Row of cannonballs on USS Constitution gundeck.
Activities, All, Summer

7 History Related Activities for High School Students

How can would be historians gain skills in the discipline, find out if majoring in history fits their goals, and make a difference in their community? I collected a few history related activities for students. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but hopefully it will help generate ideas you can put into action.

Library of Congress Veterans History Project

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP) is a program that collects, catalogues, and digitizes oral histories, photos, and diaries from US military veterans. A student might start small, by interviewing veterans in their family or neighborhood. But this could also become a significant activity for students who take on projects for collecting larger sets of histories from veterans. Some successful projects have concentrated on veterans from a particular era or conflict; special categories of veterans, such as Black or women veterans; veterans from a local area, retirement facility, or veterans’ organization. Often, Members of Congress are eager to support larger collection efforts. The VHP website has a list of partner organizations listed by state. These organizations may have ongoing projects that students can join or might offer support to new collections.

National History Day Competition

National History Day (NHD) is history competition based around an annual theme (2021-2022 is Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences). Students research using primary and secondary sources, then present their analysis and conclusions in one of five categories: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Each category is judged separately according to criteria appropriate for that type of presentation. Depending on your local area, there may be initial contests at the school, district, Regional, or Affiliate level. Winners of Affiliate level competitions go on to the National competition. The Affiliate Coordinator for your area will have details on local contest dates, deadlines, and supporting organizations. Each new NHD contest cycle begins in June, with the conclusion of the previous year’s competition. This is a well-known history related activity across the US, with a number of history organizations supporting student projects.

Local Historical Societies, Historic Sites, and Museums

There are historic sites, local history societies, and history museums in almost every community. You might be familiar with Historic Sites and Historic Trails that are part of the National Parks Service. These have volunteer opportunities through the Volunteers in Parks (VIP) program. You can find the volunteer coordinator in the Get Involved section for each site.

But don’t overlook historic sites, museums, and historic societies run by state, county, or local groups when looking for history related activities. Because local historic organizations often run on shoestring budgets, they are often in dire need of volunteer help and may be more flexible with age or experience requirements for volunteers. Possible volunteer activities might include preparing exhibits or brochures, cataloging artifacts, staffing booths at local festivals, serving as a docent, or assisting with group events. Some areas have specialized history libraries and archives within state or local library systems. You might even have access to historic ships or aviation museums.

Model United Nations

At first glance, Model UN might not seem like a history related activity. In reality, debates of current conflicts often have roots in the past. What’s more, many Model UN conferences include historic crisis simulations. In a historic simulation, students might debate the treaty ending World War One, Fall of the Berlin War, or the Cuban Missile Crisis. Many conferences require delegates to submit a position paper representing their country’s policy on the stated committee topic.

To get started, look for a Model UN league in your area, MUN conferences for high school students sponsored by colleges, or online conferences. You can even start small with a single committee conference at your own school. If you take on organization of a small conference, plan to create background guides for each committee to give delegates a common background framework for debate.

Similar activities might include Girls State and Boys State, Youth in Government, Mock Trial or Moot Court, and debate competitions.

Historic Marker Projects

You might be familiar with roadside historic markers. These are large markers that describe historic events that took place at or near the spot where the marker is placed. These markers are often suggested or sponsored by local organizations. Students interested in history might research the history around a local site or individual and nominate a new marker. In my county, the efforts of local students were so effective that the county board of supervisors created a county-wide Historic Marker Project to encourage submission of nominations. You can find the process for nominating new markers by searching for the name of your state and Historic Marker.

You might also find that existing local markers are in need of refurbishment. This is another project that students could take on, but be sure to coordinate with the entity responsible for markers in your area and follow their guidelines for cleaning and restoration.

Digital Transcription Projects

Digitization of historic records makes them widely available to historians around the world. But an image isn’t easily searchable on its own and optical character recognition software often struggles with handwritten records. Digital transcription projects are crowd sourced efforts to record the contents of digitized records and catalog them in searchable formats.

The Smithsonian Institution Digital Volunteer Transcription Center is a long-running transcription project open to any volunteer. Recent projects included a collection of material relating to the life of the first successful dirigible pilot in the US, a 1925 scrapbook from a graduate of Prairie View College (now Prairie View A&M University, and audio transcriptions of the Adventures in Science program from the 1950s. Available projects change frequently.

You can find other projects run by state and local museums and archives by searching for “history digital transcription projects.” Transcription projects can be independent activities pursued whenever the student has time available.

Living History and Reenactments

Some students find a period of history so interesting that they want to immerse themselves in the events they study. Reenactments and living history allow them the opportunity to dress, eat, and act as they would have in the past. Local historic sites often have costumed guides to interpret the site to visitors. Military reenactments engage in group encampments and staging battle engagements from periods as diverse as the American Revolution, World War Two, and Ancient Rome. Reenacting can be a history related activity that is quite addictive and sometimes expensive — presenting a Roman centurion requires more investment than a 19th century farmer. Look for living history days or marching through time events in your area to connect with local reenactors.

Get Creative to Find History Activities

Students interested in history might combine some of these activities. For example, they might help a local historical society create a digitization project to preserve and share local newspapers. Or they might use a living history approach to present research in a National History Day presentation. Or they might help a local historic site create traveling trunks with reproduction documents and artifacts to loan out to area classrooms and groups.

