Applying to college doesn't mean you'll get in. And frankly, rejection HURTS. This letter is from Michelle, who shares her hurting heart and looks for words of encouragement and suggestions.

Hi Lee,

I guess I am writing you to just vent. My daughter applied to BYU-Idaho last month and she just received an email telling her that her homeschool transcript was not valid.

Here is the exact message: "Thank you for your interest in attending a CES school. We have received your home school transcript, but unfortunately, our office is unable to process it as it is not from an accredited institution. However, if you have attended an accredited high school institution and have additional credit from that institution, could you please send us that transcript? Thank you so much and have a nice day!"

I got your book a couple years ago, studied it and followed it very closely so I would have a transcript that would be taken seriously. I sent a transcript on official watermarked paper, used Transcript Pro to help me with the layout and included a separate course descriptions packet. Everything depended on the professionalism of the transcript and course descriptions because my daughter hasn't take a single course that was accredited, due to finances. She took courses from accredited schools, but we couldn't afford their record keeping services on top of the tuition. She did dual enrollment this year at a local private college and did very well.

Receiving this email from the college was like a slap in the face, especially since it was my and my husband's alma mater. She has applied to two other colleges and now I am very nervous about her prospects and her future. Do you have any words of encouragement?

Thanks,
Michelle

Dear Michelle,

Vent away! Not everything works out perfectly, that's for sure.

I checked the BYU website here: http://saas.byu.edu/catalog/2010-2011ucat/GeneralInfo/Admissions.php

High School Graduation: Applicants should be graduates of fully accredited high schools. Those who complete their secondary education through the General Education Development Test (GED®), home study, home school, or other programs will be reviewed individually by the Admissions Committee to determine admissibility. Additional information (achievement tests, personal interview, etc.) may be required as part of the application process.

I'd say "push back." The policy looks similar to the University of California policy. Call the admission office and ask that your application packet be "individually reviewed."

Better still, have your child call the admission office. Have your child quote their policy and ask them to review her application individually.

My own Alma Mater gave me a slap in the face, too. The University of Washington rejected our application until I called and asked for an individual review. It was AFTER that and AFTER they read my course description that we were given admission and good scholarships.

BYU-Idaho has a different policy: http://www.byui.edu/admissions/students/apply/homeschool.shtml

Home/Private School Information: Home school, private school, and charter school diplomas are only accepted from schools accredited with the following accrediting organizations. If your program is not accredited with one of the above organizations, you will be required to submit one of the following in addition to your ACT or SAT scores for the academic portion of your admission review: GED®, COMPASS, 15 credits at an accredited college/university.

Your daughter HAS taken some accredited courses (or good-as accredited) if she took some dual enrollment classes. I would be sure to point that out to them. Make sure you have that college send a transcript to the university as well. That alone could change everything.

You might also give them some feedback based on the wording of their rejection. Another mom did that, and was quite successful. You can read the story here: College Policy Discourages Homeschool Applicants.

And remember, this is not an easy college to get into anyway. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, but apply to a variety of other schools as well. Another mom contributed to a blog post last year, and perhaps some of her words will also help you: Lessons Learned from College Rejections.