College admissions are not as daunting as they might seem if you plan ahead. There are a few basic steps that should be followed and will benefit students no matter what college they plan to attend or whether they change their minds at the last minute, as our teenagers have been known to do. This process is really about increasing the number of options for your student, and college admissions are the by-product of following the process. Focusing early and spreading out the work to get this done will ease the load and open up doors for your child.

Freshman and Sophomore high school students should be taking at least one each of the PSAT, SAT and ACT tests for practice each year. At this point in their schooling, they do not need to do any preparation before the tests, but they should be developing test maturity. This happens by removing the anxiety around these tests, getting familiar with them, and going through the process a few times. Going in “cold” a few times over these first two years of high school will really help with this.

In the summer between a student’s sophomore and junior year, they should do an extensive preparation course on taking the SAT and ACT, in preparation for the October PSAT that is administered each fall. This is the year that the PSAT will be considered for National Merit Scholarship competition, and so potential qualifiers will need to be sure to take this test in October of their junior year. They should also continue to take additional SAT and ACT tests in their junior year, with the goal in mind to have competitive scores in hand by the end of the year.

Also in the junior year, students should be considering the colleges that might be of interest to them. There is a wealth of information available on the College Board website, www.collegeboard.com to help direct students in this selection, but by January of the junior year, students should be confident of 5-6 schools that they will be applying to, and have made some determination about whether or not they will go directly to a four-year school, or start at a junior college.

Over the summer of this transition year, students should narrow down their college choices to the few that they will apply to. These applications should be in transit, whether mail or electronically, by the week after Labor Day to open up the most doors to them. It may be that some of the records such as transcripts or recommendations will still be pending, but having the application done as much as is possible for submission purposes will really help increase the options for students.

Once the college applications have been submitted in the senior year, students should begin working on scholarship applications. Ideally, these should be submitted by November 1, as each one will have specific non-negotiable deadlines. Be sure not to miss these, and get these scholarship applications in as early as possible.

Finally, while a student is continuing to work on meeting his graduation requirements and has taken all of the above steps, the final paperwork to be completed is by the parents. This comes in the form of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid - http://www.fafsa.ed.gov). This form completion is required by many colleges and is the starting point for federal aid, so get this in as early as possible in the spring of the senior year. It will require tax information, so if you are unable to have your taxes done prior to completion, be sure to fill it out anyway using their estimator options. Final tax documents can be filed later, but will still be required.

Following these simple steps in order will be a tremendous help in keeping your child’s options open and giving him or her the largest opportunity for college choices. Write these out on a family calendar, take the steps, and relax for the process. It may take a little time, but spread out over the four years, it is no problem to get it all done!

Homeschooling during the high school years requires going beyond the core academic courses (Math, English, Science, History and Foreign Language), to providing additional learning experiences through electives. Electives can be related to whatever your child’s interests are. They can be used to build skills in particular areas, like web development or computer languages; to gain experience in a future career, like marketing or journalism; or may be taken for enrichment or just for fun, such as choir or dance. The possibilities are numerous.

While there are a number of curriculum providers that offer full courses you can purchase, complete with lesson plans, textbooks, workbooks and CDs, there are other ways to satisfy elective requirements.

Dual-enrollment

High school students, including homeschoolers, can take college courses, usually at local community colleges, and have the credits applied to both a high school diploma and toward a future college degree. My daughter, for example, has taken college business courses in marketing and management. We are applying the credits for high school business electives, and they will also apply to a future business degree. One great thing about getting credits this way: the courses are free to state residents; you pay only for textbooks, (which homeschoolers normally pay for anyway). Another good thing is that a one-semester college course is generally considered to be equivalent to a one-year high school course, so you can complete high school requirements more quickly, not to mention get a jump-start on college. And since many of the courses can be taken totally online, a student no longer has to wait until age 16, typically the minimum age required to take college courses. If your child is ready, he or she can start online college coursework in ninth grade.

Open Courseware: Available online through the websites of major universities, open courseware is free to the public and includes full lectures and other class material such as syllabi, reading lists, and lecture notes. You don’t have access to university faculty or any other support, but the material is still great for independent learning, a quality of many homeschoolers. Unlike the dual-enrollment option, the university does not grant credit for a course, but a homeschooler can still apply the credits toward a high school diploma.

