Homeschooling in the UK, with hopes of University in the USA?

[megangroves2]

I am thinking of homeschooling my son, currently in year 10. He is the 3rd youngest child, and both of my eldest have gone on to University in America. This is what he would like to do as well. We have contacted a number of Universities, just to ask for some information on applying from overseas, and all of them have told us that they will ask for a few of his GCSE and A level results as they know he is being schooled in the UK, and that him taking the SAT is an extra. However, I was thinking that if we homeschool him through an American Homeschool programme/curriculum, we may be able to have him do just the SAT and not GCSE's or A levels? Would a University accept that he had been schooled in the UK, under an American system so therefore hasn't done his GCSE's or A levels? Also, is this a good idea or is it sensible for him to just do his GCSE's and A levels anyway?

[bochead]

Stanford has a very well respected american high school cert programme. (Cousins in Saudi are on it - also aiming for American Uni)

Would negate the need for all that exam fuss. I'd get his older brothers to ask their respective colleges.

[Saracen]

For American university admissions requirements for home educated kids, I think you may get more info if you post on an American homeschooling forum. I should think that a wide range of alternatives is possible. I'm sure there is no need to do "local" (e.g. GCSE / A level) qualifications just because you happen to live in the UK. On the other hand it might be a good idea in case your son doesn't end up at an American uni after all...

What little I know about the subject is 25 years out of date, so may not be relevant. I used to work in an American university admissions office. I expect that impressive SATs alone won't be adequate. As you know, they are an aptitude test rather than a test of academic knowledge, so they don't really indicate whether the candidate has a strong academic background and good study skills. The ACT test might be good to do as well, being more of a knowledge test. If your son happens to do any distance learning courses then he can include those in his application, or IGCSE and A level results. The essay and interview are often more important for a home educated candidate than a schooled one.

You definitely don't need to follow an "American" curriculum just because your son may be going to a US university, unless he wants to do US history for example! I think he should do whichever curriculum interests him most, or a more free-ranging self-study where he picks and chooses whichever resources he likes for each subject. If it's challenging and he's engaged in it, he'll do well, whatever it may be. But do talk to whichever universities he might like to attend.