Finding the Right College for Your Homeschool Student

Homeschoolers don’t have guidance counselors—but that’s ok

Without a traditional guidance counselor to walk you through it, starting a college search as a homeschooler or cyber school student may seem daunting. But remember, embarking on your own college search is just as easy as learning on your own. By doing it yourself, you can get right to the businesses of choosing the next best step in your personal education. Here are a few quick pieces of advice as you get started.

Narrow down what is most important to you.

Do you want to stay close to home? Are you able to afford out-of-state tuition? How important is student culture? Do you already know what you want to study? Or are you hoping to figure out your major once you get there? Sorting through these and other big questions will help you prioritize what is most qualities in a school are most important. Once you know what you’re looking for, start the search.

High-profile college rankings and ratings, like the US News Best Colleges report, are valuable if you want a snapshot of particular institutions or rankings of institutions based upon field of study. You may also want to look at the College Scorecard from the Department of Education. Doing a custom search on the Scorecard allows you to sort schools by state or ZIP Code, academic field, and degree offered. The Scorecard is a good first resource for sifting through colleges, but be sure to visit each school’s individual website for up-to-date information.

As you search through college search websites like that of US News or the College Scorecard, it’s worth noting that measures such as “salary after graduation” are somewhat values-based. Schools that graduate a lot of missionaries, for example, are likely to show a lower “salary after graduation.” And similarly, graduation rates may be lower for colleges that accept a larger number of first-generation or low-income students. While statistics can be informative, they do not tell a school’s whole mission.

Once you have a few schools in mind, reach out to their admissions offices.

Find out when you can visit the school or request more information directly from them. Make sure you know what their college application requirements are so that you are prepared in advance of applying. This article from Accredited Schools Online may help you begin to think ahead about creating transcripts, taking standardized tests, requesting letters of recommendation, and even scholarship opportunities.

Bear in mind, you’ll likely want to apply to several different schools: a few schools that are likely to accept you, a few schools that are slightly more competitive for your attainment, and maybe a “reach” school or two. You never know who could give you a scholarship—but the goal is to select schools that are true possibilities for you to attend if you’re accepted.

And last but certainly not least, another great resource to help you get started on your college search is the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). The HSLDA has an entire section of their website dedicated to “High School & Beyond.” Here you will find everything from career counseling tips to a step-by-step guide for applying to colleges.

If you need more help with your college search, don’t hesitate to ask. Cyber schools often offer counseling services, and public school guidance counselors are also generally available to meet and counsel homeschool students. Contact your cyber school or local public school’s administration office for more information.

If you do the research, check out all your options, and make decisions that set you up for success both now and in the future, that future is sure to be bright!