Mike Smith:
Today I’m joined by Diane Kummer, a high school coordinator at Home School Legal Defense Association. Diane, it’s great to have you on the program.

Diane Kummer:
Thank you so much, Mike. It’s great being here with you.

Mike:
Diane, when homeschooling parents think about preparing their children for college, they usually focus on academic preparation—like building a high school transcript and taking standardized tests. But there’s a lot more to college than academics. Why is other preparation necessary for young people going off to college for the first time?

Diane:
Preparation for going off to college is important, Mike, because teens will begin to make decisions on their own—perhaps for the first time. But I want to reassure parents that they should not be afraid of this new season in their children’s life.

Instead, parents should take time to lay out a plan. For example, use the entire college application process to acquaint your young adults with the skills they’ll need in college, such as interacting with professors or academic advisors. Let your teens make those phone calls to admissions officers to set up interviews. Have them request letters of recommendation from instructors. Give them more and more responsibility to interact with administrative staff, such as financial aid officers. This will build their confidence in solving problems on their own.

Mike:
Diane, that’s very good. We’ll be exploring these topics more next time. And until then, I’m Mike Smith.