Colleges accept homeschoolers with a good transcript

Yes. Colleges, including selective ones, admit homeschooled students every year, and many publish admissions guidance written just for them. What they need is a clear picture of what your student learned, and since there's no school to vouch for it, you provide that picture.

What colleges usually ask for

• A transcript you prepare, with each course, credits, grades, and a GPA.
• Course descriptions, a short paragraph per course with the main books and materials.
• Test scores, where the college requires or accepts them. Policies on the SAT and ACT vary by school and change often, so check each college's current rules.
• Letters of recommendation from someone other than you, like a co-op teacher, tutor, coach, employer, or community college instructor.
• Outside proof, which isn't required everywhere and helps everywhere.

Outside proof helps a lot

Admissions offices trust grades from someone other than a parent a little more. That's fair. It's also easy to give them. Community college classes taken in high school, often called dual enrollment, are one of the best options, since they come with an official college transcript. AP exams, online courses with outside grading, and standardized test scores do the same job.

The application itself

The Common Application lets homeschool families apply, with the parent completing the school counselor section. Read each college's page for homeschooled applicants. Some ask for extra items, like a portfolio or an interview.

Start planning in ninth grade

You've probably heard of the family that tried to build four years of transcript from memory, course by course and grade by grade, in the fall of senior year while the application deadlines were already on the calendar. That fall is hard. Keep the transcript as you go instead, starting in ninth grade: course titles, credits, and grades, updated each semester, with the course descriptions saved alongside.

Around tenth grade, look at the admission requirements of a few colleges your student might apply to. Many want a set number of years of math, science, English, social studies, and a foreign language. Plan high school around that list so there are no surprises.

If your student plays sports

College athletes need to meet NCAA eligibility rules, and homeschooled students have a specific process with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Look into it early. Tenth grade at the latest.

It's a normal path

Homeschoolers go on to college, trade school, the military, and work, like anyone else. Give admissions offices a clear, honest record, and your student will be judged on what they did.