One fun aspect of getting involved with history related activities is that the other volunteers are not only also interested in history, but often witnessed historic events themselves. When members of my family volunteered at aviation museums, fellow docents were not only former pilots, but often had experience flying the actual aircraft on display. As I find more interesting activities related to history, I’ll add them to this Pinterest board.

Close up of vintage typewriter with "Stories matter" typed on fresh sheet of paper.
All, College Applications, Essay Writing

Common App Essay Prompts 2023-24

The Common App essay prompts aren’t a list of questions to answer. They are designed to help you think about what’s important to you, who you are as a person, and what you would bring to campus as a college student. The Common App opens August 1 for students applying as freshmen for Fall 2024. The prompts are usually released by February. (This year the prompts didn’t change.) Releasing the prompts earlier allows these story starter questions to rattle around in your head for a while. It can take some time to settle on what stories you want to tell to help an admissions reader understand who you are.

What Is the Purpose of a College Personal Statement

College applications that require essays want to know more about a student than just the basic data of course grades, activities, and scores that appear in other parts of the application. The transcript might show they dropped German in favor of American Sign Language. An essay could reveal the friendship with a young neighbor and a desire to better communicate with her. The activities list might seem like a patchwork of unconnected clubs. An essay might discuss multiple cross-country moves as a military kid and how that experience taught them to make friends quickly.

When considering essay ideas, remember the topic of each essay is you, not what happened. The essay should paint a broader and deeper picture of you to the admissions reader. It might even draw direct connections to what you hope to do in college. The Common App personal statement can respond to any of the Common App essay prompts. Some college applications will have their own essay prompts, like the University of California Personal Interest Questions, or additional essay prompts like Why Us? supplemental essays.

Not sure what a Why Us? essay is? I explain what they are and how to approach them here: How to Write a “Why Us” College Essay.

How to Write Your Common App Essay

When you are ready to get started, read through some of the prompts. What experiences or stories come to mind? Jot down not only what happened but sensory details (how it smelled, sounded, felt, maybe even tasted). Then add some lines about why that experience mattered. How did you change as a result? How did you affect those around you? In other words, you want to get past describing only what happened to explain how this reveals more about who you are as a person.

Some people think their college admissions essays need to be unique. This can pressure them to try to think of topics that no one else has ever written about. But what matters isn’t writing about something unusual or unique. What’s important is making the essay individual to the student. How does the essay reveal who you are, what’s important to you, and how these traits will affect what you bring to campus?

It’s OK to feel uncomfortable during the essay writing process. You are trying to remember events in detail, convey them to someone who wasn’t there, and write in a way that is both grammatically correct and emotionally evocative. That’s a tall order and not something you will achieve at the first attempt. One of my writing profs used the phrase “zero draft” to describe the phase of pouring initial thoughts and words onto paper. This early phase wasn’t even at “first draft” stage, because we were still figuring out what to write about and where the connection points were. Give yourself time and space to work through these steps.

Close up of vintage typewriter. "rewrite...edit...rewrite...edit...rewrite" typed on paper.
College essay first drafts usually need work. Don’t be too critical of your early writing, but do leave plenty of time to reread and rewrite your essay. Remember to read it out loud and check for spelling and punctuation errors.
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

Full List of 2023-24 Common Application Essay Prompts

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don’t feel obligated to do so. (The application won’t accept a response shorter than 250 words.)

  1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
  2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
  3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
  4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
  5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
  6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
  7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Don’t Panic Over College Essay Prompts

Don’t obsess over these prompts. The Common App essay prompts are simply questions designed to encourage deeper thinking and writing in a way that lets you share what’s important to you. Your goal is to give admissions readers a better understanding of who you are as a person than they would get from just looking at grades and test scores. Your essays are your opportunity to control both content and delivery. It is one of the few parts of the application you exert this much control over.

If the first six Common App essay prompts don’t generate ideas, remember that Prompt Seven gives you the freedom to choose your own adventure. This is one reason I start my clients with pre-writing exercises that help them identify what they are trying to communicate – what their story is and what examples help convey it.

Essay coaching is included in each of my comprehensive packages. Essay coaching is also available through hourly services. If this is something you are interested in, let’s connect.

Once you’re done writing your personal statement, use the advice in How to Write a “Why Us?” College Essay to work on any supplemental college essays.

Sunlit colonade at Stanford University
All, College Admissions, College Applications, College Planning

Are Grades or Course Rigor More Important?

When students choose their high school courses, lots of factors come into play.
-What are their academic goals?
-Do they have a strong enough grade in any prerequisite courses?
-What graduation requirements do they still need?
Students (and parents) often ask me if grades or course rigor is more important. In other words, is it better to take harder classes like Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or dual enrollment — even if they risk getting a lower grade? Or is it better to have a higher grade point average (GPA) by taking less challenging courses? Sometimes they have heard that AP or dual enrollment courses “don’t count” at many colleges or that colleges won’t consider a weighted GPA, which further confuses their attempts to pick classes.

There is a lot to unpack here, including how to be discerning about what you read and hear about college admissions. It is easy to hear one line of an admissions brief and miss the context in which it applies. Two students might have very different college application experiences that depend not only on their standing as applicants – grades, courses taken, test scores, class rank, and extracurricular activities ̶ but also on the characteristics of the college – small liberal arts college, flagship state school, highly competitive private university, or local commuter college. It’s essential to look closely at when a statement might be true and if that context applies to your situation.

