Homeschoolers and College: Private or Public University?

Your student may be interested in both the local public university and the expensive private one across the country -- which one is actually cheaper?! When it comes to comparing colleges, it's important to remember that the financial differences between attending a private school and a public school are negligible. Most public schools are tied to their state's money, and because of the current economic crisis, the cost of public university is going up while the number of scholarships is going down. Meanwhile, many private schools are doing fairly well and tend to have huge scholarships. Even though their sticker price may be overwhelmingly large, the amount that students actually pay to attend is significantly smaller.

When comparing colleges, use reference books like the US News and World Report College Guide to determine real costs. After you've decided which colleges you think you might want to visit, get out the college guide and look at each college. Start by looking up the average SAT score for each college.

How to Write Really Great College Application Ess`ys for Homeschool Success

One of the keys to winning big scholarships is to write really great application essays. The problem with application essays is that they have to be technically perfect, self-reflective essays. I know that can be a problem! I've had teenagers, and I know that "technically perfect" is a very difficult thing to get your children to do in an essay. I also had boys, and I know that self-reflection for boys is extremely difficult. Technically perfect, self-reflective essays are a difficult thing that can take a lot of time. Therefore, make sure that you have lots of time to get these essays done.

One way to do this is to have your child begin practicing their application essays when they are a junior, even as the basis for their junior year English program. When they apply to college, they will have a variety of essays to draw from. If you have a senior, I encourage you to hit the ground running the first day of senior year. Make sure their first writing assignment is a college application essay. Even if they haven't decided what colleges they want to apply to, grab a college essay topic and have your child write on it.

Random Facts Versus Whole Science Approach to Homeschool Teaching

When it comes to learning science, most of us were taught in the public school system, which is a big proponent of the random fact teaching methodology. In other words, science was a single subject taught in a vacuum separate from other subjects. When it comes to teaching difficult or complex subjects such as science, it makes more sense to take a holistic approach. Here's why.

The Science Random Fact Junk Drawer

There has been much news lately about the American education crisis in regards to a lack of interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) disciplines. The United States is falling behind other developed countries when it comes to new technologies and discoveries, mainly because it is producing fewer graduates with related degrees.

College Credit for Homeschoolers With CLEP

If your homeschooled students is looking for college credit while still in high school, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) college level test is a great resource. The CLEP is a subject test, which measures one subject at a time, and there are 33 CLEP subjects. Because it's a subject test, it will not meet your state's annual assessment requirements. Many colleges will accept these tests and give credit for them, so check with your individual colleges to see whether they do this.

CLEP test scores range from 20-80; a passing score is anything above 50 for most tests. A college itself will decide what is the acceptable score that is required for them to award college credit. Foreign languages may have a higher testing requirement, such as a 60 or 65 in order to get college credit.

One of the unusual things about the CLEP is that it is computer-based. Other subject tests are taken using paper and pencil at a local high school.