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| Choosing College for Homeschooler |  Discover your child. Find out the interests your child? Are these possible college majors (like computer science or English literature), or just strong hobbies that your son or daughter would like to be able to continue on campus? This can really decrease your focus at least a bit. Clear up which schools have the major your child desires, which schools are really known for the field, and which just have a token program. Then you can discover other opportunities for your child. Find out about dancing, rock-climbing club or student radio station, drama or an orchestra where your child can take part in.
Think about costs. For many homeschooling families cost is still an essential factor to consider, although you'll always hear from colleges that cost of a certain school should not keep you from applying and considering the place, as there is always student loan or possible scholarships. Public colleges are normally cheaper than private colleges - but some private schools like Grove City College in PA are known nationwide for a first-rate education coupled with an amazing low bill. Public universities always give a financial break for in-state students, and community colleges can propose a good program at very low cost.
Did you know that the first-rate colleges, such as the Ivy League schools, have a strong policy of not giving academic or merit-based scholarships? They have super financial need help, but don't want any dollars to flow from your kid's high SAT scores - all the applicants have those. You need to go to the next tier of schools, if you want to find merit scholarships. These schools are working very hard to improve their student body. These schools often also have excellent honors college programs, proposing special advising, coursework, and activities to inspire smart kids. Military academies are practically free to the fortunate students who can make it through the very challenging admissions process. You can check out their requirements, if this sort of experience attracts your family.
How far from home? Many homeschooling families are very close-knit, and want to have their kids rather nearby. Many homeschoolers do with a great pleasure a trip around the country - or around the world! - but before doing it, it is good to make sure that there is no possible college within an hour or two of where you live. You can easily visit a full range of colleges within a couple of hours of home, if you have no time for a big college tour across half the country. Often this can be done quite informally, for instance, when you are visiting special cultural events on nearby campuses - a play, concert, art exhibit, special ethnic or festival. Evaluate college and consider what you all think of this place in general while you're there.
Look for special and exclusive programs. Start looking at some chosen colleges in depth and see what you can find out about their exclusive offerings. You can find, for instance: a college that has a special short semester where students concentrate on only one course for two months; a special college study-abroad program to some queer place; a particular outdoors education program like Hocking College, where more work is done on the rockface and the trail than in the classroom at times. Are there possibilities for creating your own self-designed courses or major, making college an extension of independent-minded homeschooling? Or would your child rather engross himself in a Great Books type of school where all the students take exactly the same courses, and the energy comes from a shared experience and lively discussions that extend beyond the classroom? The opportunities are unlimited - and the more questions you ask, and the more researches you do via college websites and meetings with professors and admissions staff and current students, the more you'll know.
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