How Homeschool Parents Can Use Study.com to Prepare Their Students for College

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By Connor

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 20 million students are currently enrolled in a U.S. college or university. Every year, many of the 2 million homeschooled students around the U.S. undergo the college admissions process and join the ranks of college freshmen. Because their schedules are not dictated by a structured school calendar, homeschool students have the unique opportunity to strengthen their college applications and portfolios by engaging more deeply in volunteer work, extra-curricular activities, and other projects that require significant time commitments. Parents can also help students get a leg up in the admissions process by using online resources such as Study.com to create an integrated curriculum that will help their students become the academically prepared, well-rounded applicants that colleges look for. Here are some of the top ways that parents can use Study.com to prepare their students for college.

Use Engaging Video Lessons as Part of the Academic Curriculum

Study.com features an extensive database with over 22,000 videos in subjects such as math, science, business, social studies, history, and English language arts. The platform has videos designed for all grade levels, including high school. Study.com’s animated videos last around ten minutes each, allowing students to dig into individual concepts without getting information overload. Best of all, video lessons can be re-watched so that students can review material or ensure they understand the lesson before moving on to the next one. Parents can use these videos as individual lessons for their students, incorporate them into a unit, or use as study guides and review materials. Study.com also offers full online courses, such as in Geometry or American Government, which give a comprehensive, in-depth look into the subject. Students who are audiovisual learners or like to review their educational content often would get the most out of video lessons.

Use Online Assessments as Review Tools

All of Study.com’s video lessons include quizzes and worksheets that can be used as interactive assessments. These assessments are automatically graded and point students back to review material they missed. Video lessons also have a course instructor attached to them, so students can ask questions about material they do not understand. As students work their way through a course, they can track their progress based on the number of quizzes they’ve completed.

Learn About Different College and Universities

With more than 4,000 colleges and universities across the U.S., deciding where to pursue an undergraduate degree can be overwhelming. Study.com offers its own School Search function to help students narrow down their options based on location, preferred subject, and more. The portal also includes video reviews of different colleges and universities so prospective students can learn more about higher education institutions from the comfort of their own home.

Help Your Child Earn College Credit

Tuition rates around the country have increased dramatically over the last several years. While financial aid and merit-based scholarships can help defray costs, parents can also help their students earn college credit before enrolling in a college, further decreasing the overall price tag (especially if students bring enough credits to graduate early). Public school students often use the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams for this purpose, but homeschool students might prefer to take the CLEP and DSST exams, which are not usually attached to a high school class. CLEP and DSST exams are prior knowledge assessments that allow students to earn real college credit just by passing a test. They combine the rigor of a college curriculum with the result of earning transferable credit in topics like U.S. History, Biology, and Calculus. Each exam costs $85 and grants real transferable college credit for a passing grade. Study.com’s test prep section includes study guides, video lessons, and practice tests to help homeschooled students prepare for these exams, earn college credit, and save money on their education.

A personalized curriculum and the ability to earn college credit early give homeschool students a significant advantage for their college prep. Visit Study.com to learn more about the various resources to complement a homeschool education for college-bound teens.

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