Countdown to College Launch 2!

Account Assets

Most of us weary homeschool moms believe in our innocence that a transcript is all we need for our child's college entrance. The fact is that if your child were in a public or private school, his transcript would be interpreted in light of several other documents that make up the School Counselor's Pack.

In other words, don't feel singled out for persecution. Even public schools need a sort of outside verification of their work.

What's in a School Counselor's Pack?

1. Transcript (the document we love to hate)
2. School Profile (a document that describes your school compared to other schools)
3. School Counselor's Letter (a document that details the student's strengths and weaknesses compared to other students) and (possibly, though not ideally)
4. Letters of Recommendation (you know about these already, and hopefully your recommenders sent their letters directly to the colleges, not through you)

The Countdown Workbook contains detailed explanations of how to develop these documents. There are tips and pitfall warnings as well as sample documents.

The Countdown Workbook also gives tips on how your student can write sizzling college application essays and follow up his wonderful application and resume with dazzling interviews. There is even a section that will help you and your student to keep your recommenders organized and to give them a clear idea of what they need to address in their letters.

These documents directly impact the amount of money schools themselves will be able and willing to offer your students.

One college financial aid officer commented to me as he gleefully revealed a most generous scholarship package, "I've never seen such a well-documented home school program. Your documentation allowed us to give the most generous financial aid package that we have been able to offer anyone for the past five years!"

Next time: Learn how the scholarship application process works in 1! Apply for Rewards