With the advent of online or digital education system, the needs and demands of both students and parents are evolving. The Indian Education System is seeing transformation like never before, like chalkboards are replaced with digital whiteboards and books are replaced by technology. While homeschooling was always there, it got a major popularity boost with the COVID-19 pandemic. Homeschooling is a method of education wherein instead of a traditional school, parents, tutors, or online teachers educate their children at home. It can be a flexible learning format that allows parents/guardians to tailor the educational experience to their child's needs. Families prefer this parent-directed education for a variety of reasons, such as unresolved challenges with traditional schooling or to provide child's specific learning requirements. 

Now coming to the question, can the homeschoolers apply for degree courses in regular colleges? Yes, homeschooled students can apply to regular colleges. Applying for any degree courses as a homeschooler is not complicated. It just needs admission requirements, college acceptance/support, and transcript submission. In most of the cases, the same steps are followed as regular high school students to get admissions in the regular colleges; homeschoolers must keep a few differences in mind. Continue reading the article to get more ideas on how homeschooled students can apply to regular colleges for degree courses.

What is Homeschooling?

Unlike conventional education, homeschooling allows parents to decide on what children should learn and how they should learn whatever they learn. Instead of enrolling their children in any traditional schools, parents nowadays opt for this unique learning environment that will match their child’s preferred pace, learning abilities, and personal interests. With evolving transitions in the education system, homeschooling is becoming one of the increasingly popular educational options all over the world, as well as in India. Due to the educational gap created by the lack of several educational facilities during the pandemic, leading to the restriction of students to their homes, homeschooling has come to the forefront. With this homeschooling option, parents can choose curriculum based on the student's areas of interest, which will allow them the opportunity to undertake different streams and obtain specific skills.

What is the Homeschooling Curriculum in India?

In India, the Right to Education Act, 2009 mandates the free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 years. As per the Indian court system, homeschooling does not violate Articles 18 and 19 of RTE 2009. Which proves that homeschooling is valid in India. The homeschooled students can take IGCSE or NIOS exams for classes 10 and 12. There are a few popular curriculums that parents who are planning on homeschooling their children in India can commonly opt for. Each curriculum has its own merits, and depending on that, parents can choose. Parents can always select the course based on their child’s learning requirements and future plans.

• International British Curriculum/Cambridge Curriculum: This internationally recognized curriculum allows the students to select across the broad curriculum. Cambridge offers IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) that offers a flexible curriculum with over 70 subjects to choose from. It is an A-level that is recognized by numerous colleges and universities worldwide. 
• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS): This curriculum is an open schooling system that offers a variety of courses. It is affiliated with the government and provides an opportunity to study at their own pace. Students can take examinations looking at their own convenience. The certifications for secondary and senior secondary level examinations are offered by NIOS and are valid in India.

Colleges Where Homeschooled Students Can Apply?

Colleges as well as universities are increasingly valueing the homeschooled students and are recognizing their importance to bring to their campuses. The homeschooled students often have maturity, self-motivation, and an academic curiosity. Colleges that accept homeschooled students are as follows: 

• IT: In India, in the recent years, IT colleges are making a splash byaccepting quite a few number of homeschooled students.
• MIT: This college has a separate admissions page for homeschooled students and also carries a history of admitting such students. 
• Wolsey Hall Oxford: Located in Delhi, this college welcomes and supports a growing number of families homeschooling.
• Yale University: It has a specialized admissions page for homeschooled students. However, it considers several factors while evaluating homeschooled applicants.
• Princeton University: It encourages homeschoolers to take admissions by providing detailed information about their approach to homeschooling. 
• Harvard College: The university welcomes homeschooled students just as all other applicants by asking for relevant information about their background.
• NYU: This university also allows homeschooled students to take admission by asking for evidence of a homeschool diploma, a certificate of completion, or GED test results.

Courses Homeschooled Students can Apply for in Colleges

There are many courses that homeschooled students can apply for in the regular colleges. Some of them are listed below:

• B.Sc (Hons.) in Food and Nutrition: That requires a 12th degree with Chemistry
• M.A./M.Sc. in Human Development: Requires a B.Sc./B.A. (Hons.) in Human Development/Sociology/Psychology/Education/Home Science
• M.Sc. in Food and Nutrition: Requires a B.Sc (Hons.) in Food and Nutrition
• Ph.D. in Food and Nutrition: Requires an M.Sc./M.A. with RET/NET/SET/Equivalent

How can Homeschooled Students Apply to Colleges?

Students and their parents can follow the below-mentioned steps to complete the application process of international universities mentioned above; however, the admission process of colleges in India might be different. Students can check this link to get more information about the same - List of Entrance Exams for Homeschooled Students. You can go through the points below to know more.

• Request Admission Details:

Check out the official websites of all the shortlisted colleges. Look for requesting admissions information in the admissions section. Then complete the request form following the on-screen instructions and submit. You will get all the admission details depending on the school or options you have selected.

• Take College Entrance Exams

Marks obtained in the college entrance exam are considered as one of the typically required documents for college applications. The most popular exams are the SAT and the ACT. There are some schools that may ask students to submit marks from other exams as well, for example, SAT subject tests, AP exams, GED, and so on.

• Acquire A Transcript

A homeschooled student can acquire transcripts from various sources, based on the nature of their education. A student of a homeschooling co-op or umbrella school can request an official copy of his or her academic transcript from the administration of the institute. Apart from this, one can obtain their transcript from their parents or guardians, where one can expect to find all records of the student's academic history and performance.

• Gather Letters of Recommendation

The admission information calls for how many letters of recommendation are to submit along with the application. These letters of recommendation are an integral part of revealing qualities that one's grades and exam marks cannot. These provide information about one's character and potential. 

• Write A Personal Essay

Applications are supposed to write a personal essay, which is a personal statement. It is another common college application document. One may find the topic and word count different based on the school's requirements. There are colleges that allow students to choose from many essay topics and provide them with a word count of 400 to 600 words. 

• Complete and Submit the Application

Colleges will ask to fill up all the required details of the student, such as one's name, contact information, employment, and academic background, as well as details such as the intended course or program of study and extracurricular activities.

Homeschooling in India, day by day, is becoming a valid and acceptable school form for society. Parents are opting to provide their children's education with more flexibility while focusing on the individual child’s personality. Through this education system, and with the help of NIOS and other international institutions such as Cambridge, homeschooling not only offers quality education but also helps a student get a recognized certificate for higher studies and career opportunities.