Understanding How School Accreditation Affects College Admission

When parents are looking for online homeschool programs, their top concerns are cost, curriculum and convenience (i.e. user-friendly portal and system). However, the accreditation of the school should be one of the first things that parents look at before any of the items listed above. Understanding why this is so important can help you make the right decision for your child’s future even if they are still in elementary grades or just getting ready to start kindergarten.

Accredited online homeschools are programs that have taken the time to work with agencies who come in and evaluate the school’s curriculum, teaching methods, education quality and standards. Schools that are awarded this status must then maintain this high level and be re-certified every so often to ensure that they haven’t fallen out of regulation. It is important to note that every agency may have its own set of requirements and the school must meet each of them to receive the accreditation from each organization.

You may still be wondering why this is so important. When a student puts in their application to a college or university, they must include their high school transcripts as part of the admissions package, so they can be evaluated by the board. The institution is looking to see what classes the student took in high school and they need to have confidence that the courses at the school meet accepted educational standards. To check this, they look at the school name on the records and check for accreditation or it may already be one that they are familiar with because they receive a large number of applications every year. Of course, these schools only look at high school transcripts, but it is necessary to provide students with stability and a quality foundation that builds on itself, so they are ready for these important years.

Accredited online high schools are the best approach to setting your child up for future success because the records will be accepted based on the accreditation established by the school. This information should be clearly displayed on the website but if the parent is unable to locate then this should be one of the first questions they ask in their conversation with the admissions counselor. In addition, parents should also ask about the matriculation rate of graduates to recognized colleges/universities and the acceptance rate. This helps with understanding how higher education institutions view the quality of the school and the students it produces.

Whether your child is only just beginning their education journey or you are looking for a new place for your high school student, give them the best opportunity for success by starting out with an accredited school. Check out the accreditation facts for yourself and then compare schools for cost, curriculum and convenience knowing that they have the right foundation to start with that will carry into their future.

If you are looking for the Best Homeschooling Online, then the author of this article recommends NFC Academy.