MIT has a program specifically for high school students, called Highlights for High School, that offers classes in a variety of subjects, including exam prep. In addition, the Online Education Database has a list of the Top 100 courses available through open courseware.

Libraries: Local libraries are offering their patrons free online classes through UniversalClass, an accredited, online learning site. If you have a library card, you can sign up for up to five courses, with offerings ranging from accounting and bookkeeping to web development and writing poetry. Although the courses are non-credit, each one has an instructor that can be contacted via e-mail.

Co-op Classes: Of course, taking classes through a local homeschool co-op is a great way to fulfill elective requirements. Depending on how often you meet, and how comprehensive the course is, a co-op class can be enough to make a credit. If not, you can always use it as a supplement to what you’re learning at home. For example, combine the reading of a journalism textbook, or viewing of a journalism video series, or other material you find online with a journalism co-op class that creates a newsletter.

Develop your own electives: A child who has an interest in something, such as a particular career, can research the topic, talk to professionals in the field, intern with someone, volunteer, and earn credits while getting real life experience. Evaluation could involve a term paper, essay, oral report, project involving a demonstration, or some other assessment you devise to determine what your child has learned.

With so many resources and materials now available on-line, elective options have increased, whether the classes are Web-based or face-to-face.

The question, “Can my homeschooled child attend University?” is a perpetual one for homeschooling parents. The fact of the matter is that yes, a homeschooled child can absolutely attend university, and some institutions even lay aside spots in their freshmen classes for homeschooled students.

Many homeschooling families report that their friends and families tell them that, by homeschooling their child, they are depriving their child of the possibility of attending tertiary studies. Fortunately, this is not the case. All it takes is a little research into the way your preferred universities work, ahead of schedule, and you can tailor some of your homeschooling activities toward achieving university entry. In fact, you may be able to do so much more effectively than the strained school system.

Let’s think about your local school system. They are busy teaching various subjects but do they provide any extra help for national college exams? How can you make sure that when your child sits for college exams that they will be ready for all the material? If you ask your teen to devote more time to studying after the hours of homework they are already taking on, you are most likely going to get some resistance unless they are particularly academically oriented. Both you and your child have worked hard so that they can be the very best, and do and be whatever or whoever they want to be. If you have decided to take your child’s education into your own hands by homeschooling you can still get into any institution in the country.

College Preparation

When your child gets to high school level, this is the time to start scoping out potential college institutions and their requirements. This way, if you need extra years of a certain subject, you can plan the secondary coursework accordingly. You will also want to look at their entrance exam requirements and prepare accordingly for those exams. After the freshman year of high school (or beginning of the 6th form in the UK) you will want to start doing research on potential institutions, building relationship with admissions offices, and taking stock of testing requirements and coursework.

High School Diplomas

When it comes to the question of “Do you have a high school diploma?” the answer to that question varies. There are three ways to deal with the highschool diploma situation.

1. You can issue one yourself, sign it yourself, and let that be the end of it.
2. Private schools may issue you one with the appropriate records and materials.
3. Your child can take the GED and have that certification as their testament to their secondary education.

One last thought

In conclusion, please keep in mind that there will be an adjustment period for your child between the homeschooling environment and the college environment, especially interaction in the classroom. This will be minimized if they have already taken some subjects at community college, however. They will however, be able to manage their time effectively, interact with all kinds of people, and have a well-rounded learning experience.

GED Not Required

Once upon a time, colleges sometimes required a GED from homeschoolers before providing financial aid. Since 1998, however, Congress has provided a better way for homeschoolers to demonstrate their "ability to benefit" from federal financial aid. The law states that students who have "completed a secondary school education in a home school setting that is treated as a home school or a private school under state law" can receive federal financial aid. When you fill out the FAFSA, the government will decide how much financial aid you should receive. You can receive financial aid as a homeschool student, and you do NOT have to take a GED.

The U.S. Department of Education's regulations explain that a student is eligible for financial aid if he was homeschooled, and either (1) obtained a secondary school completion credential as provided by state law, or (2) has completed a secondary school education in a homeschool setting under state law. What does that mean? If you are homeschooling within your state homeschool law, then your student is eligible for federal financial aid. There is no need to take the GED.

