How Do I Get Last Minute Accreditation?

Question: I am in the 12 grade and am about to apply for colleges. I have been doing my own program planned by my parents and have taken a couple of online classes and a couple of co-op classes. I don't want to jump through a lot of hoops to get into college and am thinking about accreditation. Is this something I can do so close to graduation?

Answer: It is not too late to get your homeschool program accredited. When you have your homeschool program accredited, you basically have someone with the right credentials look over what you have done, and certify that you have accomplished enough academically to issue you an accredited diploma.

An Internet search will surely help you find an accreditation agency or umbrella school in your area. You can also ask other homeschoolers who they have used if they have taken the accreditation path. Keep in mind that there will most certainly be a fee for having someone review all of your high school coursework and approve it for accreditation. As homeschool accreditation is not a regulated industry, getting accreditation can cost you anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

For the peace of mind of not having to explain your homeschooling journey to every college you apply to, it might be worth it. But before you turn over your hard earned money, consider the following. One homeschool expert, Lee Binz, suggests that based on her research, "it has become clear that ONLY ONE GROUP really cares about accreditation - the agencies that make money on accreditation. … They place ads all over the Internet and in magazines, spouting phrases like "accredited homeschool" and "real transcript" as if accreditation was a huge deal. At the same time, they hamstring parents who don't fit neatly in the unschooling-to-classical continuum." http://www.thehomescholar.com/recent-articles/accrediation.php

So, while getting an accredited homeschool diploma is not difficult to do, you need to ask yourself if it is really necessary. Look at the colleges you plan to apply to and see what they require of homeschoolers. It may turn out that being a homeschooler with a varied and interesting background in more desirable than a piece of paper with a stamp on it.