Dear Roadie,
Should my homeschooled daughter take the SAT or ACT if she also has dual enrollment credit? She’s been homeschooled since elementary school and isn’t used to taking standardized tests, so she’s afraid she won’t do well even though she is a good student. It seems like a waste of time given that she’s already taken college-level classes and done well. Is it OK to skip testing?
— The Homeschooling Mama
Dear Homeschooling Mama,
The number of students who choose to be homeschooled has soared in recent years, in part because of the pandemic. Some students simply preferred attending school at home, while others have been doing it since kindergarten. Overall, nearly 4 million students in the U.S. are homeschooled, and some data shows that homeschooled students outperform traditional school students academically.
All that to say, your daughter is in good company.
Applying to college as a homeschooler, however, is a bit different than applying as a traditional high school student. Each college will have its own set of requirements, so it’s best to begin researching schools she may be interested in early, so she has plenty of time to learn the application policies of each.
Let’s begin with test scores. Whether your homeschooler takes the SAT or ACT, you’ll find that many schools will require all students, including homeschool students, to submit scores, even if they’re graduating with dual enrollment credit. Standardized test scores give colleges a level playing field for comparing applicants, allowing them to see how your homeschooled student’s abilities stack up against students graduating from traditional schools.
After a post-pandemic spike in test-optional colleges, many schools have since rolled back their decision and reverted to requiring standardized test scores. This includes some of the most competitive schools in the nation, such as Brown University, Georgetown University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Texas at Austin.
Dual Enrollment Shows Colleges You’re Ready, Willing, and Capable
Whether a school requires test scores or not, having earned good grades in dual enrollment classes will bode well for her application overall, especially if she doesn’t perform as well as she would like once she takes the SAT or ACT. It shows colleges that she is capable of college-level work, and depending on the school, she may be able to transfer those credits, saving her time and money.
Beyond application requirements, there are many reasons taking the SAT or ACT may be worth your daughter’s time. The SAT and the ACT aren’t the only standardized tests your daughter will likely take in her lifetime, so the sooner she gets some practice, the better. Many college final exams follow a similar format, and should she choose to pursue a graduate degree, she’s likely to have to take even more standardized tests, such as the LSAT for law school and the GRE for most master’s level programs.
The earlier she takes her first standardized test, the better, as she can take it multiple times without penalty (most schools allow you to submit your best scores and ignore the rest). Also, keep in mind that just because she takes the SAT and ACT does not mean she has to submit her scores right away. She can always wait and see how she does before deciding where to apply.
In addition to any required essays, have your daughter consider providing supplemental essays that detail her experience as a homeschooled student— or writing the primary essay about that subject. It will help admissions counselors get a deeper understanding of who she is as a whole and how she might transition to a traditional school environment.
Competitive schools may also require her to provide course descriptions, grading methodology, instructor summaries, and perhaps even sample papers and assignments. Just like traditional schools, the specifics of curriculum can vary widely from one homeschooled student to another, so the more information they have to evaluate her, the better.
Homeschooled students bring a unique perspective and experience to the college environment, and I’m confident that your daughter will find many schools that welcome both.
Have a perplexing college question? Email Dear Roadie for advice at dearroadie@road2college.com
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