GED Stigma

I saw a movie the other day about a high school dropout. She wanted to get a good job, but wasn't able to without a high school diploma. She studied hard, and finally got her GED, proving that she had a high school education. It was a heart-warming story, but it illustrates one thing; a GED can have the stigma of "high school dropout."  Many homeschoolers prefer to avoid that stigma. Homeschoolers are NOT high school drop-outs! Homeschoolers are recognized under the law, as shown above. Our homeschool transcript is a real transcript. Our homeschool diploma is official. Our students can receive federal financial aid, just like private and public school students. In the working world, when the application asked if you are a high school graduate, the answer is YES. If the application asked if you have a high school diploma, the answer is YES.

Calculate your EFC

How much money are we talking about? How much federal financial aid is at stake? You may want to use one of the free online calculators to determine your estimated financial aid. When you estimate financial aid with the "Expected Family Contribution" calculator, remember it does NOT include merit scholarships. Here are two suggested resources for estimating financial aid.

• College Board EFC Calculator
• FAFSA Forecaster

GED Requirement is NOT Homeschool Friendly

When you begin to contact colleges, ask them about their policy regarding homeschool students. They do not need a GED from your student. If they require a GED, you can bet they are not a homeschool friendly college. There are some colleges that allow a GED from homeschool students who do not provide either a transcript or portfolio. This is an option that colleges use to provide flexibility in their homeschool admission policy. However, allowing a GED as an option is different than requiring a GED as part of their policy.

Get to know the college admission policy to determine if the school is homeschool friendly. Few colleges these days will require a GED. Most colleges see and admit homeschoolers regularly, and are unfazed by homeschool transcripts. If you run across one that doesn't understand independent homeschooling, you should likely shop for another college, one that is more homeschool friendly. More and more colleges are learning that these sorts of policies are counter-productive and are changing them to be more accepting of homeschooler. As homeschoolers in college become more and more common, colleges will feel growing pressure to take down barriers that discourage homeschool families. This is good news for families considering homeschooling high school.

For more information, you can read the explanation by HSLDA.

Now that homeschoolers have proven to be high achievers in both academic and social realms, they are being actively courted by many colleges. However, just as many homeschool parents paused before placing their young children on the big yellow school bus, they are now considering whether the traditional model of sending young people to live on a college campus for four years is an ideal way to meet the goal of higher education. Homeschoolers have blazed trails in elementary and secondary education, and they are now earning early college credit through exams or dual-credit classes, completing college at home, or simply choosing to attend a local college while living at home. How is all working?

Why Not Live on Campus During College?

According to Dr. Jeff Myers of Inspired Leadership, spending four impressionable years of life living closely with the world is similar to the immersion method of learning a foreign language. If parents are willing to have their child absorb the good, the bad, and the ugly along with academics, four years in a dorm is the way to go. Most parents feel that older teens still need daily mentoring, stabilizing family relationships, and spiritual answers to the questions that inevitably arise when studying academics presented through a secular filter. According to Anne Miller of the Home Educators Association of Virginia, whose four oldest children were attending college at the time of this writing, living at home keeps young people from developing a self-centered attitude as they continue to serve the family through helping with home chores and interacting with younger siblings.

Earning College Credit in High School

Students who are capable of undertaking challenging work can accumulate a year or more of college credit while still in high school. Traditional-school students take Advanced Placement (AP) classes, followed by an AP test, in order to place out of entry level courses in college, but homeschoolers can go a step farther and earn actual credit by taking a CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) test, rather than the AP exam.

Students can prepare for exams by doing extra study on their own, taking an AP or honors class (online or traditionally), or by participating in an advanced co-op. Advantages of earning college credit while still in high school include:

• Time - One 90-minute CLEP exam covers one or two semesters of a subject, and by taking several carefully selected exams, it is possible to shorten the time it takes to earn an associate's or bachelor's degree by a year or more.
• Money - The cost of earning 3-6 credits is about $75.
• Advanced placement - Instead of sitting through a basic class that covers material learned in high school, students can skip directly into more advanced and interesting classes.

Students who plan to use CLEP exams to get a jump start on college need to create a high school curriculum plan that includes advanced-level course material for subjects in which tests will be taken. These subjects will be recorded on the high school transcript as AP or honors courses, and students receive weighted grades (one extra grade point) for each class. College credit is awarded by the college the student attends in the future, and it is based upon a passing score on the CLEP exam. Not all colleges award credit for exams, so it is important to select a school that does.

