ask him the next time we see them. He should know the answer because he has children in Uni both here and in NL. ;)

That would be great!

[Laura Corin]

Are you familiar with the nuffic / naric educational levels?

A proffesional bachelor is education level 5, an academical bachelor is level 6, a (research)master is level 7.

One can't go from level 5 to level 7 without a bridge year. So professional bachelors don't give acces to masters here.

Level 5 education is geared to work practice, Level 6 is more theoretical.

That also implies that a level 5 bachelor/master can't get a job that requires a level 6 education. A level 6 bachelor can get a job that requires a level 5 bachelor.

 

This suggests that a Higher National Diploma is the Level 5 qualification, perhaps?  It's just not called a degree/bachelor here.

 

https://www.nuffic.nl/en/diploma-recognition/overviews-foreign-diplomas/overview-diplomas-united-kingdom

[Dicentra]

Most colleges in Canada require official high school diploma's. Some make exceptions, but it's really tricky and lots of hoops to jump through. With the exception of maybe some Christian schools which have higher percentages of homeschoolers applying, like Trinity Western University for example... which is where we plan to send our kids. It's a lot of $$$ but popular with Americans cause it's a high quality school and a lot cheaper then the equivalent on the other side of the border.

 

I would say that this is mostly true for Canadian colleges but not Canadian universities. :)  For those in the States - "college" in Canada doesn't mean the same thing it does in the States.  Colleges here award diplomas, not degrees, and most of the program offerings are trade-related.  Universities offer degrees (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate, etc.).  Most universities have policies in place for homeschoolers and I've only ever seen a few who required an officials high school diploma here in Ontario (Guelph comes to mind).  Dd will be applying to university this fall and she won't have an OSSD - although she will have a number of AP scores and an SAT score on her transcript.

 

Just to clarify - one doesn't necessarily need an official high school diploma to attend university in Canada. :)

[Lori D.]

Because homeschooling is not sanctioned in all countries, you may want to either get into an International Baccalauereate program and an IB diploma -- OR, get set up with an accredited umbrella organization (such as Clonlara, Kolbe, or Northstar -- see this list for more options)  that oversees high school work and awards an accredited diploma upon completion of high school credits, as an accredited diploma may be required by an overseas university. 

 

Just to clarify: there is a difference between "official"/"valid", and "accredited". While your home-awarded diploma IS *official* and *valid* -- just as a public or private high school diploma is *official* and *valid* -- a home-awarded diploma it is not *accredited*, unless, as in the state of GA, you, as a homeschooler, go through the accreditation process. (I believe that's the only state that does that.)

 

BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Lori D.

[Donna]

We had looked into University of Limerick for dd a couple years ago because she was considering their World Music Academy. The requirements for US citizens were a GPA of at least 3.0 (including English, Math, and another language), SAT or ACT scores about a certain number, and particular programs required  AP or SAT II tests. When she toured with the director of the program, he said there "were ways to get her in as a homeschooled student." She hadn't started high school yet and has since decided to go a different route so we didn't pursue it.

 

I am sure if you go on the website for whatever university your ds is interested in, there will be requirements listed. UL has them listed under their international admissions office.

 

[Jann in TX]

My middle dd is just completing her Masters from the University of Lancaster, UK

 

She was homeschooled then graduated from a state university.  She graduated from college with honors (3.9 gpa) and had no trouble getting into the Master's program... it has been a tough program (1 year intense) but she should have her dissertation finished next week and will be home in 2 weeks!

 

It was VERY cost effective for her to get her masters there.

[madteaparty]

My DS is looking into this. APs and test scores important like others have said. For admission, we need a few APs with a score of 5.

I'd worry about employment/internship options coming from a foreign university but he'll likely be an English/comparative lit major and therefore employment probably moot no matter where he goes 😂

ETA that some English schools are almost as $$, when it comes to overseas students, as US universities, but 3 vs 4 years makes a difference, cost-wise.

Edited August 29, 2017 by madteaparty

[Laura Corin]

Because homeschooling is not sanctioned in all countries, you may want to either get into an International Baccalauereate program and an IB diploma -- OR, get set up with an accredited umbrella organization (such as Clonlara, Kolbe, or Northstar -- see this list for more options) that oversees high school work and awards an accredited diploma upon completion of high school credits, as an accredited diploma may be required by an overseas university.

 

.

Just to be clear - this varies by country. The UK has no high school diploma, just national exams, so home educators just need exam passes; an accredited diploma will be a waste of time.

[mumto2]

Just to be clear - this varies by country. The UK has no high school diploma, just national exams, so home educators just need exam passes; an accredited diploma will be a waste of time.

I totally agree no transcript or diploma needed for UK schools.

 

For instance I "think" that an umbrella school accredited diploma is needed or at least useful for Swiss and perhaps German applications per a former boardie who still pops up here occasionally. Her students also had several very good SAT subjects and AP exams.