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Can a home schooled student get into college...?
with a record like this? I applied to Florida State University as my first choice, and as I get closer to finding out if I got in, I'm getting more and more nervous. Do you think I had a chance?
My grades for high school were all A's. I have 4 credits of math (up to pre-cal), 4.5 of English, 5 of social science, 5 of natural science (with labs), and 2 of French. I also studied a number of electives such as home ec/life skills, music theory, health, programming and robotics, digital design, art, and sign language. FSU requires that home schoolers submit a syllabus for each course studied in high school to explain course content and list materials used, and we made these very detailed.
On top of that, I'll be graduating high school with at least 18 college credits behind me already (CHM2025, CHM2025L, HUM2930, PSY2012, SYG1000, ARH1051, and one more that hasn't been chosen yet). So far after my first semester I have all A's at the college I'm duel enrolled in.
I scored a 1930 on the SAT. 680 in reading, 730 in writing, and 520 in Math. My math score isn't great, but there were circumstances surrounding that. the College Board didn't provide the appropriate accommodations on my test (I'm legally blind) and I couldn't see the numbers and figures on the math portion of the test. I am planning on retaking it with the proper accommodations, but I wont be able to before the final application deadline.
My resume is as follows.
Programs and Activities:.
-Participated in the People to People Student Ambassador Program, a selective international study program. (2 years)
-Is a member of the People to People Alumni Society (3 years)
-Attended the National Federation of the Blind Youth Leadership Academy, a four-day program in Baltimore, Maryland giving blind high school students a chance to work with other blind mentors and practice leadership, organization, public speaking and advocacy skills necessary for becoming leaders in both the blind and sighted communities.
-Was invited to and attended an intensive, week long Leadership Seminar lead by Dr. Mark Mauer, the president of the National Federation of the Blind owing to performance at the previously-mentioned program.
Extracurricular Activities:
-Has been a student at the Fencing Academy since the 8th grade (3 to 6 hours/week).
-Received piano instruction at the throughout 8th and 9th grade (1/2 to 1 hour/week)
-Received guitar instruction at the in 8th and 9th grade, and later with the same instructor at a local music store in 11th grade (1/2 to 1 hour/week)
-Has been a member of the Public Library?s Chess Club since 9th grade (about 2 ½ hours/week)
-Actively participates in the Library System?s Teen Advisory Group, an organization that meets monthly to plan events, organize programs, and give input on ways the library can be improved.
-Is an active member of the Home School Association, a social and academic support group for home schooling families.
-Currently taking Bass Guitar lessons at the (1/2 - 1 hour/week)
-Is a member of the National Federation of the Blind's Florida Association of Blind Students
-Participates actively in a local Presidential Fitness group
-Participates regularly in a home school arts and crafts class
-Participates in digital design and silversmithing lessons at the
Community Service:
-Collected toys, candy, and home made cards for patients in a local hospital?s Child Life center and delivered them with the People to People delegation on Valentines Day, 2006
-Volunteered in a nursing home with the local People to People delegation keeping the residents company, providing recreation, and later creating a ?Life Story? memory book to present to residents.
-Helped organize a service project with the local People to People delegates, collecting clothes and school supplies to be delivered to school children in Fiji
-Volunteered in the Library?s Summer Reading Program for children during the summer of 9th and 10th grade (about 30 hours)
-Served at the local Senior Center throughout 11th grade, assisting the members of their Arts and Crafts program and later helping to organize the center?s Veterans Day festivities. (about 60 hours total)
-Helped organize a holiday caroling event at a nursing home in 11th grade with a group of local blind high school students.
-Collected donations from local businesses in 9th grade for an annual silent auction to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation
-Collected hand-made Christmas cards to deliver to hospital patients over the 2008 holiday season with the local homeschool association.
Honors, Awards and Recognitions:
-Nominated by the Florida delegation for the People to People National Student Ambassador of the Year award in 2005.
-Invited to attend the 2008 Congressional Student Leadership Conference, a selective program
Honors, Awards and Recognitions:
-Nominated by the Florida delegation for the People to People National Student Ambassador of the Year award in 2005.
-Invited to attend the 2008 Congressional Student Leadership Conference, a selective program run by LeadAmerica
-Participated in the Duke University Talent Identification Program in 2004 and received State Recognition.
-Earned the Presidential Active Lifestyles Award through the local Presidential Fitness group
Employment:
-Worked as a tutor in High School Math, English, and Chemistry throughout 10th and the first half of 11th grade receiving about $5/hour.
-Babysat for neighbors on weekends in 9th grade for between $5 and $10/hour
-Was offered a $1,500 contract in the summer before 12th grade to design logos for a soon to be established center for the blind.
-Currently tutor a student in phonics, basic arithmetic, and literature at a third grade level. $20/week
My resume has improved since I submitted it online. FSU encourages homeschoolers to submit, along with the syllabuses and transcript, anything that the homeschool representative believes will give FSU a better idea of the student's academic ability, so we'll be sending my updated resume along with my yearly homeschool evaluations and my unofficial transcript from the college (they'll of course get the official one later on). I'm also going to send along some of my best essays and other work samples, and I have a few people who said they would send letters of reference for me. Can you think of anything else I can do? Do you think I have any chance of getting in? Be honest.
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