is it hard to make a living if you were home schooled? do home schooled kids ...?

Question

have less chances to get a good job, or trouble getting in college?

Answer 1

Wow! Blck's answer was awesome! I totally agree with him. :-)

Anyway, instead of opinions perhaps you'd like to read some articles by grown homeschoolers themselves rather than what everybody "thinks".

Here you go:

http://www.ztn.net/tssulliv/prism.htm - Young man had how he adjusted to college

http://apricotpie.com/ - articles from both grown and teen homeschoolers

http://www.smokylake.com/Christy/

http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/HEM152.98/152.98_art_hed.html -another article of a homeschooler adjusting to college

http://members.aol.com/believeinchildrn/education.html

http://www.geocities.com/unschoolgrad/ - grown unschooler

http://www.spinninglobe.net/jenifer.htm -grown homeschooler

http://members.aol.com/believeinchildrn/college.html - contains three essays from grown homeschoolers

http://www.grownwithoutschooling.com/gwscommunity.php?viewCat=22 -contains a page with five links of grown homeschoolers

http://www.grownwithoutschooling.com/gwscommunity.php?viewCat=23 - contains 14 links from homeschoolers in college

Good luck! :-)

Answer 2

I don't think it is any harder for them to get into college or make a living than anyone else, providing they have a decent education. My eldest two children are both in college at the moment. They had no problem being admitted, and have had a fairly easy time with the undergraduate work. My daughter, who graduates in the spring, is considering several job offers and opportunities. My son is still two years from graduation, and works for a dry cleaning business. Neither have had difficulty in finding jobs while they were in school, nor keeping them. That all depends on how hard you are willing to work to begin with, and how dependable you are as a worker. Employers don't care where you got your diploma, only that you graduated. Colleges have learned that homeschool graduates are actually very well educated and in most cases better prepared to suceed than graduates from tradition public/private school systems. They consistently score higher on entrance examinations and have the skills needed to do well in the college level courses. Homeschooling has gone mainstream now, and is not a handicap to college bound students at all.
The broohah about social skills is just the last scare tactic in the bag of the anti- homeschooling group. I haven't noticed that the social skills in the public/private school students are anything to brag about, nor really worth holding up as examples. What counts is not the social skills, but the educational skills and knowledge you need to get to make it and survive in an adult world. If you have it, you suceed. If you don't, you won't. It won't matter where the diploma came from.

Answer 3

If you were home schooled by a good and caring parent you should have no trouble getting into college. I hope your parent kept good records, that will help. Many parents home school their children because they are very bright and regular public school can not provide what these students need. If it is done correctly home schooling can be great for kids. I work in a school and I have seen home schooled kids who are so ahead of their peers and I have also seen kids who are so behind that it is hard to get them caught up.

Answer 4

You need to be taking advice from home schoolers. I homeschool my children and know many homeschooling families. All who have graduated (from homeschooling of course) are very successful. They don't have a hard time growing up when it is time to take responsiblity for their own lives. They go out and get jobs or go to college. They can communicate with their professors or employers because they have socialized with people of all ages throughout their school years. That does not make a person weird. Many employers and colleges seek homeschool students. I highly recommend John Taylor Gatto's books and website (as suggested in your other question).

Answer 5

A good way to get better answers to your homeschooling questions would be to find either a national homeschool group or a local group in you area.
Side point to kmcdonald--being a public educator and only knowing of 4 families that homeschooled...How many "regular" schooled kids have you seen that were abnormal or didn't fit in?
Some parents keep their kids from the world when they homeschool--others give their kids the whole world to explore and learn from.

Answer 6

I dissagree with kmcdonald's answer. I know two adults who now homeschool their four boys using this method. They have done so well for themselves (they are married) that she has a degree in bio engineering but has chose to be a stay at home mom. Her husband the bread winner will retire and be home with his family before he turns 40 years old. How's that for sucess from two home schooled adults?

These two parents I know also use Thomas Jefferson Education. I think children who are homeschooled will not fit in with the mold of public school and will have a hard time adjusting. Are these kids bad because they are different. Why do we have to prove we are intelligent in schools now because the teacher tells us to read this book, answer the questions and that will prove whether you are worthy of top praise or not. Yet this is how it is done.

Public School does not teach children to think for themselves. They are told what to learn and when to learn it every minute of the day. Of course a homeschooled child is not going to cope well with this they have been learning to be different from day one. Public school will not inspire children to use their own brains and build them up in their interests or talents. Rather it will require of them do this and if you do it, I'll tell you you're smart.

