Do colleges accept homeschool students, and how do homeschoolers do?
While formal studies have been limited in scope, they suggest—along with hundreds of anecdotal accounts I have reviewed over the past few years—that homeschoolers generally fare quite well in college. Both university officials and homeschoolers-turned-collegians themselves point to social adjustments as the biggest challenge, as well as learning to adhere to a fixed schedule of classes and assignment deadlines. Homeschoolers’ ability to direct their own learning and pace themselves is often identified as a real strength, however, particularly if accompanied by a zest for exploration and discovery that self-directed learning can foster. Not surprisingly, then, admissions departments around the country are increasingly amenable to homeschooler applications, some actually assigning an official liaison specifically for this population. Others have even begun actively recruiting homeschoolers through state conventions, targeted information sessions, and homeschooler publications.
