In the past, homeschoolers have had difficulties with college admission. The Higher Education Act was modified in 1998 to make it easier for those in home schooling to apply to college, but there were fears among university administrators that accepting homeschooled students would affect their federal funds. Only a few colleges accepted homeschooling as a valid alternatives for more traditional high school learning.

In 2003, the Department of Education clarified its position by stating that no university would be penalized in their federal funding in any way for accepting a homeschooler. It also more clearly defined the admission and application requirements for homeschooled students. In the years that followed, the majority of U.S. universities altered their admissions policies to evaluate homeschooled applicants in the same way as all other applicants.

College Applications for Homeschooled Students

Many universities, including top-ranked colleges and Ivy League schools, receive applications from a substantial number of students with all or part of a home school education. According to the Harvard College Director of Admissions, "We are looking for the strongest candidates in the world and we find some of those among homeschoolers."

Harvard College, along with other top universities, evaluates traditional and homeschooled applicants the same way. Prospective students must submit their scores for either the SAT I or ACT tests — I wrote previously about how to choose between the SAT and ACT — and typically their scores for three SAT II Subject Tests. These standardized tests allow the university to compare homeschooled applicants with traditional students, so scores on these tests are particularly important for homeschoolers.

Your coursework as a homeschooler is also important. You should ensure that you are taking classes that match in subject and difficulty with the most rigorous offerings at local public and private schools. The more closely the rigor of your homeschool curriculum matches that of traditional schools, the more likely you are to be compared positively with your peers. According to the Harvard College admissions website, "an ideal four-year preparatory program includes four years of English, with extensive practice in writing; four years of math; four years of science: biology, chemistry, physics, and an advanced course in one of these subjects; three years of history, including American and European history; and four years of one foreign language."

Letters of Recommendation for Homeschoolers

Typically, traditionally schooled applicants will submit letters of recommendation from teachers or other educators. A homeschooled student may not have the body of teachers to draw such letters from. Keep in mind, however, that letters of recommendation do not always need to come from a teacher. Most universities will be happy to receive letters from anyone who is directly familiar with the prospective student's life away from the classroom. A letter from a sports coach, dance instructor, or volunteer coordinator will carry just as much weight as one from an educator. Additionally, homeschooled students can look for letters from any tutors or other academic professions with whom they work, supervisors at a part-time job, or a religious leader.

Homeschooler's Class Rank

Many homeschoolers worry that their application will be hurt because they cannot provide a class rank. Remember that although many applicants come from large public high schools, many also come from smaller private schools. These small traditional schools also do not give class ranks. At many universities, the class rank is just a single criterion admissions officers use. Lacking a class rank will not hurt your college application in any way, but it will mean that more of an emphasis will be put on other criteria in your application packet, including standardized test scores, course rigor, and extracurricular involvement.

Extracurricular Activities and Home School

Every homeschooled student should be involved with outside activities. Academic credentials are important, but a good homeschooler should combine academic performance with extracurricular activities to show a well-rounded education. Homeschoolers often omit activities from their application because they feel non-traditional. Ensure that you fully explore all of your activities, awards, honors, hobbies, and anything else that gives a complete picture of who you are. For many universities, broadly evaluating a student's special interests plays as important a role as evaluating the student's GPA and SAT scores.

Though most colleges do not require anything additional of its homeschooled applicants in terms of testing or additional credentials — and many are actually prohibited by law from doing so — robust academic credentials allow a homeschooler to appear more competitive. Awards and honors you win while in competition with traditional students should always be included in your application. College-level courses taken in conjunction with your home schooling curriculum will also help to set you apart.

Specific Application Requirements for Homeschoolers

Every college is different, but you must often include a high school diploma with a parent's transcript, your standardized test scores, a portfolio review, any written essays required by the application such as a personal statement, and any entrance examinations the university may require to test your preparedness. Most colleges will permit you to submit equivalent documentation for anything that is inapplicable to a homeschooler, such as letters of recommendation. If the school application materials do not explicitly list such alternatives, contact the school's admissions office.

Do I have to worry about the rest of my senior year?

Yes!

