The misconceptions about homeschooling families are like mosquitoes; extremely
annoying and too numerous to count. One of the most popular myths about
homeschooled kids is that they're not properly socialized, won't fit in with
their peers, and aren't prepared for life beyond lessons from Mommy at the
kitchen table. Here are some comforting facts and statistics for homeschoolers
from The Journal of College
Admission:
Homeschool Students Have Better College
GPA's
The study conducted by Michael Cogan, the director of
institutional research and analysis at the University of St. Thomas, shows that
homeschool students not only earn a higher average GPA the first semester at
college than other freshmen, they maintain the GPA advantage all the way through
their senior year.
Homeschool Students Are More Likely To
Graduate College
66.7% of homeschoolers who start college will
earn a degree, compared to 57.5% of their peers.
Homeschool
Students Do Better on the SAT and ACT
The homeschool average on
both the SAT and ACT have been consistently higher than the national average.
These standardized tests are an important factor in college admissions and
financial aid.
Homeschool Students Are More Likely To Attend
College
According to studies done by the HLDA, 74% of homeschool
students will earn college credits, compared to 46% of their
peers.
For all those well-meaning friends and family, (or those
nosy acquaintances!) who fret about homeschoolers not being
"socialized":
Homeschool Students Are More Likely to
Participate in Community Activities, and More Likely To Vote As
Adults!
This information comes from a study of over 7,300 adults
who are homeschool graduates.
All in all, the data on homeschooling
through to college is very positive. Because homeschooled kids can learn at
their own pace in every subject, many are able to earn some college credits
before they even finish high school. Many universities specifically seek out
homeschool students because of their high success rates in secondary education,
and most colleges will accept a portfolio in place of high school transcripts
(including Harvard, Princeton, Brown, and other top-notch schools). Parents can
feel good about their decision to educate their own children; when the
achievements of homeschool students are weighed against those of their
public-school peers, the kitchen table doesn't look so bad after all!
