college admissions

I don't recommend weighting grades. It makes it harder for colleges, and colleges tend to like you more if you make their job easier.  Here is the problem, every high school has a different policy on weighting grades.

For an "Honors" or AP class, some high schools will add 1.0 to the grade - so the highest grade possible is a 5.0 instead of a 4.0.  Some high schools will increase the grade by 0.5, so honors classes can earn a 4.5 grade. To further complicate things, some high schools will change the credit value. An honors class might be worth 2.0 credits, or 1.5 credits, instead of a 1.0 credit like normal. There are so many variation possibilities, and colleges need to compare students from different schools and school districts. For that reason, the first thing they do is to un-weight any weighted grades. Colleges have asked me to tell parents not to weight grades, and so I don't recommend weighting grades unless your first choice college prefers grades that way. High schools weight grades so their student population looks smarter, and more college ready. It sounds great in their marketing materials to say their average GPA at school is 3.2, when you don't have to mention how many kids earned a 5.0 grades. High schools do it for marketing purposes, but it's not helpful for colleges.

However, public schools do weight grades sometimes, and each school or school district can have their own grading policy.  As a homeschooler, you can decide on your own school policy on weighting grades. Look over these options and decide for yourself.

Here are the easiest ways I have seen for weighting grades for honors or AP classes:

• Credit: double the credit value of the class to 2.0


• Credit: increase the credit value of the class to 1.5


• Grade: add 1.0 to your final grade


• Grade: add 0.5 to your final grade

College application has it's own unique vocabulary.  As you look toward college admission, you'll notice you have many different choices on how to apply.  Here are the NACAC definitions of terms for different kinds of application plans.  If you need a primer on what "application" means, this blog post is for you.

Finding a college is more than watching where your friends and neighbors’ children go to school. Take your sophomore or junior to a college fair and/or search online for the perfect college match for your student. Once you have some possibilities, visit the college in person. Visiting is the only way to see if it’s a perfect match. Try to whittle down the list to a handful of colleges by the end of junior year. When you visit, ask about their homeschool admission policy. Find out what records they want from you, and any additional testing requirements. When your high school junior is applying for colleges, it's a good idea to look at three different kinds of colleges; REACH, FIT and SAFETY.


By the end of junior year, make a list of four to eight colleges where your child will apply, including both public and private colleges. Choose a mix of reach, fit, and safety universities. A "reach" school has higher average test scores than your child’s, but they meet the college requirements. Be careful, though, because all Ivy League and military academies are reach schools, no matter how high your child’s scores might be. A "fit" college score is about the same as your child’s score, and they meet the college requirements. A "safety" school means your child’s test scores are higher than the college scores, and they exceed the college requirements.

Here is how you do it.

1. Look at your SAT or ACT score.  If you took the PSAT, you can estimate your SAT score from the results.
2. Research the colleges you are considering.  Find the colleges average SAT or ACT score.
3. Compare your score to the college score
4. Choose some "reach" school.  The college has a higher score than yours, but you meet the college requirements.  All Ivy League and military academies are reach schools, no matter how high your scores might be.
5. Choose some "fit" schools.  The college score is about the same as your score, and you meet the college requirements.
6. Choose some "safety" schools.  Your score is higher than the college scores, and you exceed the college requirements.

Applying for reach, fit, and safety colleges can help prevent heartache.  When you apply for a variety of schools, you're almost sure to find a perfect fit that will accept you, and may provide great scholarships.
It's common for children to apply for 4-12 colleges, with a mix of reach, fit, and safety schools.  Although it's a  common suggestion, but it doesn't fit every family.

There are 9 easy steps you can take in preparing for high school graduation and in preparing for college. Read my artile, 9 Easy Steps: High School Graduation Checklist to find out how prepared you are for finding a college you'll love.

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