Dual-credit classes are another way to get a jump start on college. To earn dual-credit, a student studies a subject in a community college class instead of a high school class, and earns both high school and college credit. Mature teens may be ready for the challenge of the classroom atmosphere, and taking dual-credit classes can provide a gradual transition into a more structured learning environment.

College From Home

If you have heard of the Swann family, you know the idea of college from home is not new. Each of the Swann's many children was homeschooled, not only through college, but also through graduate school, receiving their master's degrees at an age when most other teens are graduating from high school. This family used traditional correspondence courses for each level of schooling, and this is still possible, but the Internet has dramatically increased the number of options available. Students at home can participate in classes which include a variety of online elements, including virtual labs and real-time discussions. The degree earned at home is just as marketable as a degree earned on-campus, and it often comes with less spiritual risk.

Attending College While Living at Home

This final option is probably the most familiar - students attend a traditional college, but live at home, rather than on-campus. While this option limits the choice of a college to one within reasonable driving distance, it provides several advantages. In addition to being more economical than on-campus living, this option provides students with the familiar, supportive environment of home and family in which to process all the new information they are receiving. Second, they have instant access to spiritual, academic, or personal counseling from someone who knows and loves them, and who shares their spiritual worldview. Third, the presence of other family members of various ages with various needs helps to remind young people that they are not the center of the universe - self-centeredness can be a problem for students whose primary consideration is "my schedule, my classes, my choices." And finally, this option enables students who are academically ready for college, but younger than traditional college age, to benefit from the home atmosphere while they mature.

Just because our teens are growing up, it isn't necessary to follow the path of the world in their education. If we don't want the results we see in the culture around us, we can change the input. The purpose of college is an education, resulting in a degree, and each family has many options for achieving that goal.

"You can't prepare for the SAT."  Educational Testing Service, the company that writes the SAT, has worked hard to convince people that they cannot improve their scores by studying for the test.  But a half a million students disagree and say that you can substantially improve your scores by using the popular study aids that are available.

If you child will be going to college, there is a tremendous financial benefit for high SAT test scores.  Students with very high scores receive the most scholarship offers.  You can easily achieve this by using a high quality SAT workbook as an additional textbook in your homeschool.  Begin in eighth or ninth grade and your student will know the material very well by the end of twelfth.  She won't be worried about taking the test because it will be so familiar.  And she will encounter exactly the same types of questions she studied for five years.  She will get a great verbal and math education too!  Below are brief descriptions of the SAT and other popular exams.

1. PSAT. High school sophomores and juniors take this as a practice test for the SAT.  They will compete for scholarships because at test time, their name will be placed on Student Search Service.  Published by Educational Testing Service.  Time, Content and Scores Test is 130 minutes.  It is made up of multiple choice including either student response math problems.  It tests verbal, math and writing scores.  Scores range from 20-80.  If you add a 0 to your totals, this will suggest your score on the SAT.  Example:  If you score 79 on the Math part of the PSAT, they you might score 790 on the math part of the SAT.
2. SAT. The SAT 1 is usually taken by juniors and seniors and written by ETS.  Time, Content and Scores  This test is generally given 7 times a year, usually on a Saturday.  Some places give it a couple of times a week.  During this test, you may also enroll in Student Search Service.  Scores range from 200-800 for each of two sections, verbal and math.  You can use a calculator.  The questions are multiple choice, except for the 10 student produced response math questions.  Test time is 3 hours.  Female students score about 40 points lower than male students on the SAT, although females tend to earn higher grades than males, both in high school and college.
3. College Boards Achievement Test (CBAT was renamed to the SAT II's).  These are subject tests which give you advanced placement (AP) credit.  If you pass these tests, you may receive credit for introductory classes.  You have to negotiate with the school.  You can save a lot of time and money by earning credits for subject material that you already know.
4. CLEP Exams are by subject.  By taking these tests, you can earn college credits and save on tuition for subject material you already know.  Usually, CLEP exams are required to be taken during the first semesters of college.
5. GED – General Educational Development Test. This test was established after World War II to help returning soldiers.  It is administered by a private corporation in Washington, DC.  Time, Content and Scores.  Five small test given in one day or a series of days.  Each test scores from 20-75.  You have to average 45 with no individual score below 35.  You have to get approximately 1/2 of the questions right to pass.  I believe a passing grade on this test is somewhere between the 6th and 7th grade level.  Parts of the GED test are:  Social Studies, Science, Literature and Arts, Mathematics (Arithmetic 50%, Algebra 30%, Geometry 20%, Writing – a 200 word essay).  This is a pass or fail test.  Although they will report each score to you, everyone will get the same diploma whether you score a 45 or an 80.  There is no score reported after the initial reporting.  It is reported as a certificate or diploma.  If you take this test, you are recognized as a Georgia State student, and not a homeschool student.  That is why Kennesaw College says they have no homeschool students on campus when, actually, there are many.

