I was contacted recently by a young lady who had created a guide to unschooling for teens. I found her personal story quite interesting and new I had to interview here. Part 1 of this interview addressed her early homeschool years and her switch from homeschooling to unschooling. Here is part 2 of that interview.
How did you fulfill requirements for graduation and college admission?
Something I read in a book entitled “What Colleges Don’t Tell You” by Elizabeth Wissner-Gross really summed up my college admissions process. She said that colleges don’t necessarily want well-rounded students, but a well-rounded class of students.
Through I was well rounded enough through my independent study – from studying everything from web design to economics to fiber arts to religions of the world – I really focused on theatre during my high school years. I was accepted into an invitation-only local playwriting program, got selected to have my short comedies professionally produced through a theatre for young audiences, took acting classes, and did a college-level 300 hour internship as a production assistant and understudy.
Looking back at my high school years – I am about to graduate now – it seems like I lived at the theatre. So when I went to visit colleges, I was very knowledgeable about both the technical and creative aspects of theatre.
My portfolio that I submitted to colleges really reflected my passion for theatre – it is thick with copies of my plays, as well as pictures of my accomplishments.
Personally, I think that a student who is very dedicated and passionate about a particular subject is going to influence a college more than a student with only a mild interest in many subjects. For example, I know another local student who really focused on horses – from riding them to training them to breeding them – and now is studying Equine Biology and Medicine at a local university.
So while I think it is necessary and important to have a general knowledge of grammar, math, science, etc – I feel that you don’t need to learn calculus if you want to be a photographer, and you don’t need to know the Greek or Latin root of each word to become a chef.
How did you acquire scholarships?
The bulk of the scholarships that I was awarded came from my ACT test scores. I studied very hard for that test, because it is so important for college admissions.
The others came from talent scholarships based on my theatre experience.
Bio:
Andi Enns is a seventeen-year-old unschooler from Kansas City, Missouri. She was accepted into her top-choice college, and will be attending this fall for Nonprofit Leadership and Organizational Communications.
She has created a website at http://squidoo.com/unschoolingteen/ for her tips on unschooling high school.
Read more Homeschool Success stories here:
And this interview with a homeschooling mom: Biking from Alaska to Argentina: A Homeschooling Road Trip