Colorado State does not have any admissions requirements that are unique to homeschoolers. The documents required to complete the application for admission and the process of evaluating a student’s credentials are basically the same as for students from traditional educational settings.

No. You simply need to submit the regular application for admission along with a $50 nonrefundable application processing fee, an official transcript, and a personal essay (minimum 250 words). Suggestions for the essay are included in this FAQ. Refer to our Preparing to Apply section for additional details.

SAT or ACT scores are not required for first-year applicants. Applicants who have test scores are welcome to include them in their materials; however, there is no requirement to submit. For applicants who choose not to submit test scores, admissions decisions will not be negatively impacted whatsoever. If you choose to take the SAT or ACT, you may choose to take either.

Homeschooled applicants are not required to present additional test results (e.g., achievement tests, GED, College Board subject tests, etc.).

Colorado State does not require or prefer particular curricula, and we do not make recommendations about specific programs of study. However, we can help you formulate questions that may assist you in evaluating how well a program or curriculum will prepare you for University admission.

Regardless of curriculum used, applicants are given priority consideration if they have completed our 18 Recommended High School Units (grades of C- or better preferred).

Transcripts must include a complete list of courses taken in grades 9-12, comments on course content if the titles are not self-explanatory, and information about the duration of the course if something other than a traditional academic year is used.

The transcript also must include an assessment of student performance (e.g. letter grades, percentages, portfolio commentary, etc.) and an explanation of any applicable grading scales. In cases where objective grading is not used, provide an explanation of how you were deemed ready for promotion to the next academic level.

If you have completed course work concurrently at a local high school or college, please include an official transcript from the institution(s); it is not uncommon for homeschool applicants to have two or more transcripts in their application file, such as online or home-based instruction for grades 9-10 and concurrent enrollment in a community college for grades 11-12.

Prior to beginning classes at CSU, admitted students are required to submit a final, official transcript reflecting graduation; in the case of homeschool students, this means we require a final, official transcript reflecting completion of all course work through the date listed as the date of completion within the application for admission. We do not require GED or a diploma.

Students must have achieved high school graduation or its equivalent to enroll at Colorado State. You are not required to present GED results or a diploma from a traditional school, but we do require a final transcript of your academic work through the date you have listed as your date of completion in order to verify that you have completed the necessary academic units.

If you have a calculated cumulative grade point average using either letter or percentile grades, Colorado State University will use that GPA for admission and scholarship decisions and for state reporting purposes.

Guidelines established by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) require that all applicants from non-graded educational settings (i.e., narrative or portfolio assessment) be assigned a 3.3 “proxy” GPA (on a 4.0 scale), regardless of the type of assessment system used by the family or curriculum. While the 3.3 proxy GPA is part of the academic profile, the admission decision process still includes a detailed, personal review of your high school performance and individual background.

We will verify that you have completed the recommended high school course work and evaluate your academic rigor and trends in performance. We also will consider your personal background, involvement in family/community/school activities and your ability to contribute to the campus community. It is important that you provide information about your individual experience and achievements.

Refer to the admission standards section of Preparing to Apply for more information.

You are encouraged to utilize your essay to help us better understand your individual background and the context of your college preparation. Topics to cover may include:

• a description of your high school learning environment(s)
• an explanation of why you chose to homeschool and what curriculum you have used
• an assessment of the pros/cons of your experience and your preparation for Colorado State
• any other details that will help us better understand the context and content of your experience

Writing samples beyond the essay are not required components of the application for admission; however, you may choose to provide additional information (e.g., a resume, a reading list, a sample schedule, etc.) to support your application or to elaborate upon information included in the transcript or the essay if further explanation is necessary.

Please submit an official transcript from all academic institutions you have attended during your high school years. Not only does this help us better understand your general course of study, it also allows us to see your degree of success in differing environments.

Transfer credit may be awarded for college-level course work completed while homeschooling. Submit an official college transcript with your application for admission. If you are admitted, it will be evaluated after your admission and academic, college-level courses in which you have earned a grade of C- or better may receive transfer credit.

A transfer applicant is a student who has attempted any amount of college credit AFTER graduating from high school or completing homeschool. If all of your college course work will be completed as part of your high school experience and your date of homeschool completion coincides with any amount of college completion (including an associate’s degree), you still should apply to CSU as a freshman. You only should apply as a transfer applicant if you will be enrolled in college courses AFTER your date of homeschool/high school completion.

Homeschoolers are eligible for all majors at CSU. Admission to some programs, called our competitive majors, may require a higher grade point average and/or specific course work. Entry into music majors requires an audition.

The Honors Program welcomes the participation of homeschoolers. For more information about application guidelines and deadlines, please consult the Honors Program website or contact the Honors Program staff directly at (970) 491-5679.

We do not track the number of homeschooled applicants, the number of admitted homeschoolers, or the number of homeschooled students who enroll. Based on the personal attention we give homeschooled applicants, we are confident that Colorado State’s diverse student body includes many individuals with solid home-based college-preparatory backgrounds. We hope you will make your own contribution in the near future.

Yes. For information about institutional scholarships, please view the Office of Financial Aid website. Your eligibility for private scholarships (those that are not administered by the University) will be at the discretion of the donor.