You may not have to take the GED test.  Some colleges will accept you provisionally as a non-matriculating student.  After you complete 24 college credits, you can apply to your state GED for a College Credit application.  They will look at your college transcript and send you a GED certificate.

HSLDA reports that colleges are now required to determine the validity of high school diplomas from public and private schools.

How exactly can the college determine validity? Will they be requiring course descriptions from every applicant? That would seem to be a lot of reading for the admissions team! Homeschool parents often think about their own transcripts and wonder if they are valid.

Yes, you are valid!

Isn't it interesting that public and private high schools are now having the same concerns about validity? You're not alone!

HSLDA states this new rule does not apply to homeschoolers. They suggest that homeschoolers need to check “homeschooled” when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or their application may be delayed. Others feel that a simple check on a box marked "homeschooled" may not be enough.

Spunky Homeschool is concerned about colleges evaluating the validity of high school diplomas.

"By checking the homeschool option we are basically admitting that our diploma is not as valid as a traditional diploma and making it easier for the federal government to single out those who choose to homeschool. This is all to build infrastructure for a national diploma to go with the common core state standards. This may also impact transcripts and application for scholarships. Many schools use FAFSA as the first point of entry for consideration even if the funding does not come from the federal government. Checking the homeschool box places the student in the "non-traditional" or not easily validated stack because they "self-certify" which could possibly mean a different standard for consideration than those that come from a traditional school setting and that is on the Department of Ed approved list."

I encourage people to self-identify as a homeschooler. Sweetly and assertively express your rights. If you need college financing with the FAFSA, then checking the "homeschool" box is probably the best option for your family.

I also encourage people to avoid the GED when possible. Here is my article about it: Stigma-Free Homeschool Graduation!

A great way to "validate" your homeschool education is through a comprehensive record. My Comprehensive Record Solution provides you the guidance and coaching you need to finish the your homeschool records with confidence.

It was "Pomp and Circumstance" once more this spring as we attended another college graduation. This time, my 19-year-old son was graduating with his bachelor's degree in Computer Science. In less than a month, he would start his new position as an Assistant Technical Analyst in a Fortune 500 corporation. But wait... at nineteen, isn't he supposed to be just starting college?

I don't know about you, but I've never seen the point in wasting time. I was always the kid who read ahead in class, finished homework before leaving school for the day, and saw no point in filling out sixteen workbook pages on a concept I already knew. When it came to educating my four boys, I've taken a similar approach. Once the basics of a subject are mastered, they can move ahead as quickly as they like, earning college credit while still in high school. Why not?

Benjamin Franklin once said, "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of." Although traditional education has decreed that primary and secondary education should take twelve or thirteen years to complete, there is no good reason to spend that amount of time, unless you want to.

For homeschooling families, there are much more productive ways to spend those dozen years than crawling through a traditional course of study. The most compelling benefits of earning college credit during high school include increased credibility for the homeschool transcript, and a dramatic savings in the time and money needed to obtain a college degree. Let's talk about these benefits, and the two simplest ways you can start earning credit - standardized college-level exams and community college classes.

Credibility: Show What You Know - While diversity is one of homeschooling's greatest assets, it can also be perceived as a liability. Pity the poor college admissions officer who has to wade through hundreds of applications and transcripts each week! When dealing with an accredited public or private school, he knows there is an objective system for assigning grades. When dealing with a homeschooler's application, though, he has no idea how objectively or by what standards grades are assigned. It makes it difficult to measure a homeschooler against someone who has been traditionally schooled.

