HERO of Oklahoma - Oklahoma Homeschooling College Resources

From Homeschooling To College

Yes, thousands upon thousands of homeschoolers can and do go to college!  Some homeschoolers even choose to go to take college classes and earn college credit concurrently while still in high school. 

Bryan College - We are the college that teaches all of our courses with a definitive Christian worldview. Classes like pre-calc, General Psychology, and Freshman English are just part of what we offer at Bryan.  The learning is mostly independent, with class work planned out each week by the course instructor.

These courses can be taken at home or in a classroom.  Each course is compiled with the student in mind, homework, quizzes, and tests all taken online.      

Our online learning program offers the Bryan College tradition—strong Biblical emphasis, quality teachers, non-denominational, a Christian worldview—but we’ve brought part of Bryan closer to you. This fall, starting August 22, for $399 plus textbooks (per course), students can choose to enroll in two of our 3-credit classes per session (two sessions per semester).  

High school students may begin dual enrollment the summer after their sophomore year, as long as the student is 16 years old and has a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Because Bryan College is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, credit earned through Bryan online is likely to transfer to the college your student is considering.  For a complete course listing, for more information, or to fill out an online application, please visit www.bryan.edu/online or call (423)-775-7558.

Colleges That Have Admitted Homeschoolers

 Karl M. Bunday maintains a list of colleges that have admitted homeschoolers.  It's a handy reference when researching colleges and also a great resource for those friends and family members having a difficult time understanding how homeschoolers can get into the college of their choice.

 

Oklahoma College Resources

Oklahoma State Regents For Higher Education 1 (800) 858-1840 or (405) 524-9100.  State Capitol Complex, 500 Education Building, Oklahoma City, OK 73105.    The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education offer a wealth of online publications about preparing for college, including information about  financial aid, what should be studied in high school, free summer academies, and more.

Oklahoma Colleges and Universities - request Oklahoma college and university catalogs, admissions applications, and information about scholarships and financial aid.

 

Highschool Transcripts

Course Numbers and Transcript Details by Shirley Minster

Cindy Downes does an excellent job explaining how to create a  high school transcript along with samples and even offers a downloadable blank transcript. 

Donna Young offers some sample high school transcripts and forms on her website.

Records and Reports - Some ideas on keeping homeschool records with college in mind.  Includes links to free record keeping spreadsheets and other documents.

Remaking the Grade
Colleges Devise Formulas to Interpret Applicants' High-School GPAs. If you plan to go to college, you probably place a lot of weight on your grade-point average. But you may be interested to know that many colleges don't. By Anne Marie Chaker, The Wall Street Journal.

 

College Financial Aid

FinAid is the number-on recommendation of Susan Richman, a columnis for Practical Homeschooling magazine.  The FinAid website offers financial aid calculators and other resources to explain the financial-aid application process. 

FastWeb is a good source of indivdualized scholarship searches.  It also has a database of scholarships and grants, with links to online college applications.

Xap Student Center - Prepare, plan a career, search colleges, get monty with their financial aid wizard, search for scholarships, and apply to college using the tools on the website.

SallieMae is the nation's leading provider of student loans, helping millions of American achieve their dream of a higher education.

Scholarship Mentor offers a monthly newsletter with scholarship information

 

General College Resources

College information websites
These are websites which will help you find: the right college, financial aid and scholarships, information and help with college entrance exams, online college courses, and eligibility requirements for college athletics.

Getting Ready for College Early - A Handbook for Parents of Students in the Middle and
Junior High School Years U.S. Department of Education
This is an online book with the following topics of discussion: A Note to Parents of Middle and Junior High School-Age Youth Making the Decision: Why Going to College Is Important?, What kinds of jobs can you get with a college education? Examples of Jobs Requiring College Preparation, Getting Ready: Taking the Right Courses for College Starts in Middle School, Challenging courses help kids get into college, High School Recommended Courses for College, Get a
"Leg Up" on College Preparation and Save on Tuition, Don't go it alone: Help for parents, Planning Ahead: What Does College Cost? Paying for College: The Aid Is Available, but Save, Too?

Questions and Answers About Getting Started in College
by Wes Beach on the National Home Education Network

Helpful Books To Pave The Way To College


And What About College?: How Homeschooling Leads to Admissions to the Best Colleges & Universities by Cafi Cohen.  The author's story of helping her two homeschooled children apply and get accepted to the colleges of their choice.


Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook: Preparing Your 12- to 18-Year-Old for a Smooth Transition by Cafi Cohen.  The title really says it all!  Written from a veteran homeschooler who is also the mother of college graduates.


Homeschooler's Guide to Portfolios and Transcripts by Loretta Heuer.  How to develop portfolios and transcripts and preparing for admissions and interviews.


The Official SAT Study Guide by The College Board Take the fear out of testing by providing ample opportunity to experience the real thing. A national bestseller.


Homeschooling High School: Planning Ahead for College Admission Although it is designed for Christian homeschoolers, this book has information helpful to school-at-home homeschoolers of any or no faith. Includes information gleaned from many interviews with college admissions officers and transcript information.


The Question Is College: On Finding and Doing Work You Love (Innovators in Education) The target audience is teens, especially those who are undecided about whether college is for them. It's about college, alternative directions, and finding work you love, whether you go to college or not.


Reading Lists for College Bound Students, 3/e (Reading Lists for College-Bound Students) Here are the books the "best" colleges recommend, and book annotations from those most often recommended. If you aren't sure what your teen should be reading for a healthy dose of literature, this will help.


Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT, 2007-2008 Edition


The Homeschoolers Guide to College by Chris Backe
The Homeschoolers Guide to College begins by talking about finishing your homeschooling, making the transition into college, a chapter for parents eyes only, and getting admitted to college. After making the transition to college, The Homeschoolers Guide to College continues with chapters on getting started at college, the social scene, classes, and writing papers. There is a chapter on the upperclassmen years and one simply called, ‘What’s next?’ – assisting the reader through the transition from college to the real world. The book ends with helpful appendices, including a homeschool-to-college timeline, a glossary of college terms, a list of colleges that don't require SAT / ACT scores, and a complete checklist of what you’ll need for college.