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Homeschooled students make up a small, but powerful, portion of our student population here at Tufts. They bring valuable experiences, expertise, and knowledge with them, truly finding a home with the other “playful nerds” that make up our campus community. Whether you were on the road to the Winter Olympics as a member of Team USA and needed more flexibility to study after training, or wanted to deep dive into high-level Computer Science coursework, your homeschool education can and will help you thrive at Tufts.

We know that the college process can feel overwhelming and confusing, particularly if you’ve taken an untraditional path to get there. To help and support you through the process, here are the answers to some common questions we get from your fellow homeschool applicants. Let's turn that "stress-o-meter" down to chill!

 

 

Q: My parent/guardian is my only teacher and my homeschool administrator/counselor. What if I can’t get more than one person to write a letter?

A: That’s okay! Most of our homeschooled applicants in this position will have their parent/guardian submit two letters, one speaking more to their experience teaching the applicant and the other to the process of counseling/assisting the student through high school. Please keep in mind that if you have had access to online courses with a live instructor or have been in a group homeschool setting, you are more than welcome to ask those teachers for a letter if you’re comfortable.

 

Q: What should a letter of recommendation look like and include?

A: When I think about an “ideal letter of recommendation”, here’s what comes to mind:

-The document is 1-1.5 pages, formatted in bullet points. If you’d prefer to write a traditional letter, feel free, but a bullet point format helps us as readers hone in on the most important information.

-The document is divided into three sections: Academics, Involvement, Important Points and Anecdotes (highlighting anything important about the applicant not already covered and any unique aspects of your relationship you believe show why the applicant is a good fit for university study).

-For a homeschooled applicant, the letter might include a section about your homeschool curriculum and direction, if you feel that this is important in the context of their journey into higher education. You never need to justify your decision to homeschool, as there are many benefits to making that choice, but any context you wish to provide is always helpful for us to better understand the applicant.

 

Q: Are the admissions requirements the same for me as they are for other students?

A: Exactly the same. We will need a completed copy of your application, copies of your high school transcript(s), 2 letters of recommendation (as detailed above), completed answers to the Common Application/Coalition Application essay and both supplemental essays, and a complete list of all of your extracurricular activities. You can send a test score if you would like, but we are truly test optional, so you will not be advantaged for sending them nor disadvantaged for skipping them. If you are an international student whose language of instruction was not English, we will need you to submit an English Proficiency Score from TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE.

 

Q: What should my homeschool transcript include?

A: As mentioned before, we will need copies of all of your transcripts, including a transcript that details any coursework taken at home for credit led by a homeschool administrator or parent/guardian. This transcript should include a list of your coursework with grades, making sure to note the course’s rigor level (honors, Advanced Placement, etc.), the number of credits each class is worth, a grading scale, and a key if needed for clarification of course level or other notes. If you would like to include a list of resources or course descriptions, you are welcome to, but they are not required.

 

Q: Do all of the classes I’ve taken with online high schools, through dual enrollment, or at brick-and-mortar high schools need to be on my homeschool transcript?

A: Only if they do not provide you with a transcript. If they have provided a transcript, you will need to request a copy to be sent to us via email or physical mail, depending on what the program has access to. Otherwise, you would follow the same procedure to report the class as you would for a course fully taught at home, as detailed above.

 

Q: How do I submit an official copy of my materials? What is an “official copy”?

A: Letters of recommendation and transcripts should be sent directly to us by the homeschool administrator to ensure the documents’ authenticity. During the application process, we should be sent a transcript that includes all final grades through junior year and a list of senior year courses in progress. Once a student starts the enrollment process, the homeschool administrator will need to send an updated, final copy of the student’s transcript after the student has graduated from high school. That transcript will need to list a graduation date and include the homeschool administrator’s signature.

 

Q: I hear that some schools don’t count honors/AP credits taken at home. Is that the case for Tufts?

A: No; if you tell us your course was at the honors/AP level, in most cases, we will take your word for it and count it accordingly. The best way to ensure that we count your AP courses at that level is to include your AP exam results with your application. We trust our students to give us a thorough and accurate depiction of their homeschool coursework.

 

Q: Is my application viewed differently than a student who went to a brick-and-mortar high school? Am I at a disadvantage in the admissions process because I was taught at home?

A: No on both counts! Our holistic review process allows us to understand the context in which you were educated and consider all parts of your application at an equal level. We appreciate all of the diverse experiences that our applicants have had, and many families and students choose to homeschool to help students deep dive into their areas of passion or have a greater capability to create a curriculum that best suits their student’s needs, both of which are values that mirror those in Tufts’ educational values (interdisciplinary study and deep academic passion). We have welcomed homeschool applicants into the Tufts community in the past and plan to continue that trend in years to come.

 

If you have any further questions about the application process or need any other guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Homeschooled applicants should reach out to the counselor assigned to their territory. We are your biggest advocate and best resource as you navigate the college admissions process!