So how can a student measurably and credibly demonstrate his learning? A parent-created high school transcript is a start, but it won't tell the whole story, unless it shows results from standardized tests or grades from sources other than the parent. When an admission officer sees on a transcript that a homeschooled student has taken English Literature and earned a 'B,' he has no way of knowing the scope and depth of the student's work. However, if the transcript lists a standardized test score or college grade along with the parent-granted grade, the admissions officer immediately has a better picture of what the student has studied and how well he understood the material. This gives him an objective point of reference, and as a bonus, may also impress him!

Save Time: Turn Study Hours into Credit Hours - I recently read that it is taking students longer than ever to earn a four-year college degree. Some students are juggling jobs and school, while others have had difficulty settling on a major. Imagine what an advantage a student would have if he or she entered college with a year or two of college credit that was accumulated during the high school years! This credit cushion would provide several wonderful options. The student could:

• Choose to graduate early
• Spend a year exploring classes that look interesting
• Opt for a double major
• Start a microbusiness
• Spend time as an intern or volunteer
• Travel

By learning deeply and purposefully, and investing a little time in testing or college classes during high school, you can make the most of the high school years, and open doors to many interesting opportunities.

Money: A Penny Saved is a Dollar Earned - Community college classes and college-level exams are a cheap way to earn college credit. Classes usually cost considerably less than $100 per credit hour, and most exams cost less than $100 for three to six credits. That works out to less than thirty dollars per credit hour for three-credit exams, and less than twenty dollars per credit for six-credit exams. Compared with community college classes, which are reasonable enough, exams come out way ahead, unless your state pays for community college classes when they are taken as a dual-credit option.

Why College-Level Exams? - There are two benefits you can earn with exams such as the AP, CLEP, or DSST - advanced placement (also known as "testing out" of otherwise required classes), or actual college credit. The decision as to which benefit to grant rests with the college you choose, but either way, you add credibility to your transcript and save both time and money by taking them.

The beauty of exams is that they don't cause a lot of extra work. Any high-school subject can be broadened and deepened to college-level, especially a subject in which the student has a natural interest. The exams measure whether a student has acquired knowledge and understanding that is approximately comparable to what he would learn in an introductory-level college course. If a student loves a subject and has read extensively on his own, he may be ready to pass a college-level exam without much further study.

College-level exams are convenient. AP exams are offered at high schools; CLEP, DSST, and other exams are offered at test centers on college campuses nationwide. You can take exams whenever you're ready - there's no age limit. They're cheaper than most other ways of earning college credit. They're objective, many are widely accepted, and they make the most of your time. And scores are maintained on a testing company transcript for twenty years so that you can have them sent to any schools you wish at any time during those years.

Try College (with Training Wheels) - Your local community college or junior college offers another option for earning credit in classes, such as lab sciences, that are difficult to manage at home. It's like college with training wheels-most students commute, many are first-generation college students, and classes are often designed to bring these students up to speed so they can transfer to a four-year college if they wish. The application process is simple; tuition is usually much lower than at a four-year school; and students can begin by trying just one or two classes at a time with no long-term commitment.

I've heard of students as young as 10 years old being admitted, but most schools prefer that students be 13 or older. My sons started taking classes when they were 15 or 16, and it has been a very positive experience for all of them. Both of my older sons completed associate's degrees, then transferred to four-year schools to complete their bachelor's. It's really nice to be graduating from college, when other people your age are graduating from high school!

An Opportunity and a Challenge - As outsiders in the education establishment, homeschoolers sometimes face a credibility gap. While this needn't affect our educational choices, it's nice to be able to go above and beyond the ordinary in providing objective proof of learning. College-level exams and community college classes are cheap, accessible ways of earning college credit and proving that homeschoolers can teach themselves nearly anything they want to know.

When you decide to homeschool through high school, you have already made one non-traditional educational choice. By taking it a step farther, you can open to the door to some wonderful options that will help your student make the most of the teen years. Together, you and your teen can choose a homeschool experience that prepares them to soar. Are you ready to get a jump-start on college?

When Natalie Wickham graduated from high school, she wrestled with the question of whether or not to attend college. She had been homeschooled for nine years of her education, but the prevailing expectation was that she would pursue further schooling from some accredited institution. However, rather than follow some pre-designed plan just because everyone around her did, Wickham decided to keep her options open and trust God to provide the educational experiences and opportunities she needed.

