Many colleges and universities are interested in learning more about a student than test scores and grades alone can tell them. In order to form a more holistic view of each applicant, many schools require letters of recommendation be submitted that speak to an applicant’s experiences and character. These letters of recommendation should come from adults who have worked closely with the student in an academic setting, or who may know a student from another important vantage point and includes work supervisors, faith leaders, coaches, mentors, volunteer coordinators, and instructors.
Students should carefully consider the people they ask to write letters of recommendation, and they should be sure to ask adults who they believe are most likely to write positive and optimistic things about the student. These letters are often uploaded to the application portal without the student being able to read the letter beforehand, so it is important to find responsible adults who will write positive assessments of the student’s abilities and contributions to their communities, and then upload their letter to the student’s portal before the completed applications are due (some platforms have different deadlines for student submissions and for recommender letters, so make sure to note the actual deadline when coordinating with your recommenders).
Because many homeschooled students are frequently evaluated by instructors that may not hold the students to a particular and specific academic standard, colleges and universities prefer receiving letters of recommendations that have been submitted by people who are able to give an unbiased and accurate assessment of the student’s overall academic and personal preparedness for college. When possible, it’s especially helpful for homeschooled students to secure letters of recommendation from people who are not related to the student and who have direct experience with and knowledge of the student’s strengths as a college applicant. It is also a good idea for homeschooled students to maximize the number of letters of recommendation that are allowed by each school, provided each letter submitted is from an enthusiastic recommender.
_________________________________________________________
This blog post is a part of YourEDU’s Homeschool to College Series, overviewing the different aspects of applying to college as a homeschooler. It’s important to note that YourEDU is not a college consulting company, rather, it’s a college application platform for homeschool students and parents. YourEDU has partnered with the Common, and is working with hundreds of individual colleges and universities, to help homeschoolers understand requirements, create admin materials, and apply to college. This series of blog posts comes out of conversations with college admissions professionals, reviewing hundreds of successful homeschool applications, and Henry’s (YourEDU co-founder) own experience applying to college as a homeschooler.