Homeschooling & College, some questions???

Question:
I am a fourteen year old high school sophomore. I am planning on homeschooling after my first semester, which ends late January. My parents aren't exactly *for* the idea, but they aren't against it either. I feel very strongly that homeschooling will greatly help my education and my knowlege. They [my parents] have okayed it, but they are afraid I will not be able to get into a good college. I am a 4.0 student, and I have a feeling they think that colleges view homeschoolers as "drop outs" and dismiss their applications without a thought. I, of course, do not believe this what-so-ever, and feel that I will be able to get into any college I please, as long as I pass my GEDs, SATs, ACTs, etc. with high scores (which I plan on doing). And if I have a good portfolio of work to show to them. My mother fears that colleges will not accept me because I won't have a "real" high school diploma. My reason for writing this is I would like to hear from homeschooled high schoolers(or parents), former or current, and their experiences with colleges and applying. The college that I am interested in attending is constantly changing, but at the moment I am interested in the University of Washington. (I am located near Columbus, Ohio, by the way.)

Answer:
- I was wondering if anyone responded to your query about how colleges view homeschooling. I've just started homeschooling my kids, and I feel better about it than ever. After doing a bit of reading, I discovered that many colleges and universities are actually SEEKING homeschooled students, as they show a greater level of self-discipline and a greater willingness to learn. If you're interested in a list of them, I can forward it to you. The U of Washington is one of them! The level of education obtained usually surpasses that of publicly schooled students, as learning tends to be more effective when the student is not distracted by a large number of people in the classroom, and doesn't feel such a tremendous amount of peer pressure. There is a growing number of homeschooled students in the US and Canada, as a result of parents (and students!) becoming less satisfied with the state of modern day schools. Being bullied on the playground, or in the halls is NOT a necessary part of growing up. A kid does NOT need to be pressured to do as the 'rest of the kids do' to grow up. I wish I had the strength, as a teenager, to take the initiative to homeschool myself. I know there were days when the learning was great, but the peer pressure unbearable. If you surf the net a bit, and join some homeschooling email discussion groups, you will get a better idea of what materials are out there. There is a LOT of support for homeschoolers, and there are organized groups of homeschoolers who get together occasionally to go swimming, etc., so the kids can interact and make friends. Your mom needen't be concerned about homeschooling, as it is not limited to only 'freaks who want to buck the system'. I do hope this helps you, and helps your parents understand that homeschooling is really a wonderful thing, and is not for 'dropouts'. I won't say that you won't meet opposition from people who don't understand it. People can be quite miserable about things they don't understand. But, it looks like you have the strength to be able to explain to them that what you are doing is the best thing for YOU.

- If you make up a list of learning goals, document your work toward these goals, and evaluate your strategies with an eye toward improving future efforts, then these documents will provide you with a powerful portfolio that will make you a highly desireable recruit. Students who do not need to be spoon-fed and greatly desired by colleges.