Since graduating in 1999, Wickham has had uncountable experiences and opportunities that she never would have gained through a traditional college education. This included earning her National Certification as a Teacher of Music, and launching her own thriving private music studio. Despite having never even taken the ACT, let alone pursued a college degree, Wickham’s expertise and hands-on experience landed her in front of a graduate class at a local university. There she discovered that years of classroom lectures and hours spent studying for tests hadn’t prepared these students for the real world of teaching and running a studio. Real life has prepared Wickham far better than a traditional education ever could have. Wickham’s latest trailblazing has led her to publish Pajama School, a book that highlights her life and inspires other students to continue to challenge the status quo and trust God with the future beyond graduation.

Wickham is one example of a homeschool graduate who successfully followed the road less-traveled. While new doors to higher education are opening all the time, there is still considerable pressure on high school graduates to view college as the key to unlocking a successful future. Nothing could be further from the truth! Exorbitant tuition costs siphon thousands of dollars and instead serve to plague students for years after graduating. Propaganda-driven classes program the next generation to be minions of the state. Detrimental social environments perpetuate adolescent irresponsibility rather than equip students to be financially savvy, independent thinkers who can positively impact the culture. More and more high school graduates are looking for alternatives to the failing system that traditional higher education has become.

Cash In, Debt Out

Exorbitant tuition costs that plague students for years after graduating has become stunningly common. Many students are never even able to get a job in their chosen field.

In her well-researched book, The Case Against College, Caroline Bird reports, “We concluded that in strictly financial terms, college is the dumbest investment a young man can make.”¹ Her chapters dealing with the cost of college tuition outline in great detail how they arrived at this conclusion. After interviewing hundreds of students at schools across the country, she writes, “Many . . . told us frankly that while college is a pleasant place to be – and beats working – it would not be worth it if they had to pay for it themselves.” ² A recent survey asked thousands of students at hundreds of colleges if they would go to their school again. About 40% said they were not likely to enroll.

This trend was highlighted by the recent ABC News story, “Is College Worth the Price of Admission?” The promise that a college degree will guarantee a better paying job has proved to be a lie for many college graduates. “The bachelor’s degree is America’s most overrated product,” says Marty Nemko, PH.D., an education consultant and career counselor. “When your parents had a bachelor’s degree it was a big deal . . . today it’s like a hunting license for a job.”

Sandy Baum, an Economics professor, admits that a degree won’t make graduates the additional million that colleges promise. But she does insist that “on average people benefit much more from going to college.” However, statistics don’t back that up. Students in the bottom 40% of their high school class (students that colleges are working hard to recruit) have very low chances of ever graduating, even if given 8 ½ years, according to Nemko. The kids who are successful, on the other hand, are the ones who would have been successful whether they went to college or not, because they have the drive, perseverance, and hands-on skills to succeed.

Personal finance guru Suzu Orman agrees. “It’s smarter to acquire specific marketable skills . . . I would much rather see a student graduate knowing that they can go out there, get a job, and not be crushed under the burden of a prestigious degree.”

Perhaps if it were only exorbitant costs, the traditional educational establishment could be forgiven enough to be tolerated. But instead, there are ominous warnings that it wants students to check in their brains at the door along with their bills.

No Thinking Allowed

Lauren Bleser, an elementary teacher from upstate New York who has experienced teaching in public, private, and homeschool settings alike, points out that even the National Education Association (NEA) agrees that education cannot be neutral and that ideas do have consequences. In her recent article “A Teacher Learns the Truth About Education,” Bleser sums up the modern educational agenda with a quote from Joyce Elmer Morgan, former editor of the Journal of the National Education Association.

Morgan says, “In the struggle to establish an adequate world government, the teacher can do much to prepare the hearts and minds of children for global understanding and cooperation. At the very top of all the agencies which will assure the coming of world government must stand the school, the teacher, and the organized profession.”

Worldview does count. The old cliché that “the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world” rings hauntingly true in Morgan’s statement. But college students are not infants, and they are not prone to be lulled to sleep by relativistic, socialistic ideas, are they?

Perhaps more than we might think.

