Will My Child Get Into College If I Homeschool?
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
-Aristotle
What I continue to hear from mothers is uncertainty. And especially uncertainty about ‘doing homeschool right’. Or, will I ruin my child’s chances of getting into a top university or even any university? How will my children ever ‘get a good job’ if they don’t attend university?
First, I’d like to say that you can easily let go of these fears and feel empowered and confident that you really are doing the best for your children.
I had those same fears and doubts when I first started homeschooling full-time. I made the decision on a whim. It was an idea in the back of my mind for several years and it was a few months into my older daughter’s year of first grade that it was what we had to do.
I hadn’t prepared beforehand and so I bought those cartoonish fat curriculum workbooks by grade level. The girls sat at little desks ready to simulate a school classroom at home. That lasted about a week. Maybe two at the most. None of us found it interesting or stimulating. Instead, we took their scooters to a large park and enjoyed the beautiful weather, the sun and the liberty to do as we wanted. And, that’s when we decided to do education ‘our way’.
As I was researching every aspect of homeschooling in the early morning hours before our day began, I came to the realization that institutionalized education had been on the decline for years. Even at the university level. It took me awhile to get over the perceived necessity and prestige of a university degree. And in time, it was completely off our radar.
Without the overhanging worry of getting into college, we had the freedom to focus on exploration of the world around us and in a way that supported my girls’ natural interests and talents.
Going through this re-assessment raised some thought-provoking questions for me. Does higher education automatically lead to higher income? Or happiness? Does everyone belong in a university? Does it really serve society for everyone to attend university?
Have you seen the state of the level of academics at colleges recently? Is the university system the same as it was 50 years ago? The economy and our way of life has been changing significantly and will only continue to transform into the future.
The questions I’d be asking myself would relate more towards the particular skills, talents, passions and interests of my child. What really are the necessary skills needed to be prosperous and fulfilled in the next decade? Allow your children to discover their innate passions and they will thrive without the need to conform to the current ‘standards’ of education norms. I have a masters degree and did not encourage my daughters to go to university and now they’re self-motivated and spending time on projects they truly enjoy. Also, they are financially responsible young adults without the burden of student loans or other debt.
If you consider the longer vision for your children, is it really necessary to fill out worksheets or follow one standardized curriculum? I believe that if a mother is committed to supporting her children by homeschooling, that whatever she does in the way of learning will serve her children in ways unattainable at a public school or any other institutionalized environment. Simply enjoy your time together while they’re young and engage in activities that your family will remember. There are so many ways to learn.
If, in the end, your child feels it’s necessary to attend a university know that top universities actively seek out homeschooled students. They’ll actually have an advantage in the admissions process!
Talk to me
Have any questions? I am always open to talk about your goals, needs, questions and how I can help you.