Answers to Common Questions
What is the current cost of a college
education?
We can't afford to send our kids to college!
What can we do?
As a homeschooler, will my student have to do more
to gain admission to college?
College: Is it right for me? Is this the
right time for me to go to college?
How do you choose a college? Is a big name college
really better?
How do we know what courses to do in high school?
Should our student apply at more than one college?
What if my test scores aren't great? Can I still
gain admission to college?
What about transcripts?
What is a credit and how do I figure GPA?
Should we test our kids?
What can we do with our grade school kids to prepare
them for college?
What is the homeschool code for the PSAT, SAT, &
ACT exams?
Q: What is the current
cost of a college education?
A: For the 2006–2007 academic year, the average tuition charges
were:
Public 2
year Community College $2,000
Public University
$6,000–8,000
Private College
or University $25,000–35,000
These rates are approximately 5.8% to 9.6% higher than the year
before, and costs are increasing nearly every year. The average
family will pay from $120–$1000 more this year than last year in
tuition and fees, and $82–$316 more for room and board. (Keep in
mind that frequently the stated price on many public schools does
not reflect all of the fees that are charged, so be sure to find
out what those charges will be as it could add hundreds of dollars
a year to the cost.)
Living on campus is an additional $6000–$8000 a year added to the
tuition, and books and supplies can add another $730–$800 per year
to the cost.
Other expenses to consider:
Travel to
and from school (including for Thanksgiving holiday and Spring Break)
Parking fees
Other fees
not added into the cost
Computer
(does your student need one or are they available on campus)
There is also a charge for out–of–state students at most public
schools that averages $3,630 a year at a 2 year school and $6,347
at a 4 year school.
A college education can become a MAJOR expense! We were aware that
we could not help our children with these kinds of costs, so we
began to research scholarships, grants and other forms of financial
aid. This is why I have written the homeschool2college!
This is the information that we learned along the way, and it can
help you find money for your children’s college education. The section
on "Money for College" covers the information that we have collected.
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Q:
We can't afford to send our kids to college! What can we do?
A: First, don’t panic! We couldn’t afford it either! College
is possible with the financial aid that is available. If you have
true financial need, there are many government programs available
to assist students. There are also some state grants available to
students attending school in their home state. There are also many
scholarships available, so college is a possibility.
Our Money section of the notebook can help you get the financial
aid you need. For us, we have used a combination of grants, scholarships
and loans. It has made college very affordable for our children
and it can happen for you!
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Q:
As a homeschooler, will my student have to do more to gain admission
to college?
A: This will greatly vary from school to school. The colleges
our girls applied to required NO extras for homeschoolers–they were
admitted based on test scores, transcripts and the basic application.
There are colleges that require more of homeschooled applicants.
They may ask for SAT II exams (sometimes several more than are required
by public school applicants) or higher test scores. Some colleges
will not accept a homeschooler unless he has a diploma from an accredited
high school. Remember that if you are bothered by a school requiring
extra from homeschoolers, you can look at other colleges since there
are many schools that readily accept homeschoolers.
When checking on admission requirements, be sure to ask specifically
about admission requirements for homeschool students. Frequently
a school will require some extras from homeschoolers but may not
make note of that in their catalog. The best way to find out is
to call the admissions office and inquire. Be sure that you talk
to an admissions officer, not a secretary or student worker.
Be aware that the more selective a school is, the higher their admissions
requirements are. This is true for all admissions and sometimes
doubly so for homeschoolers. Just remember that there are many,
many colleges that will welcome your student with no extra hoops
to jump through!
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Q:
College: Is it right for me? Is this the right time
for me to go to college?
A: These are legitimate questions that should be explored by
the student and his parents. You might want to consider a community
college, a technical school, travel, working for a year or two,
extended mission work, apprenticeships or trade schools. Look at
all your options before making your decision.
How can you know if your student is ready to tackle the academics
of college? Think about the following items and see where your student
is–––it will help you determine if he is ready for college.
Is he ready to be independent in setting his own schedule? Choosing
his classes? Is he independent in his study skills or do you have
to remind him to get his work done? Can he organize his time?
Is she ready to take notes in class and do the extra reading that
is necessary in college?
Are you comfortable with his reading speed and comprehension? Does
he know how to utilize the library for research? Are his computer
skills good enough?
These are just a few things you might want to consider as you and
your student look toward college. There will be other things that
are important to your family, but this gives you a general idea
of some things to consider.
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Q:
How do you choose a college? Is a big name college really
better?
A: In choosing a college, you want to find a school that is
a good "fit" for your student. Finding a good fit will require some
work on the part of the student and his family. Consider some of
these things:
Big school or smaller
school
Distance from home
Public or Private
In my materials I list 9 questions to help you decide
as you begin your search to help narrow down the type of school
you desire.
