Unschooling and university prospects
south_oz_bella
Hi all,
I'm Amy. Australian mum to 11mo DD. I know this is quite a way off, but
it's one of my concerns for going ahead with unschooling - what are the
prospects for being able to get into university if you unschool? Have
any older unschoolers gotten into uni degrees?
I don't want to do something that will limit DD's career options in the
future. From my uni experience, i think unschooling would be really
helpful once you are actually *in* a uni degree because it is all about
self motivated learning, etc, but how difficult is it to actually get
in?
Thanks,
Amy
I'm Amy. Australian mum to 11mo DD. I know this is quite a way off, but
it's one of my concerns for going ahead with unschooling - what are the
prospects for being able to get into university if you unschool? Have
any older unschoolers gotten into uni degrees?
I don't want to do something that will limit DD's career options in the
future. From my uni experience, i think unschooling would be really
helpful once you are actually *in* a uni degree because it is all about
self motivated learning, etc, but how difficult is it to actually get
in?
Thanks,
Amy
Debra Rossing
Depends on which 'uni' and where - many places in the states accept a
parent issued 'diploma' and transcript and/or a portfolio (depending on
what you intend to study). Some places even have folks in their
admissions staff who 'specialize' in helping translate life experience
into what the school expects to see in a transcript. I know one family
here in CT, USA whose son was unschooled from the get go (never enrolled
in any school) who went on to college, got in no problem, double
majored, graduated high up in his class. Many places stateside just want
test scores and some idea of what background someone has. Also, many
folks start out in their teens taking a class or two here or there at
local community colleges which can help with getting into other
colleges. And, there are also online classes (college level) that people
take. Sometimes, too, waiting a bit before going to college is a good
option - working and then going to 'uni' once you've got a better idea
of where you want to be going (and have some money saved up) not only
helps on a life level (having a feel for direction and what you want)
but it also puts you in the "non-traditional student" category which is
looked at differently than straight-from-high-school. DH was accepted at
age 27 -before- his high school records got to the school and -before-
he took any standardized tests *because* he was a non-traditional
student.
By the time your DD is even close to 'uni' age, there will have been
lots of unschooled/homeschooled folks already gone before her and the
requirements will likely have changed between now (when the first major
clump of unschoolers is starting to hit their teens) and then (when
there'll have been lots gone before her).
Deb
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parent issued 'diploma' and transcript and/or a portfolio (depending on
what you intend to study). Some places even have folks in their
admissions staff who 'specialize' in helping translate life experience
into what the school expects to see in a transcript. I know one family
here in CT, USA whose son was unschooled from the get go (never enrolled
in any school) who went on to college, got in no problem, double
majored, graduated high up in his class. Many places stateside just want
test scores and some idea of what background someone has. Also, many
folks start out in their teens taking a class or two here or there at
local community colleges which can help with getting into other
colleges. And, there are also online classes (college level) that people
take. Sometimes, too, waiting a bit before going to college is a good
option - working and then going to 'uni' once you've got a better idea
of where you want to be going (and have some money saved up) not only
helps on a life level (having a feel for direction and what you want)
but it also puts you in the "non-traditional student" category which is
looked at differently than straight-from-high-school. DH was accepted at
age 27 -before- his high school records got to the school and -before-
he took any standardized tests *because* he was a non-traditional
student.
By the time your DD is even close to 'uni' age, there will have been
lots of unschooled/homeschooled folks already gone before her and the
requirements will likely have changed between now (when the first major
clump of unschoolers is starting to hit their teens) and then (when
there'll have been lots gone before her).
Deb
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This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify
the system manager.
This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by
MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.
CNC Software, Inc.
www.mastercam.com
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
:: anne | arun ::
Hi Amy,
we are also in australia � in northern nsw at the moment, though we
have lived all around Aus including SA. We are RU parents of our dd
(5yrs) and ds (11 months also)
I agree with Deb that by the time your dd gets there, should she
choose to go that way, that there will be pathways for unschoolers
into uni here in aus.
However even now there are ways. My day job used to be as the
"selection officer" for a design degree at monash uni in melb.
Entrance was based on folio and a TER score (school score for yr 12).
In Victoria it is policy to ignore the school score if a student has
done two years of tafe or one year of uni elsewhere.
I was in the job for about 5 years and even during that time there
were shifts where it was becoming more rare for students to get into
uni straight from school. They usually had to go via a yr 13
(specialist bridging programs) or tafe then then trasfer.
It is definitely possible for someone who has not registered at
school (we do not intend to register our children) to get into tafe
and some unis in australia. My partner used to work for Vic Uni which
is quite progressive and they had many programs to "articulate" non
traditional or non schoolers into uni. Their focus were migrants.
indigenous australians, mature age women and so on but the same
principles and systems there would apply to unschoolers.