Grades and Courses Both Matter

What are weighted grades? A grade point average (GPA) assigns a value to each course grade and calculates an average grade for the student over a semester, year, or full high school career. Some classes are considered harder than others, so a school might assign extra value to grades from those courses. The intention is that students still take demanding classes like calculus, fourth year Latin, or AP US History without worrying that their GPA will drop if they earned a lower grade. 

There isn’t a universal standard for weighting grades. Some school add one point for any high level course. Others have complex systems with different weighting for honors, Advanced Placement, or college courses. The same grades in the same courses might produce different GPAs depending on the system used by each high school. So, colleges look at the GPA in the context of what courses are available at a given school and may also use information like class rank to evaluate student academic achievement.

What classes should a student take? Bottom line up front: a student should take classes that they are prepared for but that also challenge them to grow. Some students will prefer standard high school level (or college prep) courses. Other students seek out the greater academic challenge found in honors or college level courses. 

Rigorous Courses and Grades Aren’t All that Matters

Grades and academic rigor consistently rank high as factors in college admissions. In the Common Data Set, colleges rate how important different factors are in admissions. The majority of colleges say that grades are of “Considerable Importance.” About half of colleges say that the strength of the curriculum at the high school are also Considerably Important. And of course, for students applying under a test optional policy, grades and strength of the courses taken will be even more important. Course rigor and grades work together to create a picture of the student’s academic ability. The courses taken provide context for the grades; the courses available at the high school offer context for the courses on the transcript.

Many colleges also consider other factors, such as extracurricular activities, personal interest, and student background; but primarily they want to admit students who have the potential to do well in the classroom. The more selective a colleges is in admissions, the more likely they are to use additional factors to differentiate between students who have similarly high-level academic profiles. Because colleges may see transcripts using many grading systems, they may have their own system for comparing grades, but this does not mean they ignore the difficulty of the courses. These colleges aren’t just looking for the students with the most Advanced Placement courses. Some selective schools indicate that beyond a certain point there may be diminishing returns to simply taking more college-level courses, especially if that takes away time from other activities that make a student interesting.

Strong Grades in Rigorous Courses

What is the bottom line for students? Courses should be challenging enough to push the student to improve their knowledge without overwhelming them. Highly selective colleges tend to pick students with great grades and course rigor. Because they get so many applications, they can be very picky. On the other hand, students should ask if they are ready for a full load of the most rigorous courses and what they pay in opportunity cost. Maybe a course that relates to an intended major is a better option than an unrelated AP course. Advanced Choir might matter more than AP Spanish for a prospective music major. It’s also worth remembering that colleges that admit fewer than 25% of applicants only enroll around 3% of US undergraduates. Almost two-thirds of the incoming freshmen in college attend schools that admit over half of the students that apply.

Street sign for College Ave
College Planning

Research a College Without a Visit

Many students can’t visit all the colleges they want to know more about. Cost, schedule conflicts, and covid campus closures might make the dream of a college tour road trip too hard to make a reality. On the other hand, its essential that students learn about a wide array of colleges. There are many great colleges across the US and most high school students only have a shallow basis for knowing about them. So how can you research a college without a college tour?

Databases for College Research

Some of the most important information about colleges is also the easiest to find, if you know where to look. Admissions statistics, graduation rates, annual costs, and even how many students complete each degree program is available in either the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data submitted to the Department of Education or the Common Data Set (which is usually available on individual college websites). These two data sets are the backbone of most college search engines.

College Navigator Has Data Reported to the Government

College Navigator is one of the first places I go to research a college. This site uses IPEDS data and is an easy source of data on admissions rate, graduation rate, and how large specific degree programs are. The Net Price section is useful for private colleges, because it gives a sense of the actual Net Cost of Attendance at different family income levels. WARNING: For public colleges the Net Price info listed is only for students paying in state tuition. If you apply from out of state, you may pay a much higher tuition rate. College Scorecard takes the same IPEDS data and pairs it with information on post-graduation income and loan debt for specific fields of study. If you are unsure of your intended field of study, this may help visualize possible return on investment for different programs.

Common Data Set Has More Details

A college’s Common Data Set has two sections I find particularly helpful for college research. Section C includes information about admissions for first-time freshmen, including what factors are Very Important, Important, Considered, and Not Considered. For example, Washington State University has a 2020-21 CDS that lists GPA and Rigor of Secondary School Record as Very Important, but Standardized Test Scores, Interviews, and Level of Applicant’s Interest are Not Considered. This means Washington State University does not track if a student toured campus, attended online info sessions, or met with an admissions rep.

CDS Section C is also where you can find test score and GPA distributions for enrolled freshmen as well as some data on Early Decision and admissions waitlists. Because Common Data Set reports are stashed in different places on college websites, I usually search for [Name of College] Common Data Set and look for the most recent report.

Research the College on a Virtual Visit

Before 2020, some colleges had experimented with online “virtual tours.” These were usually photos of the main buildings on campus, with a recorded presentation by a peppy student. But for college research, they leave me a little cold. They often feel like an architectural tour, but it can be hard to feel like you know the school well and the tours tend to blur together.

