The “true” Ivy League schools are Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale.
Do your research early in high school to find out exactly what they want in their applicants, and do your best to give it to them. Here are examples of Ivy League homeschool admission policies.
Brown FAQ for Homeschoolers
I suggest thorough course descriptions and extra subject tests.
Columbia Admission for Homeschoolers
Columbia does not grant any credit for college courses taken during high school.
Princeton Admission tips for Homeschooled Students
The more you can document, the better. A homeschooler was the 2002 Valedictorian, so I do think they understand homeschooling.
Dartmouth Answers Homeschool Questions
“There is no need to worry that we are not accustomed to home-schooled applicants.” They like students to demonstrate language proficiency with SAT 2 or AP subject tests.
Rejection can happen. There are many thousands of highly qualified students who are rejected each year – from public, private, and home-schools! So be prepared with a back up plan! At this level, when all candidates are extremely qualified, it often seems like it was a flip-of-the-coin admission decision, with no rhyme or reason.
These colleges value homeschool education. And yet there are no guarantees for anyone, regardless of the type of quality of their education. Read their admission policy carefully, and weigh your options with your eyes wide open.
Homeschoolers can have GREAT success with Ivy admission, however. It was a homeschooler who was accepted to 7 of the nations top universities in 2008.
“In what has been called the most competitive year ever for college admissions, Chelsea Link defied the odds to get accepted into Yale. Then Harvard. Then came the fat envelopes from Princeton, Columbia, University of Chicago, Stanford and Northwestern University. Making that feat still more extraordinary, Link has been home-schooled since age 5.”
Read the Chicago Tribune Article
“This is the story that the teachers unions wish had never happened. This is the story that proves all their hysterical demands for more money are nothing but a sham. This is the story that makes the unions and education bureaucrats sick to their stomachs. This is the personal story of my daughter Dakota Root.” Read the original article
As you do your research, remember that Ivy League schools may be prestigious, but they are certainly NOT perfect. I stumbled upon a recent article in Rolling Stone that confirms that for at least one student. (Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy: Inside Dartmouth’s Hazing Abuses.)
Are Ivy league schools worse than other schools? Don’t bet on it! Are they better than other schools? Does it matter? It’s more important to consider the FIT of the college, and only your family can determine the right fit for your student and your family.
- Homeschoolers CAN get admission into Ivy schools
- Homescholers are NOT guaranteed admission
- Ivy league schools are NOT perfect
- Do your research early
- Have a contingency plan in case of rejection
In May, my Gold Care Club webinar will be on Ivy League college applications. If you would like to join me in the discussion, join the Gold Care Club
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