An exploratory study of the transition and adjustment of former home schooled students to college life

The practice of home schooling is a fast growing educational trend in the United States. Like students in traditional school settings, as home schooled children complete the equivalent of their high school education, many continue their education by enrolling in colleges and universities. However, very little research has been conducted about the experiences of these students in college. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of former home schooled students as they made the transition from the home school environment into the college culture, and to determine how they adjusted to college life. The conceptual framework for the study utilized a number of student development, adjustment and retention models, including Tinto's reconceptualization of Van Gennep's Rites of Passage theory. Twenty-five former home schooled students attending religiously affiliated colleges and public state universities were interviewed and completed the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ). Another data source consisted of interviews with 22 faculty and staff members identified by students at their institutions, who were able to speak to their experiences in college. The results of the study indicated that former home schooled in the sample were students were very well prepared for college. A number of skills they learned in home schooling contributed to them making a relatively smooth transition into the academic and social systems of their campuses. Students in the sample scored at the 88^th percentile on the academic adjustment subscale, the 76^th percentile on the social adjustment subscale and the 84^th percentile on the emotional adjustment subscale of the SACQ, compared to the 50^th percentile score of traditionally educated students in the questionnaire's normative sample. All data sources consistently revealed that students attending religiously affiliated colleges were much better adjusted to college academically, socially and emotionally than their counterparts attending public universities. Furthermore, the longer students were home schooled, the better they adjusted to college. Overall, the results of the study indicated that students in the sample not only performed and adjusted well in college, but also suggests that home schooling maybe a viable educational option for preparing students to succeed in college.