As a result of Covid, most colleges created virtual information sessions and ways for prospective students to connect without coming to campus. Fortunately, many schools have kept these virtual options available. I try to look for virtual information sessions from admissions staff, live tours with a student guide where they respond to questions, one on one meetings with students or advisors, and virtual college presentations. Many college fairs have gone online, but I’ve heard a lot of college reps say that attendance is lower than normal. This means if you pop into a session during a college fair, you might be able to chat one on one with the admissions rep for your area.

Research the College Using Its Website

College websites are a goldmine for college research, if you have patience and a willingness to dig around. College websites can be a little confusing, since they usually serve many different interests and were built over many years. But as a general rule, you’ll find tabs for Admissions, Academics, and Student Life (or similar wording).

Admissions usually describes the process and timeline for applying to the college, with different pages for Undergraduate First Time Freshmen and Transfers as well as Graduate applicants. Links to financial aid and scholarship info might be in this section too.

Academics is where you’ll find descriptions of majors and minors, as well as college wide degree requirements. You should also look for links to individual colleges, schools, or departments that are smaller administrative organizations within the college or university. For example, Washington State University has 11 separate colleges, including the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, which in turn has 8 different schools and departments for different disciplines (including some at satellite campuses).

More on Researching College Majors

If you were looking for news about engineering wide support like the Living Learning Community or student clubs that would be in the College of Engineering pages. If you want to compare 4 year course plans for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, that would be in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering section. These pages will give you a different perspective of life as an engineering student than if you were to just read the WSU catalog descriptions for Mechanical Engineering.

Obviously, students do more than just go to classes, and social life on campus can be a big factor in choosing where to attend. Tabs for Student Life or similar terms usually have information on housing, clubs, recreation, student dining, and support programs.

Be Creative in your College Research

This is related to the suggestion to dig into the pages for specific programs and departments. Look for videos or podcasts that feature departments, majors, and clubs you care about. Sometimes you’ll get a different sense of what programs or the school than what the admissions marketing department produces. This video explains a research project by Washington State University engineering students that explores how to remove space dust from areas like air locks (don’t miss the astronaut doll in kevlar “space suit” as a test object). And sometimes you’ll find videos with behind the scenes views of campus. For example, I found this video showcasing the Washington State University Engineering Shops. Note that neither of these videos were from the main Washington State University YouTube channel.

Good Outside Sources for College Research

College guide books have been around for a long time now. Think of these as the movie review of the college world. They usually give the highlights of what a college is known for, written either by a campus research team or individual students. A few I like include the Fiske Guide to Colleges (updated annually), Insider’s Guide to Colleges (each entry is written by 1-2 students at the school), and Colleges That Change Lives (in depth descriptions, but could use a refresh).

There are now a lot of outside review sites that try to crowdsource information about colleges. Because these are often written by anonymous students, you don’t really know what their experience or motivation is. Read these with an eye towards trends that are mentioned by many reviews, so you don’t get sucked into one person’s drama. A couple that may be worth your time include Unigo and Campus Reel.

College Admissions, College Applications, Homeschooling

How Can Homeschoolers Apply to College?

“Can homeschoolers apply to college?” I homeschooled for almost two decades. Often when someone found out we homeschooled, they had questions about higher level academics like calculus and advanced Latin. Sometimes they asked how our kids could apply to college There were also questions about social activities like prom, but since I had two not great prom experiences, this seemed a less compelling concern. Some people went so far as to assume that homeschoolers can’t go to college. Others knew of homeschoolers who attended high profile colleges. They wondered if homeschooling could be a college admissions hook.

The reality is somewhere between these two extremes. Homeschoolers can go to college (and often do). Homeschooling often supports deep educational explorations that are highly attractive to selective colleges. But homeschooling itself is not a silver bullet in college admissions. Colleges are willing to consider homeschool applications, but still need enough information to make an admissions decision. While public and private school students get transcripts from their high school, homeschool families usually need to create the documentation that supports their student’s applications.

This article will give an overview of college admissions for homeschoolers. I’m drawing on my experience with my own three sons as well as homeschooled students I’ve worked with. I’ve also had many conversations with college admissions representatives as a co-chair of the Homeschool Affinity Group of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

What Do Colleges Consider When They Review Applications?

There is no checklist that will guarantee admission to a student’s first choice college.

Factors considered in admissions vary from school to school, because different colleges have different institutional priorities. A public flagship may prioritize educating students from that state. One private college may do a deep holistic review of applications, while another looks mainly at grades and test scores. But we can talk in general about what colleges consider.

For decades, the most important factors have related to academic performance in high school. They usually look at grades in the context of the courses taken, along with standardized test scores. This means that the rigor of the course load matters as well as the grades earned. Colleges may also look for demonstrated ability in courses related to an intended major.

A potential engineer should start college ready to take calculus, chemistry, and physics, which is often demonstrated by having taken those courses in high school. A political science major would want to have a strong record in history, government, and economics and would benefit by demonstrating strong writing and foreign language ability. Students are sometimes surprised by the need for advanced math. Both computer science and business programs often require calculus for college freshmen and prefer students who are ready for this level of math.

Colleges don’t simply rank applicants by GPA and test score, then admit them in rank order. A second set of factors goes beyond academic readiness to consider other qualities the student possesses. A college might require essays, letters of recommendations, extracurricular activities (including family responsibilities and work), portfolios and interviews to learn more about the student’s personality, interests, and life experience. They might use class rank to provide more context to the GPA.  Dance and music majors, film production majors, and arts students may need to submit sample work or do auditions. Students interested in nursing may need volunteer experience in health care settings. Some colleges track the student’s demonstrated interest in the college. Most colleges also consider financial need as part of their admissions review process.

