Hi Ginny-

I have a son who went from homeschool to college with no problem. He didn't get into his top choice, but he is a bit lopsided (has Asperger's) and his extracurriculars were pretty thin. He is excelling at a small private LAC (liberal arts college) at this point.

MIT is very accepting of homeschooled students. The admissions office has said that homeschoolers acclimate well and are valued members of the MIT community. I talked to an admissions officer at Yale last Spring, (in preparation for a talk I was doing on homeschooling) and he said that they are very open to homeschooled applicants, and that they accept a higher percentage of homeschoolers than they do from the general applicant population. Did I say that so that it makes sense? They might get only a handful of homeschool applicants each year, but those kids have a better chance of getting in than those in the general applicant pool. This is because they have the opportunity to do things "outside the box" according to Yale. They expect homeschoolers to take advantage of their freedom and do unique things with their time.

You can look at my friend Karl's site for info on what colleges accept homeschoolers: http://learninfreedom.org/colleges_4_hmsc.html

Cafi Cohen has written a couple good guidebooks for homeschooling teens and their parents. Her kids were admitted to selective colleges; one attended the Air Force Academy.

Homeschooling can be a wonderful and very rewarding experience for older kids. It also paves the way to college success, as kids can get used to self directed learning.

hth!