It is very important to maintain the same level of academic performance for the rest of your senior year, even when you feel yourself succumbing to senioritis. Your college acceptance is contingent on your ability to finish your high school career. Though you may only feel yourself slacking from an A to a B, it is very easy to slip down into Cs or Ds without realizing it, potentially jeopardizing your ability to graduate on time.

Additionally, colleges receive a final transcript of your grades once you graduate and are able to rescind your admission if they feel that your academic performance is not longer up to their standards. Many universities will check, and students have had their admissions letters revoked for low grades due to senioritis.

Even if your admission is not in danger of post-acceptance revocation, many colleges make determinations for merit-based scholarships after receiving your final grades. If you do not maintain your grades to the end of your senior year, you may lose your eligibility for these scholarships.

College is not going to be any easier than high school, and it is important to keep up with your studying skills. Slacking for your last semester in high school will only leave you struggling in your first semester of college. Keep studying and working hard and you will find yourself well-prepared for your first year at your university.

One very common and longstanding recommendation is for students to take a few college courses before the application process to show that the student is prepared for the academic rigor expected in a university. Unfortunately, not all students have access to a nearby school at which to take college courses. Fortunately, many very well-regarded universities are turning to the Internet to offer online college courses. No matter your location, you can enroll in an online college course and use your completion as evidence of your academic prowess on your college application.

Additionally, sampling a few university classes by taking online college courses will help you focus your interests and pick a major you're happy with early — rather than spending your first few years in school switching from major to major.

Open Yale Courses, a free service from Yale University in Connecticut, features introductory courses in a variety of topics, including astronomy, chemistry, economics, philosophy, psychology, and more. The courses are real lectures taught by real Yale professors and are intended for those with little or no background in the subject.

The Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom features a rich list of math lessons available for free online. The Institute also features a number of physics and biology topics, such as lectures on string theory or phylogenetics. While many of the topics may be difficult to grasp for someone who has only taken high school math and science courses, a diligent student should find the subjects within reach.

For individuals hoping to sharpen their foreign language skills or even pick up an entirely new language, BBC offers audio and video language courses in 36 different languages. Universities appreciate individuals who are able to view the world from multiple perspectives, and in-depth learning into a language and culture will make you appear more diverse in your college application. Additionally, your language learning may allow you to take a proficiency exam at your university to waive a foreign language requirement.

As a general resource, the education channel of YouTube also has a surprising number of college-level material. With categories including business, engineering, history, journalism, and law, YouTube features videos of actual college courses taught by professors at schools like Carnegie Mellon, Stanford and UC Berkeley. The quantity of videos on YouTube is large, but you may have to look through a lot of topics to find one that interests you.

Though none of these options will give you a degree or certificate, you should discuss your additional educational pursuits somewhere in your application packet. Not only will you show that you have gone above and beyond other students in your preparation for college, you will also ready yourself for college-level material and find a discipline that interests you.

The first step is to identify something that is a realistic weakness. You may be tempted to say something like "I'm a workaholic" or some other weakness-that's-really-a-strength. Don't do this. College admissions officers see variants of "I just care too much about my school work" too often to believe it. Instead, critically analyze your application and identify your biggest weakness. A low GPA, a disappointing SAT or ACT score, or low participation in extracurricular activities are all great examples.

Next, figure out an explanation — not an excuse — for your weakness. Perhaps your family moved around a lot, preventing you from rooting in a school. Perhaps you had to work an after-school job that cut into your time to play a sport. Whatever your reason, make sure it's something that you can use to make yourself look like a better candidate. It's much easier to forgive a low GPA, for example, if the reason for it was the time you spent in a professional internship.

Here are four examples of the thesis statement for your personal statement weakness. Note that they are ordered from worst to best:

"What is Your Biggest Weakness?"

Worst
"I have a low GPA."
The admissions officers already know you have a low GPA, and if they didn't, you just alerted them to go look. Your weakness should be cleverly woven into your answer rather than appearing upfront and obvious.

Bad
"I'm a very sensitive person and sometimes care too much about my friends."
This is an example of a weakness-that's-really-a-strength. You want to show the admissions committee that you can objectively and critically analyze yourself, and "I care too much" is not a realistic weakness. Additionally, this answer focuses on personal characteristics rather than on academic ones. Focus on your scholarship rather than on character flaws.

