Unfortunately under subscription, the latest Chronicles of Higher Education spotlights the demand for homescholed students, and the rising number of high schoolers graduating from home schools.

A short quote from the article refers to the University of Richmond, which, like many colleges and universities, is adapting its admissions documents to accomodate the home schooled student:

“Home schooling often really allows students to develop a passion,” says Sabena Moretz, associate director of admissions, Richmond. “With a traditional high school, most of the time you don’t see a kid who’s gotten so excited with the history of Monticello or got themselves onto an archeology dig.”

Home schoolers are also moving toward an application package format that is easier for schools to negotiate and evaluate, and (I love the market) private credentialing agencies have begun to offer services to help home schoolers and their parents produce diplomas and transcripts that colleges and universities can compare with those coming from standard schools. It’s a mixed blessing, of course, since home schoolers’ appeal rests partly on the unique characteristics of their education as well as, in some cases, the applications.

As a concession to the large numbers of home school students now ready for college, even the Common Application now has a supplement designed for home schoolers. The Common Application serves over 300 of the nation’s most prominent unversities and colleges.