What is a Homeschool Friendly College?

The Home School Legal Defense Associationeach subject studied, duration of study, a short
(HSLDA) does a wonderful job of explaining what itdescription of content, and grade or assessment of
means to be a homeschool friendly college. Here is aperformance."
link to that information: HSLDA.org .  Notice that this college is NOT asking for an
In general, a homeschool friendly college is one thataccredited transcript.  
treats a homeschool applicant the same as a publicUnfortunately the policy also goes on to say this:  
school applicant. Your child would be requested to"Homeschool course work must also be validated in
take the exact same tests as any other student -the four core subject areas listed below. (No testing
more tests are not required of a homeschoolis required for social studies or arts.) Homeschooled
applicant. Some colleges say they are homeschoolapplicants must submit official test scores for
friendly, when in reality they have "hoops" that wevalidation. The following scores provide such
have to jump through. HSLDA has a rating scale forvalidation:"
college admission policies here:  The policy statement goes on to explain how the
Tier 1: The college accepts the parent's transcript,SAT may provide documentation for math, English
along with general standardized achievement testing,and science, but that more testing is needed. They
and/or the review of a portfolio.want additional tests to demonstrate science and
Tier 2: The college requires a GED in place of, or inforeign language as well. That means that
addition to, any of the Tier I requirements.  homeschoolers are required to take more tests than
Tier 3: This type of college requires test scores (likeother applicants! This demonstrates a policy that is
the SAT II) from home school students that are notnot homeschool friendly. They are listed as "tier 3" by
required of traditional high school students, which isHSLDA. That doesn't mean that homeschoolers can't
inequitable.be admitted. It does mean that it is harder to go
Let's compare three colleges that claim to bethrough the process of admission.
homeschool friendly: Trinity Western University,TheEvergreen State College
University of Washington, and Evergreen StateCompare that to Evergreen State College, which is
College.one of the "Colleges that Change Lives."Here is what
Trinity Western Universitytheir homeschool policy says:
Trinity Western University is actively seekingHome-schooled applicants are evaluated individually.
homeschoolers, telling me: "TWU is a great fit forDocumentation that outlines the curriculum you used
homeschoolers because we are a small universityis required along with official SAT or ACT test
that has the ability to provide students with anresults. Documentation is most often provided in the
incredible campus community to be a part of, lots ofform of a transcript from a recognized
individual attention and the opportunity to growhome-schooling agency or public or private high school
academically in the students own area of strength."that verifies academic preparation comparable to the
When you look at their homeschool admission policy,freshman admission requirements. If documentation is
it reads:not possible, you must submit official GED test
"Students who complete their secondary educationscores.
through homeschooling must complete the regularIf you were reading this quickly, and don't live in a
application for admission and TWU's Homeschoolstate that requires agency oversight, you might be
Education Background Chart. They must also submitpretty intimidated. How do you verify academic
official SAT or ACT scores."  preparation through a recognized homeschool
I looked at TWU's Homeschool Education Backgroundagency? It appears to say that you can document
Chart, and it looks the same as a homeschoolyour curriculum yourself, since only "most" people use
transcript except that it is signed by the parent,an agency. However, Director of Admissions Doug
declaring it to be true. It asks what curriculum is used.Scrima explains their policy clearly, "The Evergreen
It does not ask for additional testing. I found itState College does not accept documentation
interesting that Trinity Western University does notprovided by the parents." Instead, they want
require a foreign language. Notice that this college isaccredited documentation for every course through
NOT asking for an accredited transcript. What aboutpublic school, community college, AP, CLEP, or
scholarships at Trinity Western University?correspondence school. It also leaves homeschoolers
"Homeschoolers are considered for scholarships basedwith the option of taking a GED. Their policy is
on parent provided grades. TWU does not look atconsidered "Tier 2" by the HSLDA. However, I have
SAT or ACT scores to determine scholarships - justrarely seen such a difficult admission policy.
GPA (since Canadian students do not write the SATAll colleges admit homeschoolers. Whether your heart
or ACT). However we do require the SAT or ACTis set on a tier 1, 2 or 3 college, it pays to know their
for admission purposes."  admissions policy and plan in advance. And remember,
For more information about Trinity Westernno matter what college you are thinking about, make
University, see their website or contact Sharonsure you visit! No amount of online comparison can
Peters in admissions: sharonp@twu.ca .really communicate the differences between schools.
The University of WashingtonCollege "view" books are created by marketing
The University of Washington wants homeschoolerspeople trying to make their school look the best. The
as well. On the UW website, their homeschool policyonly way to determine if a college will "fit" is by
states: "The University of Washington values allvisiting. Students should look at the college and ask
forms of learning. Homeschooled students bringtwo questions:
myriad unique qualities to our campus, and we#1 - Can I live here for four years?  
welcome their interest in the UW." Their policy#2 - Can I learn here for four years?
accepts a homeschool transcript, saying:  Only a visit to a college can provide answers to
"Homeschooled applicants must present athese questions!
homeschool transcript that includes course titles of