Better
"I have a lower than average GPA due to the time I spent working as an intern at a law office to earn money to support my family."
What makes this answer better than the previous ones is that it identifies a real and credible weakness (low GPA), but provides an explanation that is positive. Though colleges want to see applicants with high grade point averages, they also want to see students with real-life work experience and those who have overcome difficulties. This answer shows both of those, making the student appear more well-rounded. The rest of the answer would then discuss why the student believes his experiences as a legal intern make up for his lower GPA. There is, however, one thing that should change to make this an ideal thesis.

Best
"I worked a part-time job before and after school in order to support my family. Though the work was incredibly rewarding, it limited my ability to focus on my high school work. Though I was able to work with my teachers to extend deadlines and make up missed work, my job did limit my ability to complete all of my assignments."
Rather than leading with the weakness, this answer weaves the weakness into the discussion of the applicant's strength. The admissions officers will already know about your GPA by the time they get to this section, so it is unnecessary to call attention to it again. Instead, go right into your explanation. This allows you to write an answer that focuses on your strengths while, at the same time, compensating for your weakness. This answer also demonstrates that the student took the initiative to try to overcome her weakness by approaching her teachers and requesting extensions. Not only does this answer show that the student has a good reason for her lower GPA, but it also shows that she recognizes, addresses, and takes steps to correct her problems rather than merely complaining about them.

However, this idealism seems to have changed.

It has now become clear that colleges can opt out of Score Choice, and require that applicants report every SAT score. Newsweek has indicated that Stanford, Cornell, Pomona, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California will demand all scores. Other schools, including Harvard and the University of Chicago, say they will honor Score Choice. Many more, such as Yale and Princeton, say they have yet to decide.

This may be disappointing news for several students who believed Score Choice to be the cure of test taking anxiety. However, remember that the playing field has not really changed. Just because certain schools are requiring all reports does not mean that having lower scores will necessarily preclude you from admission; colleges still view the entire application -- scores included -- in totality. All this means is that when you decide to take the SAT, you should be ready for it.

For tips to succeed on the SAT, make sure you check out my SAT tips section.

The answer is easy: probably not.

You should definitely not cancel your score immediately after the test. Though you do have the option to request a score cancelation form from your proctor, never do this unless the reason you want to cancel your scores is that you threw up on the test. Otherwise, wait to see how you feel tomorrow. You have until the following Wednesday at midnight to request that your scores be canceled, so you should wait until the pressure of the test is off before trying to make this important decision. The exact procedure to follow is outlined on the College Board website.

So now it's Sunday or Monday and the initial stress after the test has passed and you still want to know if you should cancel your score. The answer is unsurprisingly still: probably not.

You likely did better on the test than you think. We tend to be an awful judge of our own success, and you may end up pleasantly surprised with your score. And even if you did do poorly, who cares? Universities now expect that students will take the SAT 2 or 3 times. One bad score on your record will probably not hurt you, especially since most colleges are happy to consider only your highest composite score. And if you canceled your scores, you would have to take the SAT again anyway, so there's no real incentive to even do so. You may as well take a chance and see what you got.

Plus, starting for the class of 2010, students can report only their highest score to colleges without needing to submit all of their other scores. The admissions officers will not even know about this bad test.

But now lets say you have read all this and you still want to cancel your scores. Sometimes cancelation is appropriate. Go through the following checklist and, if all the conditions apply, you may be a good candidate for score cancelation:

• You are not a student of 2010 or beyond (i.e. you are a senior and will graduate before 2010).
• You have some objective reason for knowing that your score suffered in some way (e.g. your calculator died in the middle of the math, you realized too late that you mis-bubbled an entire section, or you had some emergency during the test that prevented you from completing one or more sections). "I just don't think I did good" is not a valid reason.
• You have contacted the colleges you are most interested in and confirmed that they consider all of your scores in their admissions decisions (e.g. they do not consider just your highest score and instead average all of your scores).

Only if all three of these situations apply should you consider canceling your score. Otherwise, wait it out and keep your fingers crossed.

Want to know if you're a good candidate for score cancelation? Leave a comment below.

There are six main laws your letters of recommendation must follow, and I explore all six in the newest Accepted to College article. You will learn not only how to pick a good recommender, but also how to guide that recommender toward writing the best letter possible.