There are also many precedents in australia of unschoolers doing uni,
though not systematic pathways yet to my knowledge. So lyn loxton who
unschools her children and coordinates the Victorian Home Education
Network... has a son who is now 25 and is doing his Phd in
Aeronautical engineering at a melbourne university.
For more South Australian info you might want to contact Beverley
Paine who is one of the main unschooling advocates there, you may
already be in contact? You can google her name and homeschooling and
im sure you will find her (cant find her web site address now.)
cheers
arun
_____________________________________________
| anne + arun |
http://www.theparentingpit.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
we are also in australia � in northern nsw at the moment, though we
have lived all around Aus including SA. We are RU parents of our dd
(5yrs) and ds (11 months also)
I agree with Deb that by the time your dd gets there, should she
choose to go that way, that there will be pathways for unschoolers
into uni here in aus.
However even now there are ways. My day job used to be as the
"selection officer" for a design degree at monash uni in melb.
Entrance was based on folio and a TER score (school score for yr 12).
In Victoria it is policy to ignore the school score if a student has
done two years of tafe or one year of uni elsewhere.
I was in the job for about 5 years and even during that time there
were shifts where it was becoming more rare for students to get into
uni straight from school. They usually had to go via a yr 13
(specialist bridging programs) or tafe then then trasfer.
It is definitely possible for someone who has not registered at
school (we do not intend to register our children) to get into tafe
and some unis in australia. My partner used to work for Vic Uni which
is quite progressive and they had many programs to "articulate" non
traditional or non schoolers into uni. Their focus were migrants.
indigenous australians, mature age women and so on but the same
principles and systems there would apply to unschoolers.
There are also many precedents in australia of unschoolers doing uni,
though not systematic pathways yet to my knowledge. So lyn loxton who
unschools her children and coordinates the Victorian Home Education
Network... has a son who is now 25 and is doing his Phd in
Aeronautical engineering at a melbourne university.
For more South Australian info you might want to contact Beverley
Paine who is one of the main unschooling advocates there, you may
already be in contact? You can google her name and homeschooling and
im sure you will find her (cant find her web site address now.)
cheers
arun
_____________________________________________
| anne + arun |
http://www.theparentingpit.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
The Jeffrees
Beverley's website is: http://homeschoolaustralia.beverleypaine.com/ she
also has www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au (I'm pretty sure each site has links
to the other.)
(On a side note, fancy seeing you here Arun! :P)
Kindest Wishes,
Anita
Liam (9) and Rhiannan (7)
-xxx-
also has www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au (I'm pretty sure each site has links
to the other.)
(On a side note, fancy seeing you here Arun! :P)
Kindest Wishes,
Anita
Liam (9) and Rhiannan (7)
-xxx-
----- Original Message -----
From: ":: anne | arun ::" <life@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2007 10:33 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: Unschooling and university prospects
Hi Amy,
we are also in australia - in northern nsw at the moment, though we
have lived all around Aus including SA. We are RU parents of our dd
(5yrs) and ds (11 months also)
I agree with Deb that by the time your dd gets there, should she
choose to go that way, that there will be pathways for unschoolers
into uni here in aus.
However even now there are ways. My day job used to be as the
"selection officer" for a design degree at monash uni in melb.
Entrance was based on folio and a TER score (school score for yr 12).
In Victoria it is policy to ignore the school score if a student has
done two years of tafe or one year of uni elsewhere.
I was in the job for about 5 years and even during that time there
were shifts where it was becoming more rare for students to get into
uni straight from school. They usually had to go via a yr 13
(specialist bridging programs) or tafe then then trasfer.
It is definitely possible for someone who has not registered at
school (we do not intend to register our children) to get into tafe
and some unis in australia. My partner used to work for Vic Uni which
is quite progressive and they had many programs to "articulate" non
traditional or non schoolers into uni. Their focus were migrants.
indigenous australians, mature age women and so on but the same
principles and systems there would apply to unschoolers.
There are also many precedents in australia of unschoolers doing uni,
though not systematic pathways yet to my knowledge. So lyn loxton who
unschools her children and coordinates the Victorian Home Education
Network... has a son who is now 25 and is doing his Phd in
Aeronautical engineering at a melbourne university.
For more South Australian info you might want to contact Beverley
Paine who is one of the main unschooling advocates there, you may
already be in contact? You can google her name and homeschooling and
im sure you will find her (cant find her web site address now.)
cheers
arun
_____________________________________________
| anne + arun |
http://www.theparentingpit.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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