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REVISED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ON HOME INSTRUCTION
College Entrance
85. If home instructed students cannot be awarded local or Regents high
school diplomas, how can they gain entrance to colleges?
First, please note that seeking admission to college is entirely a
choice that students make, and successfully gaining admission to college is
entirely the responsibility of home-instructed students and their parents. It
is not the responsibility of the State Education Department or the local public
school district to secure college admission for home-instructed students.
Secondly, colleges set their own admissions requirements. These requirements
vary from college to college. The burden, therefore, is on home-instructed
students (and their parents) to seek and acquire information on the admissions
requirements of the colleges of their choice. The burden is also on home-instructed
students (and their parents) to convince colleges to accept them. Because
of this, home-instructed students (and their parents) may wish to seek information
regarding the admissions requirements of the colleges of their choice well
in advance of the actual application for admission.
Third, Listed below are some suggested strategies for home-instructed
students (and their parents) to consider using to help them gain entrance
to colleges. Consideration can be given to using a combination of these strategies.
Please note that there is no guarantee that following any or all of the
strategies listed below will ensure a home-instructed student's admission
to any college. Again, if home-instructing students choose to pursue admission
to college, they (and their parents) are fully responsible for this.
Suggested Strategies
1. A portfolio of the student's work, demonstrating its breadth and depth,
might be developed over time. This portfolio can be shared with college admissions
personnel to demonstrate the student's capabilities.
2. If a home-instructed student has taken Regents exams at the pubic school
of residence, he/she can request the public school district to produce,
on school letterhead, a list of the exams taken, the date on which they
were taken, and the score the student earned. This list of Regents exam
scores can be shared with college admissions personnel.
3. Home-instructed students can take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
and/or other standardized tests used for college admissions purposes. Scores
on these tests can be shared with college admissions personnel. Home-instructed
students should contact their public school district about arrangements
for taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test and/or achievement examinations
offered by the college Board or the American College Testing Service.
4. If the student is beyond the age of compulsory education, and has completed
a program of home instruction in compliance with Section 100.10 of the Regulations
of the Commissioner of Education, he/she can request that the superintendent
of schools of the public school district of residence attest to this, in
writing, on district letterhead. This can be shared with college admissions
personnel. Please note, however, that the superintendent of schools may,
but is under no obligation to, attest to this.
5. Home-instructed students can take the GED exam, when they have reached
eligibility to do so. Students passing the GED exam can share their General
Equivalency Diplomas with college admissions personnel.
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