Many people feel a big name college is the best place to be. That
may be a very good choice for some students, but most can get an
excellent education at another school. The "fit" for the student
is far more important than the name on the diploma for most students.
Also, be aware of the sticker price! Some of the big name schools
have really high prices, and a less prominent school may be able
to give you a great education at a much lower cost.
In my materials, I also include over 50 questions to be considered
about each school you look at–––everything from academics to the
cafeteria! These questions will help guide you as you check out
each school.
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Q: How
do we know what courses to do in high school?
A: Each college has a list of their requirements for admission,
and these vary some from college to college. You can find their
requirements listed in their catalog, usually under admissions requirements.
As you begin high school, if you will work toward getting the following
courses done, you will be on-track for admission at most schools:
3-4 years English (includes Literature, grammar and writing)
2-3 years Mathematics (need to get in Algebra I & II and some
geometry.
Calculus and Trig are a plus,
but not really necessary at most colleges)
2-3 years Social Sciences (History, government, economics, geography)
2-3 years Science (physical science, biology, chemistry, physics
are some of the
choices. Try to get 1 or 2
with some lab work)
2-3 years foreign language (all in the same language)
Some colleges will also require some Physical Education credits
or some Fine Arts credits, but not many have these requirements.
Generally, the more selective the college is, the greater the course
requirements become.
When you have decided on what schools you will be making application
to, be sure to double check their course requirements and work to
finish up anything you have not completed. If you are looking at
a very selective college, you will want to have everything done
that is recommended in their admissions requirements, but if you
are looking at the more average school, they will work with you
on courses that still need to be completed.
As a beginning Freshman, if you will just concentrate on getting
an English, science, math, social studies and a foreign language
done each year, you will be well on your way to completing your
course requirements in time to add anything extra during your senior
year when you know what school you wish to attend.
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Q: Should
our student apply at more than one college?
A: Yes, for most students, it is best to make application to
several schools. You might want to apply to a school that is somewhat
of a "reach" for you (this is a school that is more difficult to
gain admission to) and also apply to at least one that is a sure
thing. I also recommend applying to at least one public school and
at least one private school.
You will not be able to really compare the costs of the schools
until you make formal application to them since a school will not
generally work up a financial aid package for you until you have
applied to the school. Don’t just rely on the stated "cost" of the
school since financial aid may vary greatly from college to college.
Also, don’t shy away from the private schools based on the cost
as many private schools are well endowed and can offer some great
scholarships. You won't know what will be offered until you apply,
so don’t rule out a school too early in the process. Our younger
daughter is going to a private Christian college for much less than
she could have gone to a state school because they offered so much
more in scholarships and grants. I have much more information on
college selection and admission in my notebook.
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Q:
What if my test scores aren’t great? Can I still gain admission
to college?
A: Schools look at more than just test scores, so if yours aren't
great, try to have other things that will improve your chances to
gain admission. Solid academic preparation with maybe a few community
college class credits will be a plus on any college application.
Many admissions officers like to see applicants with outstanding
community service involvement or leadership within an organization
(like scouts, 4-H, etc).
One of the big "buzz" words among college admissions officers is
diversity. They want to bring together a freshman class that is
as diverse as possible, so you may be able to use that to your advantage.
Communicate how you can bring something different and valuable to
the school.
One final word on test scores; remember that if your test scores
aren’t great, you can take the tests as many times as you wish.
Generally your scores will improve some with each testing. Try doing
some studying before the exam and even take a few practice exams
at home. You might be able to bring your scores up in the process.
My Testing section offers some other test strategies that you may
find helpful.
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Q: What
about transcripts?
A: A transcript is simply a record of what courses a student
has taken and the grade received. Generally the transcript covers
the four years of high school only. A college application will require
that a transcript be sent.
We found that having a transcript that looked like most area high
school transcripts worked very well. None of the colleges our girls
applied to had any problems with the transcripts we supplied. We
just put them together on our home computer, so it was nothing fancy.
Also, if your high school GPA and your scores on the SAT/ACT were
similar, the admissions personnel had no problems with the transcript.
If your transcript shows all A’s and then test results are low,
the school will probably put less value on your transcript. This
can be another reason for some early testing as it can help you
evaluate your grading system.
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Q:
What is a credit and how do I figure GPA?
A: Generally a credit is issued for a course that has covered
120-150 hours. We did not keep strict records of hours spent, but
if it was a full textbook and we spent all year covering the material,
we issued a credit for the course. This is only a general rule,
but gives you a guideline to use.
For a free on-line GPA calculator, go to www.aad.berkeley.edu/gpacalc.html
In my materials on Transcripts and Record Keeping, I go into further
details on figuring GPA and other information in this area.
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Q:
Should we test our kids?
A: This has been an on-going debate within homeschooling circles
for years. Many states make that decision for their homeschoolers
by requiring testing, but if your state has no requirements, what
should you do?