Click here to read the full article.

Each college finance website is running their competition during a different period this month, so be sure to check out each one in order to increase your odds of winning. The first competition is already over, but that still leaves 14 free laptops to try for. The hosting sites and their competition periods are as follows:

• Sep 28 - Oct 5: Broke-Ass Student
• Sep 30 - Oct 7: Broke Grad Student
• Oct 2 - Oct 9: Study Hacks
• Oct 4 - Oct 11: Cooking for Engineers
• Oct 6 - Oct 13: College Being
• Oct 8 - Oct 15: Paul Stamatiou
• Oct 10 - Oct 17: DormDelicious
• Oct 12 - Oct 19: Student Bloggers
• Oct 14 - Oct 21: Jessica Mah Meets World
• Oct 16 - Oct 23: UNEASYsilence
• Oct 18 - Oct 25: Gomeler.com
• Oct 20 - Oct 27: CampusGrotto
• Oct 22 - Oct 29: Hack College
• Oct 24 - Oct 31: The University Blog

Good luck!

Thirteen submissions came in for this issue, and I have selected the top ten to feature. Read on to the Carnival of College Admissions:

Carnival of College Admissions: 3rd Edition

• Mark Montgomery has an excellent anecdote about picking the right college in his hilarious piece, College Fit: How Does the Shirt Look on Me? over at Great College Advice. Who would have thought that you could learn so much about college admissions at the department store racks?
• As a former SAT instructor, I shared with many high school students the initial dislike of the new SAT Writing section. However, as Todd Johnson of the College Admissions Counseling Blog points out, the SAT writing section may be a better predictor of college grades than the old SAT. An interesting observation that may change many people's minds about the new admissions test.

• Turning now to the subject of financial aid, perhaps even more stressful than determining what college to attend is how to pay for it. Julie Stewart at Virtual College Fairs recommends that everyone do their research and not rule out schools because they think they will be too expensive. Her article helps you to determine your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and suggests that, "many times a more expensive school can be cheaper after you've determined your EFC and how much financial aid you will be eligible for."
• Once you've done all that, let About.com's Ken Clark walk you through A Step-By-Step Guide to Applying for Federal Financial Aid. His guide takes you through the FAFSA and is an invaluable resource when it comes time to fill out yours. Keep the link bookmarked so you can have a companion.
• Give Me Back My Credit! blogger Denise Richardson featured a guest article from Heather Johnson which asked the question, College Students Have Courses on Nutrition -- Why Not Personal Finance? Even if you can live like a king or queen with a generous financial aid package, remember that smart college spending is vital as well. These tips will help you to manage your college debt.
• Zack Oliva, owner of one of a new but very promising college finance blog, College Finance 101, answers a similar question for his readers: What Affects My Credit Score? College students are among the least credit savvy and often end up the targets of predatory lender. Don't let yourself be a victim! Let Zack teach you the precise things that affect your credit score so you can maximize your ability for a home or car loan in your future.

• Online classes are becoming increasingly popular, and more and more students are starting to flock to the idea of distance learning. The one concern always remains, however: how does one stay motivated when they work full-time and learn online on the side? Heather Johnson of Key Degree has the answer with 6 Ways to Balance Work and Online Courses
• Speaking of online colleges, a lot of the e-mail questions I have received recently revolve around my recommendations. Many readers are straight from high school, thinking about distance learning, but wondering how it will affect their chance for graduate school in the future. One option has always been to continue your online study opportunities. David Cassell of Select Courses presents the pros -- and cons -- of Getting a Law Degree Online. If this is a path you're thinking about taking, his advice can help.

• Rounding off this edition is Susan Jacobs of Law Vibe. While her article, 10 Ways to Ensure Success in Law School doesn't quite hit the demographic of this Carnival, her tips are useful for anyone regardless of school level. College is very different from High School, and her tips are sure to ease that transition.

Thank you to all the wonderful submitters who make the Carnival of College Admissions great. If you think you have an article that belongs here, even if you're not a dedicated college admissions expert, we'd love to hear from you. Head down to the submissions page and let us know about your article. If we like it, you may see yourself featured in the next weekly edition. College admissions consultants wishing to bring the carnival to their own site should also contact me if you would like to host an edition.