What Should Homeschoolers Include in College Applications?

The biggest difference for homeschoolers is that they have to provide documentation that would otherwise come from a high school. At a minimum a homeschooler needs a high school transcript that lists all courses taken with a course grade and the year they took the course.  Many colleges specifically ask for course descriptions that offer more detail about course content, textbooks used, and assessment method. 

The parent may also want to submit the counselor recommendation and a school profile. A school profile helps to explain the how and why of homeschooling, offers information on grading policies (grading scale, how outside courses were assigned credit), and briefly describes any educational partners like online curriculum providers. Think of this as a document that explains the student’s educational setting. On the other hand, a counselor recommendation describes the student’s strengths and personal traits. This recommendation describes who the student is and why they would be a great addition to the college community. Some families worry that college will immediately discount a counselor recommendation written by a family member. Most college admissions reps I’ve asked say they appreciate the context the counselor letter gives, even when written by a homeschool parent.

Many colleges ask for letters of recommendation from teachers and other individuals, and these should come from someone who is not a family member. If possible, teacher recommendations should comment on academic preparation and ability to work as part of a group of students. Sources of recommendations include coop teachers, tutors, academic team coaches (robotics, Science Olympiad, Model UN), or dual enrollment instructors. Some online course instructors will happily write letters of recommendation. If the student had no outside academic coursework, look for other adults who know the student well, like coaches, employers, clergy, or mentors. Usually, a college application specifies what type of recommendations a college accepts, but it’s worth contacting admissions to ask if you have questions. Sometimes they will accept additional letters for homeschoolers, but may ask to have them sent directly to the admissions office if they are outside the categories the application requires.

Can Homeschoolers Apply Test Optional?

Test scores tend to carry additional weight for homeschool applications, because it’s data that colleges find easy to understand. Homeschool students don’t have a class rank that compares them to hundreds of fellow students. Some colleges hesitate over homeschool grades and don’t have time to read applications holistically. Scores from the SAT or ACT can reassure a college that a student is ready for college work.

Test optional admissions are when a college considers an application complete without SAT or ACT test scores, but will consider scores if they are submitted. Some colleges have been test optional for many years, but the coronavirus pandemic forced most US colleges to allow test optional applications in 2020 and 2021. Some cheerfully extended this option to homeschoolers, but other colleges continued to require homeschoolers to submit scores. You may also see different policies around test score requirements for college scholarships.

Outside tests in specific content areas can also fill this role. National Latin Exam, AMC math tests, or Advanced Placement exams are a few examples of content specific tests. Performance in academic extracurriculars like Science Olympiad, Model United Nations, Poetry Out Loud, or History Day competitions might serve a similar role. Some colleges used to require the SAT Subject Tests for homeschoolers, but College Board eliminated those tests in 2021. If you see Subject Tests listed as an admissions requirement, reach out to that college for clarification.

What Additional Requirements Do Colleges Have for Homeschoolers?

Some colleges ask for specific additional material from homeschoolers. A few examples:

  • Arizona State University requires an evaluation form describing a complete lab for each lab science course on the transcript.  
  • Bard College requires a “full syllabus” for any course from a non-accredited school and also an analytic paper written by the student.
  • University of Alabama in Huntsville requires homeschoolers to fill out a Homeschool Transcript Template (which counts as one of the more frustrating documents I’ve tried to complete).

Some college websites refer to homeschool agencies, umbrella organizations, or private school satellites. This may reflect state law or common practice where the college is located. If the requirements don’t reflect what is required in your state, contact the admissions office directly. Some will accept other documentation while others are not at all flexible.

These requirements might be clearly stated on the admissions website, show up in the fine print on an application, or be buried in the college catalog. The best practice for students and homeschool parents is to search for homeschool requirements at each college they are considering. I recommend doing this in the early days of list formation. If a college insists on requirements that you can’t meet, such as an official final transcript from a local public school or extensive college coursework as a high school student, it’s best to know that when you have time to apply elsewhere.

Homeschoolers Do Go to College

Every year homeschoolers are accepted to colleges and universities around the US. In most cases the days of having to convince admissions that homeschooling is a valid and legal educational choice are well behind us. In addition, homeschoolers are usually eligible for need-based grants and merit-based scholarships from colleges as well as many outside scholarship competitions.

That said, colleges that are highly selective – those that receive far more applications than they can admit will be looking for evidence of academic readiness as well as indications that a student is one that will be an engaged member of the campus community.

Homeschooling itself is not a stumbling block to college admissions, but it is also not a silver bullet. Homeschool students still need to meet admissions requirements. They should be ready to provide information that the college can use to make an admissions decision. And like all students, they should build a college list that includes schools with medium and high chances of admission, not just colleges with low admissions rates.

Learn about FAFSA and how it can help pay for college
All, College Fit, College Planning, Financial Fit

Learn About FAFSA

If you have a high school student, you might see articles each fall about FAFSA. Maybe you’re wondering if you need to be worried about it. Maybe you are just wondering, “What is FAFSA?” Read on to learn about FAFSA, why it matters, and where to get help completing it.

What Is the FAFSA?

FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The new application opens each fall on October 1 for financial aid that students would use the following college academic year. It is a form that collects information on student status and their family financial situation in order to determine eligibility for federal student aid, including Pell Grants, federal subsidized and unsubsidized loans, and federally supported work study programs. In addition, most colleges rely on the FAFSA as a basis for awarding need-based grants from the college.

FAFSA an instrument of the US Department of Education, and the official Federal Student Aid website is robust and worth your time. It includes sections on how financial aid works, types of aid, and how federal aid is calculated. The section on completing the FAFSA form has lots of information on required documents, factors that determine dependency status, and providing financial information. Rather than quoting each of these sections here, I encourage you to go directly to the Federal Student Aid website. Not only is the information there up to date and official, but you are likely to find explanations you didn’t even realize you should be asking about.

That said, I will address a few frequently asked questions that I get each year.

Who Needs to Complete a FAFSA?

The student submits the FAFSA, but in most cases will require information about parent income and assets. The best practice is for the student to start the process by creating a FAFSA ID and then invite a parent to create a supporting account. Any student who is interested in using federal student loans, or who seeks need-based aid from colleges should submit a FAFSA. In addition, many state grant programs require students to submit the FAFSA to establish eligibility.

Some colleges require submission of a FAFSA for specific scholarships from the college. For example, the Virginia Tech Emerging Leader Scholarship for members of the Corps of Cadets requires annual completion of the FAFSA. You should read the financial aid pages for each college you apply to in order to learn about FAFSA requirements and deadlines.

Does Submitting the FAFSA Hurt My Chance of Admission?

Let me turn this question around. Are you in a good position if you are admitted to a college you can’t afford to attend?

A student might choose not to submit a FAFSA if: they can pay the entire cost of attendance for all four years, and they are confident that their financial situation will not change. Colleges are not generous when they suspect families of playing games by claiming no financial need when applying but then trying to negotiate a tuition. Some colleges will not award additional financial aid until the following year, if the student did not initially submit a FAFSA, even if the family’s financial situation changed.

If you aren’t sure how much each of your colleges is likely to cost, you want to use their Net Price Calculator and other resources to estimate annual cost of attendance and the total cost of a degree.

Only a handful of colleges are need blind for admissions. Many colleges consider how much financial aid each student would “cost” their financial aid budget when they build their incoming class. Students who know that they want to be considered for need-based aid not only should submit the FAFSA and do so in a timely way (I suggest by the end of October), but also need to ensure that their college list includes schools that are good financial fits for their family budget.

Related: What College Costs

When Do I Have to Submit the FAFSA?

You don’t have to submit on October 1, but be aware of deadlines at individual colleges. Schools often have a fall deadline for priority financial consideration that would require not only financial aid paperwork, but also a completed college application. I recommend that families try to submit the FAFSA before the end of October. (Note that you will also see dates that are state deadlines for submitting the FAFSA. This represents the last date to submit FAFSA for that school year in order to be eligible for state grants, but may be long past when colleges have allotted their need-based financial aid for the year.)

Note: If you know that you will not be eligible for need-based aid, but want to use federal student loans, you have the option of waiting to submit the FAFSA after colleges give admissions decisions and letting the college financial aid office know that you are only submitting for the purpose of federal loan eligibility. (But do read the previous section on who should submit a FAFSA.)

What Information Do I Need to Complete the FAFSA?

Questions will ask about current assets and income from the “prior-prior” year. A student applying for aid for the Fall 2023 college semester would use income information from the 2021 tax year. More information on required documents and instructions are available on the Federal Student Aid website.

Does It Matter What Order I List Colleges on the FAFSA?

It depends. Colleges can no longer see the other schools you send FAFSA information to or what order you list colleges on the form. This was a change around 2016 after some colleges started using the college list to infer how interested the student was. This tea leaf approach was unfair, since students didn’t necessarily put intentional thought into completing that section. So the order doesn’t matter for college admissions.

But FAFSA is also sent to state agencies responsible for awarding state aid for college. Some states require schools to be listed in a specific order. Currently, if you are a resident of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, or West Virginia, state aid is dependent on where you list an eligible state college. In addition, there are 33 states, districts, and territories that require students to list an eligible in-state college to be considered for state grant aid. You can check your state on the Student Aid website.

Where Can I Get Help on the FAFSA?

In addition to the Help section on the Federal Student Aid website, there are blue question marks within the FAFSA itself that open up help boxes for specific topics. Federal Student Aid even has a YouTube channel.  Each year there are institutions that create line-by-line walk through videos. I suggest you stick with videos from state education organizations or non-profit colleges. Remember that FAFSA is the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid. You should not pay anyone to submit this for you.

Is FAFSA the Only Form I Need for Financial Aid?

About 300 colleges, universities, and scholarships use an additional financial aid form called the CSS Profile. This asks more detailed questions about family assets to determine what a family’s financial resources are.  The calculated Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for the FAFSA and CSS Profile are often different because they use different formulas.  The CSS Profile is now free for families that make up to $100,000. For other students it is $25 for the first submission and $16 per additional report. But remember students only need to complete the CSS Profile if they apply to a college or scholarship that require it.

Um, How Do You Say FAFSA?

Great question. Say it like one word, FAF-sah.

Ohio State University ROTC building entrance with signs for Military Science, Air Science, & Naval Science
Financial Fit, Military

What Are ROTC Scholarships?

