Is Homeschooling an Advantage for UT-Austin Admissions?
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In recent years, I’ve received more inquiries about homeschool admissions. For the most part, the application and admissions process is about 90% the same for homeschoolers as for traditionally schooled peers. Toward the end of this post, I will explore five differences for homeschooled students.
I also want to stress that I’m not an authority on homeschool admissions, nor do I have a general opinion on whether families should or shouldn’t homeschool. I don’t personally have kids, so the question of educating my own family doesn’t apply. My expertise is in helping students apply to and gain admission to top universities at the end of their secondary studies and not the pathway to reach that point.
The easiest way to reach me is by email kevin@texadmissions.com and to complete this questionnaire for a free email admissions assessment and to discuss pricing and services.
Who are typical homeschool students applying to UT?
However, the first question we need to ask: who are the typical homeschool students applying to top 50 universities?
Although there are many different reasons and methods that families homeschool their children, almost every parent who emails me has children on an accelerated or advanced curriculum. This post doesn’t have in mind students receiving a predominantly religious education, living a highly unconventional lifestyle like being raised on a sailboat or vanlife, accommodating special needs or learning differences, or being completely unschooled. I’ve come across each of these preferences in Bali where I live and, on my travels, and to each their own. But they don’t tend to be the sorts of families interested in highly selective college admissions.
The kinds of families who contact me will have usually withdrawn from traditional schooling in elementary school because they weren’t adequately challenged and were not permitted to skip grades. Maybe they attended a Montessori or Rudolf Steiner school before opting for homeschooling. Usually, the parents are highly educated in STEM fields and feel comfortable teaching their children higher-level math and science topics.
Many Homeschool students enroll at local community colleges
By the early teen years, the students likely have already completed most of the requirements of their homeschool or self-paced online schooling curriculum. Then, they enroll their child in their local community college to earn college credits, starting the equivalent of their freshman or sophomore year. I don’t know how community college enrollment logistics work, other than it seems like an accessible option.
I work with one or two homeschooled students each cycle, and every single one has followed a similar accelerated path that includes community college coursework. Being competitive for UT-Austin or other top universities almost always requires having some sort of typical transcript validated from an institution, again with the typical students I work with being the community college. One advantage is the community college transcript has traditional grades like A’s and B’s assigned by an instructor.
I’m sure you can find many reports on social media or homeschool family Facebook groups of homeschool students who have never received community college credit or passed AP exams gain admission to the top 20 universities, but I suspect it’s rare. Getting admission into any major at a top 20 university is extraordinarily difficult even for academically-perfect traditionally schooled students with stellar resumes.
Community college enrollment provides STEM opportunities
A second advantage of enrolling at community college, especially for STEM coursework, is that students can access biology and chemistry labs or advanced math like Calculus 3, differential equations, or linear algebra. Many colleges also offer core computer science courses up to data structures and occasionally advanced ones that introduce computer architecture or machine learning. They also often offer career electives related to system administrator, computer repair, and network engineering that might offer alternative pathways to a traditional four-year university education. Occasionally, my homeschool clients work at well-paying adult jobs because they’ve completed skills in trades through their local college or other supplemental training.
This accelerated STEM pathway allows students access to potentially higher-quality professors and resources at an earlier age compared with conventional high schooling. The parents might supplement a child’s secondary studies by sharing their expertise in engineering, software, finance, law, and so on. That has the added benefit of a more rigorous schedule and helps applicants demonstrate their fit for majors like computer science and engineering.
Community college credits are guaranteed to transfer
The third advantage of an accelerated community college pathway is earning credits guaranteed to transfer to any Texas university. Some homeschooled students graduate with an Associate’s degree. Others graduate from high school early and enroll in university before they otherwise might have. I discuss these academic advantages to give you ideas for presenting and framing your non-traditional studies throughout your application.
Homeschool families who follow accelerated paths also tend to pursue extracurriculars and sports independently or with other homeschool students and in city organizations. I’m not authoritative about these opportunities since they vary based on location and interest. However, I’ve worked with many students who do math and CS competitions like AMC, AIME, USAMO, and USACO. They self-study with Art of Problem Solving, open courseware, and certificate programs. They also submit projects to science fairs or essay contests.
Competitive homeschool applicants have similar credentials to traditionally-schooled peers
On paper, my high-achieving homeschool students look no different from their high-achieving traditionally schooled peers. They have high grades, SATs, and a strong resume, making them competitive for UT-Austin and other top-50 universities. They’re also similar to my clients who attend tiny charter or private schools that almost always require supplementing one’s education or extracurriculars with opportunities outside of school.
Five differences with homeschool applicants
Some key differences include homeschooled students not having a class rank. That means, particularly at UT, the SAT/ACT counts for more, so it’s especially important that homeschooled students do well on their standardized exams, particularly if they haven’t taken community college classes. UT states that to receive an assigned ranking in the top 5%, you must score perfect on the SAT. UT and other universities might also take into account AP exam scores, while they might not for traditionally schooled students.
A second difference is that homeschooled students might want to discuss their educational journey and the context of their academic opportunities somewhere in the main essay, a university supplement, or the special circumstances option allowed on Common App. There might be more to your story compared to a traditionally-schooled student, but there might not be. If there is something necessary for your reviewer to know, you should consider sharing it with them. Remember that admissions reviewers aren’t omniscient.
Third, universities might also ask for a detailed homeschool transcript and the curriculum used, so it’s important for families from the beginning to keep detailed records of their student’s progress and studies. Generally speaking, the more documentation you provide, the better, especially if your child is not completing community college courses.
Fourth, recommendation letters might be tough to come by for homeschool students who are not attending community college. Don’t submit one from your parents or relatives. Rec letters at UT are completely optional, so I wouldn’t worry much about them, but for universities that require a core teacher reference, you may want to contact them about how that works for homeschool students.
A final difference is it tends to be a lot tougher for me to forecast a homeschool student’s admissions chances since they lack a conventional high school rank or weighted GPA. Still, all of the same rules of thumb about building a reasonable college list apply: minimize high reaches, have at least one security school where you’re guaranteed admission based on your SAT, and include schools where you have a realistic chance of gaining admission, affording, and enrolling.
Overall, applying as a homeschool applicant isn’t too different
You might need to provide more paperwork, discuss the context of your studies in an essay, and frame your resume within the context of the opportunities available to you. Some of your responses on the Common App may not be applicable. Homeschooling could also be an advantage in your application if you provide examples that illustrate how your adaptable, independent, or a self-starter. An alternative education might also allow you opportunities to concentrate very deeply in one subject or complete an intensive research project that a traditional school might not accommodate.
UT-Austin and most universities also usually have dedicated home school admissions counselors, so if you have questions about specific admissions policies or application procedures, it’s best to reach out directly to them.
UT’s email is homeschooladmissions@austin.utexas.edu