>Look at the evidence. Look at MIT or Stanford’s online admissions guidelines for homeschoolers. They don’t want high school diplomas. They don’t want some perfect equivalent of 4 years of high school classes. They want teens who have taken personal initiative and designed meaningful, independence-building activities for themselves. They want teens who have boldly explored the realms of business, international travel, and college-level research prior to convincing themselves that they actually need college. Traditional high school is very often a handicap in pursuing these character traits. And while not every college has explicit homeschool admissions policies like MIT and Stanford, the logic remains the same: colleges want dynamic, innovative teens who leave the cookie-cutter approach behind for greener pastures.
As an "unschooler" I received similar advice from advisors and admissions.
In the end I didn't go to college, I found it wasn't for me. I couldn't stand the thought of another four years of before cutting my teeth in the "real world." I just couldn't take anybody's word that they were going to give me the best preparation for what was to come next.
I just had to dive in.
It's not for everybody, but we can do more to help students whose time is wasted in school.
If one is better suited to jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire these are 4-6 years of experience s/he will never get back.
As an "unschooler" I received similar advice from advisors and admissions.
In the end I didn't go to college, I found it wasn't for me. I couldn't stand the thought of another four years of before cutting my teeth in the "real world." I just couldn't take anybody's word that they were going to give me the best preparation for what was to come next.
I just had to dive in.
It's not for everybody, but we can do more to help students whose time is wasted in school.
If one is better suited to jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire these are 4-6 years of experience s/he will never get back.