Please keep in mind that entrance into college will be based on
a standardized test. (A few colleges are slowly moving away from
this requirement, but I don’t see a huge trend in that direction.)
Because testing will be required for college admission, I feel it
is best to help our children learn to take tests. If we begin in
elementary school, they will have many opportunities to become familiar
with the testing environment and be less fearful as teens taking
the SAT and ACT exams. During the lower grades, I recommend testing
every two to three years. Use the results to help you determine
where your child is and if your current curriculum is working for
you. If you use tests from the same company or program each time,
it will be a more effective tool for your use.
Following is a list of sources to purchase tests to be used prior
to high school:
http://www.baysideschoolservices.com
http://www.familylearning.org
http://www.homeschoolacademy.com/academy/index.html
http://thrubers.net/teatests.html
http://www.jhu.edu/gifted/edplan
http://www.kolbe.org
http://www.setonhome.org/testing/default.stm
http://www.scahomeschool.com
http://www.mailordercentral.com/sycamoretree
http://www.occe.ou.edu/eval.html
During high school, there are many opportunities to take the various
tests, and my materials help you know what to take and when to take
them. There are many tests besides the SAT and ACT. My materials
also include information on the PSAT, CLEP, and AP exams.
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Q: What can we do with our grade school kids to prepare them for
college?
A: Use a good academic approach whether that is through a more
traditional setting or unschooling. Be sure that you use a solid
math curriculum that will carry your child through basic math so
that they will be ready to move into Algebra by late junior high
or early high school. Lay the foundation for science by exploring
some basics in the physical and life sciences. Above all, make sure
that their reading skills are progressing and that they are moving
toward the place where they can read and comprehend well. Encourage
"meatier" books and include some of the great children’s classics.
The book, "Honey for a Child’s Heart" has some great reading lists,
and you can find other lists at http://classicalhomeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html
and www.sms.org/books_co.htm.
Remember that kids never outgrow being read to! Continue to enjoy
great books together. I also encourage vocabulary building. Generally,
vocabulary will increase through reading, but make it a point to
add new words regularly. As for writing, I am not overly impressed
with most writing programs for young children. At this point, they
mainly need to be learning to write good sentences and some may
want to write short stories or short reports. Mostly they need to
be learning the basic mechanics of language–the parts of speech,
capitalization, punctuation, etc. They will do a better job of writing
in a few years when they have thoughts of their own they want to
communicate. Don’t beat yourself up if your 4th grader is balking
at writing! Give him another couple of years and you may be surprised!
I recommend some testing during these years. Use the testing as
another skill for the child to learn, but don’t stress out over
the test or the results. It is better to get familiar with the testing
environment during grade school so that by high school the student
will be relatively comfortable with testing. Also, we found that
by using the same test each year, we could use the results to help
us evaluate our choice of curriculum. If we felt our children weren’t
progressing, we made a change in curriculum and checked it again
in a couple of years. Both of our girls were glad they had previous
testing experience prior to taking college entrance type tests in
high school.
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Q:
What is the homeschool code for the PSAT, SAT, & ACT exams?
A:
| SAT |
970000 |
|
|
| ACT |
969-999 |
|
|
| For the PSAT,
each state has its own homeschool code, so be sure to use the
one from your state. |
| 990199 |
Alabama |
992899 |
Nebraska |
| 990299 |
Alaska |
992999 |
Nevada |
| 990399 |
Arizona |
993099 |
New Hampshire |
| 990499 |
Arkansas |
993199 |
New Jersey |
| 990599 |
California |
993299 |
New Mexico |
| 990699 |
Colorado |
993399 |
New York |
| 990799 |
Connecticut |
993499 |
North Carolina |
| 990899 |
Delaware |
993599 |
North Dakota |
| 990999 |
District of Columbia |
993699 |
Ohio |
| 991099 |
Florida |
993799 |
Oklahoma |
| 991199 |
Georgia |
993899 |
Oregon |
| 991299 |
Hawaii |
993999 |
Pennsylvania |
| 991399 |
Idaho |
994099 |
Rhode Island |
| 991499 |
Illinois |
994199 |
South Carolina |
| 991599 |
Indiana |
994299 |
South Dakota |
| 991699 |
Iowa |
994399 |
Tennessee |
| 991799 |
Kansas |
994499 |
Texas |
| 991899 |
Kentucky |
994599 |
Utah |
| 991999 |
Louisiana |
994699 |
Vermont |
| 992099 |
Maine |
994799 |
Virginia |
| 992199 |
Maryland |
994899 |
Washington |
| 992299 |
Massachusetts |
994999 |
West Virginia |
| 992399 |
Michigan |
995099 |
Wisconsin |
| 992499 |
Minnesota |
995199 |
Wyoming |
| 992699 |
Mississippi |
995499 |
Puerto Rico & US Territories |
| 992699 |
Missouri |
995599 |
Outside United States |
| 992799 |
Montana |
|
|
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