Preparing for college...

[SW in IL]

I'm the cheerleading squad/support system for an 18yo who has been homeschooled for about 8 years. He's finishing up 12th grade using the Alpha Omega LIFEPACS (which he's been using the whole time he's homeschooled).

 

His parents have simply said that they expect him to take the ACT and do well enough on it to get accepted to a 4-year college. They can't afford to pay anything at all for his college, so expect him to get by on Scholarships, Grants, Loans, Work-Study, whatever. What he would really like to do is go to a culinary school, but he realizes the wisdom of getting some kind of degree.

 

I just bought him one of those ACT Test Prep guides and he's planning on taking the ACT sometime between March and May. I'm thinking that it would probably be too late for him to start college in the fall. Also, his parents have not filled out the FAFSA, and though I'm not sure why, they say they're not going to do that. That he will be on his own as far as finances go. And at some point he (we) need to come up with High School transcripts for him. He lives in a small town with no real opportunities, educationally, and would like to attend college in a different state.

 

From these vague thoughts, any idea what his next steps should be? How does one go about choosing a college when one has only a vague idea of what they want to do with their life? Or when college isn't going to lead to a degree in the field that interests them? And what about financial assistance for him to go to college and/or culinary school?

 

Thanks for any help you can give us,

Sue

[Sandy in Indy]

Since he's under 21, his parents will have to fill out the FAFSA for him to be considered for ANY kind of financial aid, including student loans and work study.

 

I know that here in Indiana, Ivy Tech has a good culinary and baking program, which is aid-eligible. My niece got a 2-yr degree in pastry baking and has had no problem finding a job she likes. (In fact, right now she's teaching baking classes.)

 

I don't think it's too late for him to attend school in the fall, but he may want to take the ACT test sooner rather than later.

[Paz]

I don't know what state he is in but a community college may be a good start. (If his parents are not opposed to that idea.) In our state if you have maintained a C average in high school, the first 2 years are free. I would think tuition would be lower at most community colleges. Also, they may not required the ACT/SAT but just placement testing for math and English. If they are against a community college, smaller private schools may be a good place to look. My ds went to public school and had very good grades and a little above average ACT scores. Several small schools were actually calling him and offering him scholarships based on his grades and test scores.

[kiana]

If his parents refuse to help him to the extent that they will not even fill out the forms for him, tell him to talk to the university he would like to attend. They may be able to work something out -- they worked out a situation with a friend of mine where her parents were separated, but not divorced, and neither parent would help her. I don't know what precisely happened though. At worst, he may end up needing to move out, work for a year, declare himself independent and then go.

 

It is absolutely not too late for him to go to college in the fall -- my youngest brother, homeschooled all his life, decided about 2 weeks before college started that this was the year he was ready. He hadn't taken a standardized test at all (he had always planned to start at community college, but had tentatively planned to postpone it until next year). Because of the lack of standardized test scores, he took their placement tests and an ability-to-benefit test, was placed, and started college on probation. His financial aid was slightly late due to the delay in applying, but it did come in during the semester. He just finished his first semester and was removed from probation.

[Nan in Mass]

Lots of colleges have something called rolling admissions. That means that you can apply any time up until (or at least quite close to) the start of the school year. One of those big books of colleges from the library is a good place to start. Perhaps there are 4 year schools that have culinary programs. Or go to collegeboard.com and fill out the college search form. You pick things like area, price, major, and size, and it gives you a list of colleges that match your criteria. It also has summaries of jobs and their majors to explore.

[Guest Andrea Scott]

To prepare for college, there is no substitute for your child getting a solid and broad academic education. This means your child should take challenging courses in academic subjects and maintain good grades in high school. Your child's transcript will be an important part of his or her college application.

 

 

A college education builds on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier years. It is best for your child to start planning a high school course schedule early, in the seventh or eighth grade. Research shows that students who complete algebra and geometry by the end of ninth grade are more likely to go to college than those who do not. By taking these courses early, students are then prepared to take geometry, trigonometry, calculus, and science courses in high school.

[Beth in OH]

Hospitality management is an increasingly popular 4 year degree. Graduates are often employed by major hotel chains and in resort/casino areas. Perhaps there's a program with a culinary emphasis that would interest him.