In a recent controversial book, “Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth,” college graduate Ben Shapiro reveals the liberal agenda college students are expected to adopt if they want to be considered tolerant and academic. Professors with liberal agendas seek to champion tolerance for all – except for those with a conservative worldview. As Phyllis Schlafly notes, “the radicals of the 1960s have become tenured professors.” Situational ethics and groupthink pervade not only the classroom but also infiltrate the dorms, until all the world seems to think, act, and speak in exactly the same way. Josh Sterling, a senior at Cornell University, said, “When 1% of the campus is conservative and the other 99% who care are incredibly liberal, you’re going to get something approaching a socialist state.”

Even some avowed liberal professors have grown so disgusted with the lack of critical thinking and work ethic of students that they have decided to leave the job they love. As one such professor, who asked to be called John Smith, explained, “Intellectual sparring . . . about ideas – among students and faculty – has been replaced by one-sided, partisan drivel . . . my partisan colleagues . . . do not hear the other side, so it is easy to demonize the other side. Their students are listening, and sadly think of conservatism in its many forms as horrific. Worse still, they now conflate liberal passion and advocacy with justice, and by default, analytic rigor and reason. They do not weigh evidence, or take note of pro, cons, costs or benefits. Doing so would be to admit that there are merits to positions they do not hold.”

The question begs to be asked, why pay thousands of dollars to hear only one side of the story?

A Social Wasteland

One of the long-supposed benefits of going to college is simply for the social experience. Thousands have made lifelong friends – and found lifelong partners – at universities all over the world. But it has become increasingly obvious that college is more likely not only a fake – but also dangerous – social environment for students. Statistics show that both drug and alcohol abuse on campus has gone on a rampant increase in the last few years - with some drug increases up to 343%. According to a 2008 survey in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, violence on college campuses is also on the rise. 45% of students report that they have been the victim of some form of violence, whether physical, sexual, or emotional.

It would appear that being surrounded by peers is more likely to perpetuate a culture of irresponsible adolescence than prepare young adults for the rigors of the real world. In his article, Professor Smith describes higher education at many liberal arts colleges as a “puffy sofa nestled with down pillows” for scores of students. He observes that not only do students want it easy in class, they want to be comfy and passive beyond the classroom as well. “Student life” largely serves to debilitate the notion of a genuine, deliberative, academic community. Rather than fuel cerebral discussions with activities for the mind, resident advisors and their adult supervisors plan activities that redefine anti-intellectualism. There is Sensitivity Day, Tolerance Day, Wear [insert color here] Day, and a host of other events that are aimed at ‘inspiring.’ Dorm life is supposed to be cool, fun and engaging . . . my students are brutally honest – they tell me with candor and without shame that their peers think of college as a four year cruise without a destination.”

While there is nothing wrong with a little fun, it is not and should not be the purpose of a college education. Neither is it worthy of piling up student debts to earn nothing in return.

Rethinking College

In spite of all the negative trends, a growing number of young people are growing frustrated enough with the way things are to blaze a different trail. Those leading the charge are often young people already accustomed to challenging the status quo – homeschool graduates.

Jana Kornfeld, Marketing Manager for Natalie Wickham’s book Pajama School, can testify to a similar dissatisfaction with the traditional options available to homeschool graduates that Wickham experienced. Kornfeld also determined to trust God to show her an alternative path. She discovered an organization called CollegePlus!, a coaching program which assists students in earning their degrees via accelerated distance learning methods. “It was an answer to every prayer I’d ever prayed as far as continuing my education went. I would not only be able to save time and money, but I would be able to remain at home and stay involved with my family, church, and community ministries,” says Kornfeld. For under $10,000, she was able to earn her fully accredited four-year degree in just 14 months and 14 days.

Brittany Barden can attest to the vital assistance of CollegePlus! with similar results. Barden earned 120 credits toward her fully accredited BA entirely through credit-by-examination alone – in just 10 months. Neither did she become a mole under a pile of textbooks to accomplish this seemingly impossible feat. While she studied and took tests, Barden found time to run her mom’s business, coordinate a local Bible Bee Competition, help advise political campaigns, and serve her family. “It was absolutely crazy, but proof that you can live a full life while completing a college degree in record time!” Barden declares.

All three of these graduates present proof that education is about more than just simply going with the flow. It’s trusting God with our futures and being willing to blaze a different trail. For graduates like Wickham, Kornfeld, Barden, and countless others, it has been more than worth it. For others willing to take the challenge, new and exciting opportunities await!