College and homeschoolers

I was talking to my (very wise) homeschooling friend yesterday. She has 5 kids and they have all been homeschooled forever. Two have graduated from high school.

Since I have one kiddo getting into the higher grades (and we are thinking about college already), I asked for some advice. I thought it was great and wanted to share. :o)

Here are the highlights:

• Keep an extensive portfolio of your child's work over the years, especially when they are in high school. Examples of writing, projects, etc. are very important.
• Be sure to document/keep any awards your kids receive.
• Take pictures of your kids doing projects, especially charity or volunteer activities. A great way to document these activities is to write up a short article about it, and send it (with pics) to your local paper. Clip and keep the article. :o)
• Have your child ask for letters of reference from people they know and work for (whether volunteer or paid).

In other words - document! LOL

You can build an impressive portfolio in a year or two. If you start sooner, you can get an even more impressive one.

Remember - academics are important, but a child that is well-rounded and community-minded is important, too! (Especially if they are trying to get scholarships.)