The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC, often pronounced ROT-see) is a program to educate and train future US military officers at civilian colleges and universities. Students are simultaneously full-time college students and ROTC cadets or midshipmen. They take courses in military, air, or naval science alongside their other college classes. They also have regular military training during the school year and over the summer to prepare them for their role as future military officers. ROTC scholarships pay for tuition and more at many colleges around the US.

Three ROTC Programs, Five Military Branches

There are three different ROTC programs. Army ROTC trains future Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard officers. Navy ROTC trains future Navy and Marine Corps officers, and has a special track for Navy Nursing. Air Force ROTC trains future Air Force officers and now offers some cadets the option of commissioning into the Space Force.

Host Units and Cross Town Agreements

Students can only participate in ROTC at colleges that host a ROTC unit for that program, or that are a cross town affiliate with the unit at another college. For example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Navy ROTC unit includes cross town students from Harvard and Tufts. Meanwhile, Air Force ROTC Det 60 at University of Southern California includes students from USC as well as students from two dozen nearby colleges including Embry-Riddle, Occidental, Cal State Polytechnic Pomona, and Chapman.

Make sure that there is a ROTC unit or cross-town agreement for the specific program you want to join. Students at Occidental for example could affiliate with the Army ROTC unit at UCLA or the Air Force ROTC unit at USC, but would not have a Navy ROTC option available.

It’s also important to remember that the high school scholarship applications are just that, an application for a ROTC program scholarship. Students still need to apply to – and be admitted to colleges where they’d like to use the scholarship.

ROTC Scholarships

ROTC Scholarships for High School Students

Each ROTC program has a scholarship competition for high school students. The application typically opens in spring of junior year, with scholarship review boards over the fall and winter. Because students might not hear the results of their scholarship application until spring of senior year, it’s essential to complete college applications without waiting for ROTC scholarship results.

The application typically requires an academic record, SAT/ACT test scores, teacher recommendations, activities list, essay responses, an interview, and a fitness assessment. Students must also go through a medical review board that determines medical qualification. Students are evaluated on their academic ability and potential as future military leaders.

Participation in high school Junior ROTC is not required, but is one of many ways a student might develop leadership skills. Other common venues of growing as a leader include team sports, scouts, Civil Air Patrol, Sea Cadets, student government, academic teams and clubs, and work.

ROTC Scholarships for College Students

College students can join a ROTC unit whether or not they have been awarded a 4-year scholarship. They would take the same ROTC courses and do the same school year training events, but usually don’t do summer training. Non-scholarship students may be considered for 3- or 2-year scholarships or a contract that results in a commission after graduation. Usually, success in earning a scholarship as a college student depends on college grades and performance as a ROTC cadet or midshipman.

ROTC Scholarship Benefits

ROTC scholarships pay for part or all of college tuition and required fees, depending on the program and scholarship category. Scholarships usually also include a book allowance, uniforms, and a monthly tax-free stipend.

Basic Eligibility

  • Be a US citizen
  • Be within age requirements
  • Have a high school diploma or equivalent
  • Meet fitness standards
  • Meet physical (medical) standards
  • Agree to accept a commission and serve in the respective branch of the military after graduation

How to Apply for ROTC Scholarships

The specific eligibility, application, and service requirements vary according to which ROTC program the student joins and what career path they are assigned after graduation. See each Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program page for current information.

Navy ROTC (Navy and Marine Corps) scholarship opens April 1, 2022 and closes January 31, 2023.

Air Force ROTC (Air Force and Space Force) scholarship application opens July 1, 2022 and closes January 12, 2023.

Army ROTC (Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard) scholarship usually opens in June.

Ohio State University Buckeye statute in a green flight suit.
Ohio State University Buckeye Statue
girl in yellow jacket sitting beside man in blue long sleeves
Homeschooling

How Many US Students Are Homeschooled?

Earlier this week, Gallup released their annual education satisfaction survey results, which includes a breakdown of where US K-12 students go to school. I’ve been watching for this survey, because it had interesting results in 2020 regarding where students in the US are educated. I have been waiting for this survey to post, because it includes a question about how many students are homeschooled.

2020 Jump in Homeschooling

Last year, this survey reported that 10% of US students were starting the 2020 school year as homeschool students, defined in the survey as “not enrolled in a formal school but taught at home.” This was over double the 4% figure from the 2019 survey.

This year, the numbers look similar to those from two years ago, with 4% again responding that their students are homeschooled and the percentage of families reporting public and private school enrollment looking very similar to 2019. It’s possible that the 2020 numbers represented an unusual moment in time.

I think the phrasing of the question is relatively clear, but it’s hard to know how someone on the phone received it: “Will your oldest child attend public, private, parochial, charter school – either in-person or remotely — or will they home school this year? By home school we mean not enrolled in a formal school, but taught at home.”

I know many families decided to try homeschooling for 2020-21, because the spring 2020 remote options didn’t work for their students. Local online homeschool groups had significant growth, and online curriculum providers had bumper crop enrollment and long waiting lists.

It’s also possible that some families might have responded that they were homeschooling, even if their students were doing remote school while enrolled in a public school. It’s hard to know if this year’s numbers represent a return to public schools, a better understanding of the question, or just a different slice of respondents. In addition, the survey occurred in early August, just as school districts were announcing fall mask policies.

