By Rachel Luchmun
In 2008, more than two million children were homeschooled across the United States, according to a 2010 report by the National Home Education Research Institute.
Homeschooling, as its name indicates, involves schooling a child at home, as opposed to public or private schools. This can be done either through online courses or by more traditional means, such as a parent sitting down with their child and being the teacher.
Casey Wallace, admissions representative, said that there was no difference in the admission of home-school students as opposed to students who have gone through high schools.
“Homeschooled students apply the same as other students,” Wallace said. “If they are applying for a scholarship or something that needs transcripts, there is no issue with accepting them. There is no difference at all.”
Counselor Dave Ellis has worked with home-school groups for 16 years. He said that one of the hardest changes to home-schooled students was the change in environment.
“They have been used to learning by themselves and being taught by their parents,” Ellis said.
Most homeschooled students who attend the college are either juniors or seniors in high school or planning to transfer to a four-year institution. They tend to do very well academically, but that is not the only area in which they are involved.
“Homeschooled students get involved in athletic teams, plays, field trips and clubs,” Ellis said. “I disagree with the theory that homeschooled students have not been socialized – the social skills are there. Parents are encouraging kids to get out there and get involved in their environment.”
Ellis pointed out that homeschooling was just another system of education and that its success depends on the support a student receives at home.
“All three systems – public school, private school and home school – can work out equally well,” Ellis said.
Fiona Kerr has been homeschooled since the fourth grade because the school environment was not working for her.
“I came home tired and stressed and struggled with the copious amounts of homework,” Kerr said.
Kerr started taking classes at the college because she needed a Photoshop course. She described the transition as confusing at first.
“It was initially pretty intimidating being in a classroom, since I’m used to working alone in my bedroom,” Kerr said. “[The biggest challenge was] definitely the larger building size and more people.”
Overall, Kerr said her experience at the college has been a very positive one.
“[The college] is great,” Kerr said. “I think it would be nearly impossible to find a school with better resources. [The college] is always my go-to for any challenging class.”
Student Kelvin Rask is in his first semester at the college. He has been home-schooled from the fourth grade, after his parents wanted to be more involved in his education.
“I had taken some dual credit courses from a high school so the transition was not so bad,” Rask said. “I would say the most challenging thing to get used to is the change in schedule. At home, you can set your own schedule – do it all in one go or sleep in and do it later. Here, there are classes to attend at fixed times.”
Contact Rachel Luchmun, staff reporter, at rluchmun@jccc.edu.