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Requirements for Student Enrollment
Admissions | Records | Advanced Courses | Tests | Early Preparation | Scholarships
COLLEGE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Much of the preparation for college entrance begins when planning the high school curriculum. It must be a college preparatory program. That simply means that the courses which the student takes will prepare him/her for college entrance. Investigate the academic requirements for college entrance in your state or at the universities you are considering. Then, be sure that you meet or exceed the minimum number of classes in each subject. For example, Oral Roberts University has the following undergraduate admissions requirements:
It is strongly recommended that a student take a third year of language, a third year of mathematics, and another laboratory science among his/her electives. Students matriculating in a Bachelor of Science Program may present additional mathematics or science credits in lieu of a foreign language.
A normal part of college entrance is the high school transcript. Generally speaking, the transcript should include the student's full name, social security number, all courses studied, and the final grade for each course. If available, student's ACT or SAT scores should be included. The transcript must be signed by the student's parent and the grading scale utilized must be indicated. It's important to be consistent and use a format which a college can easily interpret, like semesters or quarters. Oral Roberts University is happy to accept homeschool transcripts.
Common Grading Scales
| SCALE 1 | GRADE | SCALE 2 |
| 90-100 | A | 94-100 |
| 80-89 | B | 88-93 |
| 70-79 | C | 82-87 |
| 60-69 | D | 76-81 |
| Freshman Year (1995-96) | Fall | Spring | Final Grade | Units Length of course | Honor Points (Grade Points * Units) |
| Algebra | A | B | B | 1 (year--long course) | 3 |
| Biology | A | A | A | 1 | 4 |
| Modern English | A | A | A | 1 | 4 |
| Grammar | B | B | .5 | 1.5 | |
| 3.5 | 12.5 |
The Grade Point Average (GPA) is determined by first multiplying units by grade points to find the honor points. Grade points are the number value assigned to the final grade (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1). Divide the honor points by the units to find the GPA.
GPA = honor points/units = 12.5/3.5 = 3.6
Extracurricular activities should be listed on the transcript. Also, the student should keep a record of his/her volunteer work and church and community involvement so that the extent of such participation can be noted on college admissions applications.
ORU's Homeschool College Program offers homeschoolers the opportunity to take college courses while still in high school. The courses are fully accredited and transferable college courses for which the student receives college credit. When transferring credit hours into college, it is wise to find out at what point the student will be considered a transfer student rather than an incoming freshman. For example, at ORU an incoming freshman is defined as a student transferring in fourteen or less college credit hours. For a homeschool graduate entering ORU, courses taken through the ORU Homeschool College Program will not be counted as hours transferred in, but as courses already taken at ORU.
Many colleges and universities also accept the CLEP subject exams for credit toward an undergraduate degree. For credit at ORU, the student must have an official copy of scores sent directly to the Office of Admissions from the College Board. Information on CLEP tests can be obtained by writing to CLEP * PO Box 6600 * Princeton NJ 08541-6600
All colleges require SAT and/or ACT test scores for admission. The majority of students first take these tests in their junior year of high school. Many students also take the PSAT test in their sophomore year. High scores on these tests will often qualify the student for academic scholarships.
| ACT Information | SAT Information |
| American College Testing Program | College Entrance Examination Board |
| PO Box 414 | PO Box 592 |
| Iowa City IA 52243 | Princeton NJ 08540 |
| ORU's ACT code is 3427 | ORU's SAT code is 6552 |
There are also some things you can do during your high school class work which will help prepare the student for success in college. First, if your curriculum does not include essay assignments and test questions, add some to each unit of study. The ability to write well is essential for college success. Second, teach your child to take notes from a lecture. Listen to an instructional tape, for example, while both you and the student take notes. At the end, compare your outlines. Discuss why certain points were important to record.
The sophomore and junior years of high school are not too early to begin investigating colleges and universities. It is suggested that, when possible, a student apply for admission to colleges and universities by the fall of their senior year in high school, having already taken the ACT and/or SAT at least once. Then the student can begin applying for financial aid and scholarships. Grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid. To qualify for the PELL grant, work-study programs or loans, the student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is generally done in January or February of the senior year of high school. For an application for ORU's Homeschool Scholarship, please call us, or if you have a printer, click below and print it now!
Homeschool Scholarship Application
(For a printable scholarship application click above for the application. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, click here first. This will allow you to download the application.)