So by nature children who are in public school are taught "do what everyone else is doing and you will fit in" "out do what everyone else is doing and you are better than them." So most public school kids are being taught this and so of course socialization means to them that they need to fit in, be like everyone else, and be on top of everyone else, to boot! No wonder the corporate world is struggling!

No wonder home school kids don't fit in! They are doing their own thing! Of course they will not fit in with the mold. Does that really mean they are not socialized. Do homeschoolers have any friends. Yes. Are they the popular friends, probably not. Will they get teased. Yes, being different has always been the butt of persecution through out history and will continue to be. The question is are educators teaching children to stand up, be different, and take a leadership stand in this manner? No! That's why it is the job of parents to teach this to their children. Be different in the way that it counts and know where your morals are and be firm in where you stand. Further more be proud of your stand, and who cares what other's think. Your children will be prepared for life, and will be better socialized than half the population out there.

Answer 7

not at all if they show high scores on standardized tests like ACT, and the SAT. But home school kids have to work harder in doing extra curricular activities, church, community theatre, volunteering to pick up trash or raising money for charities, sometimes look better than playing a sport.

Answer 8

This is my own personal experience.

As an high school instructor, I have had 4 families of kids that were home schooled through 8th grade. All of those children had abnormal social skills. Problems not only with peers, but also with teachers - not being able to follow instruction, not getting homework done, etc.

I have also been friends with 2 separate families that home schooled their children - and they were all considered "weird" by other children and had problems making friends.

Most of these families made sure to enroll their kids in outside activities - sports at the YMCA, clubs, etc.

While I am sure there are people who are highly successful after being home schooled, I think it is important for children to go to school not just for the academics but for socialization since we are *social* animals living in a highly complicated *society*.

As for your question, I do not know any adults who were home schooled, but I would think that they would not have less chances to succeed in college or getting a job, it just makes it more difficult in some ways. I would focus more on how home schooling seems to make kids less successful in friendships and societal groups.

Answer 9

I have one son that is now 23 -- he has a great job after being educated at home for kindergarten through high-school. He spent one year at a private group school during the 8th grade but he still "home-schooled" at the same time.

My 20 yr daughter is in college. The school admissions counselor was delighted to have another home-school student come to them. She told us that ALL home-school students attending the college were doing very well.

Employers will look for a combination of intelligence and a good work ethic. I know MANY graduates of home-school that have great jobs.

Colleges are beginning to recruit home-school students. Here is a copy of a letter that came to my inbox a few moments ago:

>>>>>>Hey Everyone,

We just got an amazing post card at our "school" today. It was addressed to me, so I know it wasn't sent because the kids took an SAT or PSAT test. I think it came to me because I am registered as a private school in the State of California with students in high school.

The post card is from UC Riverside, and it is designed to specifically recruit home school students. It is inviting me and my students to an information day at their campus. This info day is geared specifically for "homeschooled and nontraditionally educated students". It looks to me like the educational system is starting to see the great achievements of home schoolers. This program is using home schooled students currently attending UC Riverside to mentor students for that day. It looks like the campus is having success with home schooled students that are attending there.

To me this is exciting news! The University of California school system is highly acclaimed. They have the toughest admission standards of a government operated school system in our state. I am glad that they are recognizing the work that our kids can do, and that they actually want to have us on their campuses!

Hooray for our kids!!!<<<<<<<,,

Any student that can do well on the College SAT will be welcomed with open arms to many Universities. We have friends that are now college graduates that were home-educated for their entire elementary and high-school years.

They are now veterinarians, chemists, agriculture specialists, landscape contractors, building contractors, commercial graphic installers, business owners, engineers, teachers, musicians, politicians, home-school parents, etc.... the list is very long.

Others attend college at Cal-Tech, Le'Tourneau, Seattle Pacific, Oregon State University, Univ. of Oregon, Bethel, Iowa State, many community colleges, etc, etc, etc............ They are often admitted with sizable scholarships and grants.

Students that can study at home and learn how to think for themselves, and maintain a strong work ethic will do very well on entrance exams. Our Community College required only a placement exam.

Home schooled students have great chances of getting a good job and no trouble getting into college ---IF they do the work. There are those that don't make it just the same as many that graduated from group-schools.

1. Learn how to think
2. Learn how to study
3. Do it.
4. Strive for mastery in every discipline.
5. Work at it -- practice your skills every day in math, writing, and reading.
6. Learn something new everyday.
7. Practice taking college SAT's -- at least 10 of them before taking the official exam.

The amount of work that a student is willing to do will increase his/her chances of success in EVERY pursuit.

Barb -- with 4 home-educated students for over 18 years.