Other Factors that Affect Homeschooling

Homeschooling is regulated on the state level and can reflect both local school quality and the level of homeschooling support networks, both formal and informal. The strength of library systems, homeschool support groups, sports opportunities for homeschoolers, local field trip options, and other factors can affect how many students homeschooled in an area. The survey doesn’t correlate the response to the school setting question to location, age of the oldest child, or other demographic qualities. For example, other reporting in 2020 suggested a significant rise in homeschooling among American Black families.

To further complicate this question, some states have charter schools that support home studies. Also, in recent years more online schools have pivoted to serving homeschoolers or moved from teaching specific content areas to homeschoolers to serving as broad curriculum, accredited online schools.

There is a US Census community survey that asks similar questions to the Gallup survey. It will be interesting to see if that also reports the 2020 homeschooling percentage as an outlier.

You can read the complete Gallup survey question responses and see trends over time here.

space shuttle launch during nighttime
All, College Fit, Military

Space Force Training at the Air Force Academy

The Space Force became the newest branch of the US military in 2019, and the US Air Force Academy (USAFA) commissions about 100 cadets as Space Force officers each year. This is around 10% of each graduating class. To prepare cadets for future Space Force roles, the Air Force Academy has added more Space Force officers to the staff, increased space oriented academic programs, and created summer training opportunities that expose cadets to life as a Space Force junior officer. The Space Policy Show recently devoted an episode to Space Force training at the Air Force Academy. I thought this was an excellent overview of what cadets experience. It should be of interest to students considering applying to the Air Force Academy.

Space Related Academics

There are several majors associated with space, including Astronautical Engineering and Space Operations. However, cadets in any major can also complete the Space Warfighting minor. There are four different tracks within the minor: Operator, Intel, Digital, and Acquisition. Each track has several required courses plus related electives that cadets can choose from to meet the minimum 15 credits.

Space Force Training

Exposure to the Space Force starts with required briefings as part of the professional training for new freshman cadets. Opportunities to learn from Space Force officers continue throughout the four years at USAFA. Space related clubs include the Cadet Space Operations Squadron, an astronomy club, rocketry club, and a strategy & policy club. These activities are open to any cadets, not just those aiming for the Space Force.

Cadet summer training traditionally includes the Operations Air Force program, where rising juniors learn about potential career fields at Air Force bases around the US. In Summer 2021, through the new Operations Space Force program, around 70 cadets visited Space Force bases to get a deeper orientation to what they might do if they become Space Force officers.

Finally, the Air Force Academy is developing a program for rising seniors called Azimuth. This is an intensive summer training and assessment program modeled on the Naval Academy’s Leatherneck training for prospective Marine Corps officers. The Azimuth program will draw from pre-astronaut candidate training to “motivate, inform and also evaluate” cadets. The Space Force assignment board will consider performance in Azimuth, academics, and extracurricular activities when making service assignments decisions.

Conclusion

Over forty Air Force Academy alumni have become astronauts and the Air Force has many space related missions. However, the Space Force is more than just space operators. The Air Force Academy plans to expose cadets to the range of responsibilities held by future Space Force officers. The goal of these initiatives are to generally increase “space mindedness” for all cadets. This will help them in their careers, whether they commission as Space Force or Air Force Officers.

There will be very few opportunities to commission into the Space Force from other service academies. According to Col. Jeffrey Greenwood, the US Space Force Liaison to the Air Force Academy “If you want to come to the Space Force, you need to come to the Space Force Academy – and that is USAFA.” This echos comments from Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond (the service chief of the Space Force) in June 2021. Because the Space Force only brings in around 300 officers a year, he doesn’t see a need for a separate Space Force Academy. The largest group of officers will come from USAFA and Air Force ROTC. The Space Force also has a University Partnership Program to reach out to college STEM majors who are interested in space.

High school students interested in the Space Force should watch the whole episode. It will give you a broad view of what training you might expect as a cadet. It may even suggest topics to discuss in application essays or during interviews. If the idea of attending a service academy sounds interesting, consider applying for one of the academy summer leadership programs when you are a high school junior.

photo of person using wheelchair
All, Testing

Accommodations for the ACT Test

Students with an IEP or 504 Plan

In the past, students had to request accommodations and prove that they had a qualifying need. But in July 2021, the ACT organization announced they would accept school-issued Individualized Education Plans (IEP) or 504 plans as sufficient evidence of eligibility. As a result, they will automatically allow the same accommodations on the ACT test that appear in the IEP or 504 plans.

Apply through the ACT website.

Homeschoolers and Students without an IEP or 504 Plan

Homeschoolers and students not currently enrolled can still get accommodations. In these situations, the ACT organization will review the request and then determine what assistance is reasonable. Students with short-term needs, like a broken arm, can request temporary accommodations.

Possible Accommodations on the ACT

Extra time
Breaks as needed
Wheelchair accessibility
Large print test booklet
A writer or scribe
Sign language interpreter
Authorized bilingual dictionary or translated written test directions (for English Language Learners)
Alternate test formats.

Students interested in using accommodations on the ACT test should start the process as soon as possible. By starting the request process early, you give yourself time to answer any requests for additional information. National Testing Centers provide most types of accommodations, but some accommodations may require testing at a Special Testing Center. Students who need accommodations should try to register for the ACT as soon as accommodations are approved. This will allow time to find testing centers that offer the needed assistance.

Students may also want to consider if applying through test optional admissions is a good choice. Test optional policies vary from college to college, but generally allow students to apply without submitting test scores.