Wisconsin Homeschoolers?

[birdwatcher4125]

Hello there,

Are there any Wisconsin Homeschoolers at any of the Service Academies that can give me some insight or advice on the homeschool hurdles you faced during the candidate application and congressional nomination processes?

Thank you.

 

[Cdkd]

From what I know Service Academies are looking for strong candidates in academic and sports with leadership in mind. So if you DS or DD is homeschooler then you have to find the place for your DS/DD to participate in competitive sport(s) and leadership skills with the understanding that your DS/DD has superior score on SAT or ACT. In my district, homeschoolers do take competitive sports (mostly track and field or cross country) at the local high schools or at YMCA intramural sport (competitive swimming or basketball). Team captain counts as leadership. But participation in local church youth group with leadership role or YMCA youth legislative/mock trial would count as well. Basically you should download the class profile 2021 or 2022 and see what they are looking for in the candidates then go from there.

 

[time2]

Lots of older threads about those who were homeschooled and applied/got an appointment to SA's. Not sure there would be any specific information to gain from Wisconsin specifically that isn't true of the rest of the country.

 

[bookreader]

The Service Academies are 'homeschool friendly'. There are many homeschooled cadets at the academies. Some universities ask for additional requirements of homeschooled applicants but the service academies do not. They clearly lay out what they want to see in an applicant and you simply have to find ways to fulfill those requirements. My son was homeschooled from K - 12th grade and we didn't find any hurdles to overcome in the process.

Do you have any specific questions?

 

[John Welch]

Mostly my concerns are about how Wisconsin homeschoolers are viewed when compared to other homeschoolers from other states. Every state has different homeschool laws, regulations and requirements. Wisconsin is one of the most libertarian states in the country when it comes to homeschooling. You only have to send in a post card to the state once a year informing them that you're going to homeschool that year and you agree to abide by the requirements. However, there is absolutely no accountability beyond that. For all that the state of Wisconsin knows my children are all illiterate and feral. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly happy with the way things are, except that I worry that because my kids won't have a state issued HS diploma, they may not be taken as seriously as a homeschooled kid from Pennsylvania, where they heavily regulate homeschooling (by comparison to Wisconsin). I know there's lots of homeschoolers from around the country in the Service Academies, but I'd love to hear from Wisconsin homeschoolers that are in the academies or from admissions people who've dealt with Wisconsin homeschoolers that have successfully been appointed to an academy.

 

[bookreader]

My state doesn't even require a yearly postcard. After I informed them that I was homeschooling my two older children (they never knew that I had younger children who were also homeschooled), I had basically no contact with the public school system ever again. That said, colleges want to see if an applicant meets their requirements. So long as the transcript shows what they are looking for, they are happy to accept that student (and take your tuition money). The Service Academies are the same. If you meet their requirements and a congressman is willing to nominate you (my son was the first homeschooler ever to receive a nomination from our congressman) then you stand a good chance at receiving an acceptance from a SA. How you were schooled is a non-issue.

 

[birdwatcher4125]

Thanks bookreader, that does give me comfort.

 

[time2]

Far more apply than eventually get an appointment, regardless of whether you were homeschooled or attended public/private high schools. It is about far more than meeting some minimum requirement. Everything about applying is a competition, so good to review the official SA websites to gain insight into what they are looking for. Also need a plan B in the event you do not get an appointment. The most commonly asked questions repeat on here annually, so you can review older threads to quickly gain insight into the most obvious topics.